When life encounters loss, the ache that settles in the heart is often deeper than words can hold.
The “Re‑telling the Grief” project was created to offer a gentle space where sorrow could be witnessed, understood, and softly supported during moments when the world felt fractured.
Designed for family members grieving the death of the beloved ones aged 60 or above, the project used creative arts therapies to walk alongside participants as they moved through grief, slowly rediscovering strength, meaning, and the possibility of hope.
Lanched in the summer of 2025 with funding from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and academic support from the Centre on Behavioral Health of The University of Hong Kong.
The project integrated three creative arts therapy modalities:
• expressive arts therapy
• music therapy
• dance and movement therapy
Within this process, each participant was invited to revisit their relationship with the deceased, in an environment held with safety and care, where shifting emotions could be understood and resilience could gently take root. Through this journey, many began to reconnect with themselves and gradually found the inner capacity to face life once more.
Public Screening and Dialogue Session
In December 2025, “Re‑telling the Grief” held its public screening and dialogue session at the Louis Koo Cinema of the Hong Kong Arts Centre. An interactive exhibition accompanied the event, inviting participants to step into the journey of grief through film, creative works, and experiential activities. The experience offered a gentle reminder that grief is not a weakness, but a process of life filled with blood and tears that deserves to be seen and honoured.
The film, directed and created by John Leung, traced the rhythms of grief, the quiet transformations that unfolded over time, and the power of tenderness that emerged through creative arts therapies.
During the dialogue session, therapists from expressive arts, music, dance / movement disciplines shared reflections drawn from accompanying individuals in grievances. Most moving of all were the voices of the participants themselves, who spoke with a sincerity that touched everyone present.
Their sharings carried a simple and timeless truth: grief can be deeply painful, yet love helps us rise again.
That evening, film, arts, and personal stories intertwined, becoming a soft and steady light that gently warmed the hearts of many.
Team
Project Curator and Principal Researcher:
Ms. Vennus HO
Co‑Researcher:
Dr. Angel LEUNG
Expressive Arts Therapist:
Ms. Julie FUNG
Music Therapist:
Ms. Edith LEUNG
Dance/Movement Therapist:
Ms. Phoebe CHUNG
Film Producer:
Mr. John LEUNG
Academic Partner:
Centre on Behavioural Health
Project Consultant:
Prof. Rainbow HO
Director, Centre on Behavioural Health, The University of Hong Kong
Professor, Department of Social Work & Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
Director,Master of Expressive Arts Therapy Programme, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
