SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

Dead Dad’s Club

SHIFT 2025 Public Program

Saturday, July 12, 1–3pm

EFA Studios
323 West 39th St, 3rd Floor Conference Room
New York, NY 10018
Free Admission


EFA Shift Artists in Residence DaeQuan Alexander Collier and Hawu Lim invite participants to join their grief circle for anyone who’s grieving any kind of loss — recent or long ago, messy or quiet, clear or complicated. All identities, backgrounds, and stories are welcome. 


Dead Dad’s Club is a peer-led support group for people navigating life after loss and need a space to talk about it, cry about it, laugh about it, or just sit in it. It’s a space to be real — whether you're falling apart, holding it together, angry, numb, laughing through tears, or all of the above.


🖤 What to Expect:

  • Open, real talk (tears and dark humor both welcome)

  • A safe, confidential space — zero judgment, zero pressure

  • Peer-led: by people who get it, because we are living it

*This is not a therapy group, and no clinical services are offered. The facilitator is a peer with lived experience of grief, not a licensed mental health provider. However, the group can provide referrals or resources for those seeking professional support.

Overview

Dead Dad’s Club is a peer-led grief support group designed to provide a safe, welcoming space for anyone navigating life after loss — regardless of who or what they’ve lost, and regardless of how long it’s been.

While the group name stems from personal experience with the loss of a father, this space is open to all types of grief and all people, without judgment or expectation. We exist to provide something that’s often missing: ongoing permission to talk about grief, even after the world seems to have moved on.

Participants will be asked to bring a candle to light for the duration of their turn to speak. The light is to be blown out as each participant is finished speaking.  We will have some candles on site for people who forgot,etc.  At the end of the event, we will photograph these molten candles and turn it into a booklet with no text. Participants can choose to take it or leave it. 


Why This Group Exists

Grief doesn’t have an expiration date — but social support for grief often does. Many people are left feeling isolated, ashamed, or unsure where to talk about their ongoing experience with loss. This group aims to fill that gap by creating a space where:

  • People can speak freely about what they’re feeling — or simply listen

  • Grief is honored without pressure to “move on”

  • Laughter, tears, anger, and silence are all equally welcome


Ground Rules:

1. Confidentiality is sacred. What’s shared here stays here. Please don’t repeat others’ stories outside this space.

2. No fixing, no preaching. We’re here to listen, not solve. Unless someone specifically asks for advice, we hold space without jumping in.

3. Share the space. We aim for everyone to feel seen and heard. Try not to dominate the conversation — and please respect when it’s time to move on.

4. All grief is valid. There’s no “right” way to grieve. Whether it’s messy, numb, angry, funny, fresh, or ancient — it belongs here.

5. You don’t have to talk. You’re always welcome to just listen. Sharing is encouraged, never required.

6. We speak from the “I.” Please share your own experience — not what others should feel or do.

7. Respect all identities and experiences. This is an inclusive space for all backgrounds, genders, orientations, and types of loss. Kindness and respect are non-negotiable.

8. Take care of yourself. Step out if you need a break. Bring water, a journal, a fidget — whatever supports you. We care about your well-being.