The Beaded Crown meditation workshop
A meditative African beading workshop for caregivers and the bereaved
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Beaver Hall Gallery
29 McCaul Street
Toronto | Directions
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Early Bird Tickets: $85
(until June 20th)
Tickets: $100
Tickets on sale June 1st
Price includes beading materials.
About this workshop:
While meditation practices using beads are more commonly associated with Buddhist and Hindu traditions, African beadwork holds similar significance. African beadwork is deeply rooted in the continent's history and culture, serving not only as adornment but also as a medium for spiritual, social, and personal expression.
Join Karen Miranda Augustine for a three-hour workshop that blends peer bereavement, African spiritual symbolism, mindfulness, and basic beading techniques into a unique meditation session for those experiencing anxiety and isolation due to a significant loss, anticipatory grief or bereavement.
Participants will hold space for each other through a short peer bereavement exercise, receive information on the cultural significance of beading practices within the African diaspora, and be led through a basic, hands on beaded crown project as a grounding, creative meditation practice to support their healing journey.
FAQs
What do you mean by 'caregivers?'
We use the term 'caregiver' expansively. We consider a caregiver as someone who may be looking after an aging parent, a sibling, companion, their child, or members of the community through the work they do at a job. Many caregivers experience anticipatory grief, isolation, and burnout, which is why this workshop is offered to them.
May I attend if I just want to learn beadwork?
No. This is a grief relief workshop that uses basic beading techniques as a form of meditation, cultural connection, and community for those who are feeling isolated on their grief journey. This is not simply an arts workshop. This workshop was created to provide self-care and community for those dealing with loss.
May I donate or buy a ticket for someone else?
Yes. If a donation, just contact us to let us know of your offer. If purchased for someone in particular, please contact us with their name and email address. In either case, please email us with all relevant information.
Is this workshop suitable for kids?
No. Participants must be over the age of 18.
About the artist:
Karen Miranda Augustine is visual artist and writer whose work is influenced by the sacred arts. Her art practice explores memorialization, loss, gender, and traditional spiritual practices. She is the artistic director and co-founder of the Ancestral Arts Collective, the founder of ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM caregiving artist collective, a trained death care worker, and was a peer bereavement volunteer at Hospice Toronto for five years. She holds an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from York University.