Opening Ceremony Podcast
Opening Ceremony with Jess May is a podcast focuses on ceremonies and how they tell our human stories!
Jess May is an Award Winning Celebrant who chats with amazing human beings about their life events, passions and careers and the ceremonies associated with them.
By focusing on ceremony throughout history, in different times, cultures and places we learn about the multitude of human lives and voices and how we are both different and interconnected.
Ceremonies remind us of what it means to be human and that is what makes them fascinating. Join Jess and her fantastic community to learn more about why they matter and how they are changing over time.
Episodes
20 episodes
WHY DO WE PUT THINGS IN GRAVES WITH OUR DEAD? DR JENNIFER RILEY
Dr Jennifer Riley is a research fellow in Divinity at the University of Aberdeen. Her current research explores grave goods in the UK today – the objects and items placed with people when they die, which almost certainly cannot be retrieved aft...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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1:09:37
REAL LIFE WEDDING FOLLOW UP, Gareth Tanner
REAL LIFE WEDDINGS FOLLOW UP SERIESMEET MY COUPLES AND FIND OUT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR WEDDING CEREMONIES. HOW HAS LIFE CHANGED? WHAT IS GOING ON FOR THEM?I loved this opportunity to meet up with one of my grooms Gareth Tanner ...
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34:20
"Why I married the river Avon" with Mrs Meg Avon & Celebrant Ruth Sidgwick
Megan Trump who recently featured in the film Rave on for the Avon married the River Avon...for real.On Opening Ceremony this week we meet 2 incredible Environmental Activists passionate Wild Swimmers taking peaceful Direct Action to aff...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:08:59
THE DEAD PET GIRLS
INTRODUCING THE DEAD PET GIRLS!This platform and community delves into the world of pet death, offering a welcoming space for honest conversations whilst exploring the quirky cultural aspects of pet loss that are often left unspok...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:10:00
SOUL FILMS with Wendy Pye & Sybil Ah-Mane
Meet the founders of Soul Films! Wendy Pye & Sybil Ah-Mane Soul Films are sensitively produced short films that remember and celebrate someone who has died or is reaching end of life. A QR code linking to the film online can ...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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58:16
Karen Sutton THE WIDOW COACH
THE WIDOW COACH Karen SuttonJoin us as we chat about Widowhood and the amazing way in which Karen re-invented herself and found new purpose after the sudden death of her husband whilst her children were still young.Determined not ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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57:32
POSTAL SERVICE FOR THE DEAD & BRIGHTON DEATH COLLECTIVE
Janelle Ketcher from POSTAL SERVICE FOR THE DEADPostal Service for the Dead is an ongoing, collective project where people send letters to anyone in their life who has died. Birthdays, death days, anniversaries, holiday...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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57:17
SACRED STONES & long barrows for memorials with Toby Angel
Toby Angel is a co-founder and Manager and Director of Sacred Stones a community memorial provision for cremation ashes...Toby is part of a development in reclaiming ancient burial traditions including BarrowsThe long barrows are ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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1:01:18
EXQUISITE SHROUDS. Dagmara Rudkin from Sacred Wings Burial Shrouds
Today we have Dagmara Rudkin sharing with us about her astonishing shrouds. I first met Dagmara a couple of years ago and was blown away by her gorgeous shrouds which are unlike any I've ever seen. I can't wait for you to hear more a...
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1:06:56
Sally Garozzo Menopause Mindset Mentor on ceremonies for life transitions
MEET SALLY, Menopause Mindset Mentor and hypnotherapist based here in Brighton.We had a lot of fun laughing out our former selves in this episode, but also acknowledging the importance of the ceremonial at different stages of our live...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:04:10
'THE DAVIDS'...Meet Dave & Dave...Dave the Plant Man and David Holmes from Ashes to Blooms
This episode is long for a reason.It's fun, it's hopeful it's insightful and it has Dave the Plantman....internet sensation... who will tell you all about his 45 year relationship with plants, memorial roses and the use of trees and pla...
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1:18:34
Amy Dugmore on the language of death
I love this episode so much!It is all about how we use language in our current age here in the UK, how euphemism can serve a purpose and all the different assumptions professionals make about how the general public want to use death lan...
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59:48
Coffin Club UK with Kate & Kate Celebrants
Warning...your life may never be the same again!Meet Kate & Kate, Comediennes of the Funeral scene, all round good eggs, founders of Coffin Club UK, a Funeral Training Programme for would be Funeral Revolutionaries, and full time Ce...
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1:06:04
Death of the Party NYC founder Melanie Wilson invites 'Grievers' to the Party!
Meet Melanie Wilson, Funeral & Memorial Celebrant, Founder of Death of the Party NYC as she shares her journey about founding DEATH OF THE PARTY NYC.In this episode we discuss her grief journey and how she founded th...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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49:51
Professor Howard Williams, Archaeologist of Death & Memory on Donkey Sanctuaries as memorials!
Howard Williams is an Archaeologist with a passion for The Archaeology and Heritage of Death and Memory - Past & Present He is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Chester (2008–present). He specialises in mortuary arc...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:00:59
Lucy Rabbit's Legacy with David Holmes from Ashes to Blooms
David Holmes is the founder of Ashes to Blooms and Sussex Seed Balls and he creates memorial seed balls form the ashes of your loved ones!Listen to the story of his pet rabbit and how she started his business!Handy Links<...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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49:11
Roxy Celebrates Love; Award Winning Humanist Celebrant talks about The Hoffman Process, Relationships & Love!
Roxy is an award winning Humanist Wedding Celebrant, who marries couples all over the south of England and abroad. A lover of all things ritual, she creates bespoke, fun, joyful wedding ceremonies for couples who want to stand out from the crow...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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40:21
Drag Idol Semi-Finalist Celebrant Maria Hurtz talks Safe Spaces & Allyship in the Wedding industry
Martin Fox AKA Maria Hurtz is a Celebrant friend and genuinely wonderful person. Martin's Celebrant business is known to us as Proudfox Ceremonies and anyone who is anyone needs to know about it.Martin is the first UK Celebrant to condu...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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1:00:20
Exploring Plant Medicine & Ceremony with Nigel Pedlingham!
Let me introduce you to Nigel Pedlingham he is an incredible person and we are very lucky to have an opportunity to hear all about his ceremonial experiences.He is a change maker and social justice advocate, a consciousness gu...
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55:53
'Death should not be a surprise!' Katie Costello, Multi Award-Winning Soul Midwife & Funeral Celebrant
Meet Katie Costello, force of nature and all round brilliant human! A multi Award-Winning Soul Midwife & Funeral Celebrant she has tended to hundreds of people at the end of their lives and created hundreds of funerals too.&nbs...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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50:10
