How to Look After a Grieving Elephant (and other social animals) is a children’s participatory art project about grief, by artist Jenny Gaskell. The aim for this project is to get children and adults talking about grief, how we might care for each other, and of course, to have fun along the way. 

Working with children aged 5-10, Jenny researched how some animals act differently when an animal close to them dies. Over a series of art workshops, games and crafts, our collaborators learned about some of the ways that animals - including elephants, giraffes, whales and wolves - share their grief, and how we can look after ourselves as humans too.

The Grief Helpline for Social Animals provides a wealth of information on how social animals experience grief, how to look after ourselves, and each other too. Listeners will hear children’s perspectives on empathy, care, and support, shared in the warm, honest voices of young people. Also available to experience via a phone installation at locations in St Helens (2024-25), The Helpline opens up a compassionate way to consider grief and loss, inspired by the ways animals naturally support each other.

Produced by Wonder Arts and Heart of Glass, with Willowbrook Hospice and Child Bereavement UK. Supported by Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme and National Lottery Community Fund.

Find out more about the project: https://www.heartofglass.org.uk/projects-and-events/projects/how-to-look-after-a-grieving-elephant-and-other-social-animals

The Grief Helpline for Social Animals

How to Look After a Grieving Elephant (and other social animals) is a children’s participatory art project about grief, by artist Jenny Gaskell. The aim for this project is to get children and adults talking about grief, how we might care for each other, and of course, to have fun along the way. 

Working with children aged 5-10, Jenny researched how some animals act differently when an animal close to them dies. Over a series of art workshops, games and crafts, our collaborators learned about some of the ways that animals - including elephants, giraffes, whales and wolves - share their grief, and how we can look after ourselves as humans too.

The Grief Helpline for Social Animals provides a wealth of information on how social animals experience grief, how to look after ourselves, and each other too. Listeners will hear children’s perspectives on empathy, care, and support, shared in the warm, honest voices of young people. Also available to experience via a phone installation at locations in St Helens (2024-25), The Helpline opens up a compassionate way to consider grief and loss, inspired by the ways animals naturally support each other.

How to look after a grieving elephant

Heart of Glass