'We run grief discos to help people cope with loss'

A woman who found comfort through dancing after the death of her baby son now holds Grief Disco events to help others.

Georgina Jones lost her 16-month-old son Osian in March 2023 after he was born prematurely.

Two years on from his death, Georgina, with the help of her friend Leah Sian Davies, holds online and in-person Grief Disco events to help others process their grief.

Ms Jones said she had "always loved dancing, ever since being a child," and "had the urge to dance after Osian died".

Ms Jones and Ms Davies met around eight years ago and had always been connected through their love of dance events.

Ms Davies also lost her brother and sister, so when Osian died they decided to process their grief through dance together.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Ms Jones, who loves house music, said: "Leah does a lot of grief work anyway, she was my partner in crime.

"We went out and we were dancing, and we thought do you think this would help other people through grief? Or is it just us? It was born from that.

"Osian gave me Grief Disco when I needed it and it turns out it was what other people needed as well," she added.

As well as house DJs and dancing, the event will also give opportunities for people to mourn their loved ones.

There is a dedication tree where people can hang messages to those who have died and a wind phone, a Japanese tradition where you pick up the phone and talk to someone who has died.

However, Ms Jones acknowledged their Grief Disco events are not for everyone as for some "it's the last thing they want do while they're grieving".

"Grief is an individual feeling and some people get a bit offended it," she said.

"When you're rolling in the deep at the beginning of loss, I don't think I was up for dancing. I could barely get in the bath.

"So I think people in the early stages of grief, I don't think we're for them," she added.

The pair decided to make their events sober as alcohol can "muddy the waters" when it comes to grieving.

Ms Jones said their discos provide a space for people to grieve but also celebrate the life of their loved one.

They also hold online events to give people the space to dance and grieve in the comfort of their own homes.

She said: "People can dance, they can chat, they can sit.

"There's not many spaces to process grief that isn't the usual therapy or group setting.

"Talking about grief is one thing, but grief is a feeling and an energy – we want to get people to connect through their grief, joy, and sadness."

When people come in Ms Jones and Ms Davies hand them a permission slip, which says they have permission to feel joy.

Ms Jones added: "People who are grieving feel that they have to be sad, they have to feel upset.

"But if you burst into tears on the dancefloor, we won't usher you to the toilets - we will sit in that with you, we can hug you, encourage you to take a seat and get a drink."

The pair are holding their second in-person Grief Disco in Cardiff at The Sustainability Studio on Friday 28 February.