“Ritual and ceremony in their due times kept the world under the sky and the stars in their courses. It was astonishing what ritual and ceremony could do”.

Terry Pratchett

In my mid-20s I had to unexpectedly organise the funerals for both my parents. I was left frustrated by the processes and options I felt were available, given their secular status.

Ceremony and ritual had not played a great role in my life growing-up, so I began to question the function, place and rationale for it in the 21st Century, for those without a faith. By 2016 my curiosity had led me to a 4-day training intensive with one of the inspirational founders of Welfare State International, Sue Fox and the deeply compassionate Gilly Adams. What a better way to explore the concept of ceremony.

Through attending the Rites of Passage training course, ran by the Dead Good Guides, I was able to better understand and appreciate the benefits of collective experiences during transitions in our life. I was also encouraged by the ways in which the natural environment, creativity, personalisation and participation could be embedded.

Mainly I learned there are few rules; humans are meaning-makers… so let the creativity flourish.

Since then, I have had the privilege to work with many people to create, shape and hold numerous ceremonies, including weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies. It has also informed some of my artistic practice, especially BLINK: Reconcile whereby I co-produced a micro-ceremony that toured the UK in 2019.

The honour is always great; so if you would like me to work with you on your ceremony, do get in touch.