The walls of Revolution Place were lined with 25 large black and white portraits last night, each depicting a survivor of suicide.
They were taken by Grande Prairie photographer Suzanne Sagmeister, who hopes to make suicide a less taboo subject.
“They opened their stories up to me and shared their tragedy and their triumph. I really hope that it creates that connection when people look at somebody, because it’s not just an image; it’s a human being, and a human being who has gone through a lot of emotions.”
The Conspiracy of Hope campaign was launched this spring with a local family who lost their 15 year old daughter to suicide in 2012.
They want to give people hope that there is light after dark, which is something musician Robb Nash spends his life trying to share.
He travels the country performing at schools and prisons telling the story of how he recovered from being pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene of an accident, and took part in the After Dark event in Grande Prairie.
“We’ve been given 214 suicide notes on our tour this year, and each one of them says, ‘I feel insignificant,’ and that’s why I think it’s important to show stories of significance and people finding the strength to rip up their notes. There are ones that have found the strength; it’s okay to talk about it.”
A song co-written by Sagmeister and Tenille was also debuted at the event, also featuring the Tasman Jude Band of Grande Prairie, along with Trevor Hurst of Econoline Crush and Rod Black of Jet Black Stare.
Part of the proceeds from the event going to the local Suicide Prevention Resource Centre.
Photo: Tammy Ouelette speaks to the crowd at the After Dark event, sharing her experience of losing her 15 year old daughter Hannah to suicide.