Certificate in Celebrant Studies

By JANINE OGIER

THE COURSE

Civil celebrants officiate at more than 60 per cent of the marriages and funerals in New Zealand each year, and the Certificate in Celebrant Studies is the only course in the country which trains people to perform these ceremonies.

Auckland University of Technology pioneered the part-time NZQA Level 4 qualification, which has been a prototype for courses overseas.

Graduates set up their own practice as a civil celebrant for name-giving ceremonies, weddings or funerals, or become ritual-makers for their families and communities for celebrations such as birthdays, graduation, coming of age, and house blessings.

Professionals such as counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers and nurses may find the training integrates into their work with people in crisis.

Five modules are offered in the programme and a minimum of three are required to gain the certificate. Students take two compulsory modules and choose another option, with many opting to complete all five.

Each paper is run as a one-week intensive course at various times throughout the year. Students also need to spend 120 hours studying in their own time.

The ceremony and celebration compulsory module is an introduction to the nature of contemporary ceremonies and rituals. It needs to be studied first as it addresses the role of the celebrant and ritual-maker and the practical process of designing and developing ceremonies.

Students learn the rites of passage and transition, the nature and role of ceremony and rituals, types of ceremonies and rituals, and cross-cultural perspectives.

Professional development is the other compulsory paper. Students are taught communication, cultural identity, bi-culturalism, religious studies, a code of ethics and practice, and business skills.

Optional courses include marriage celebrant training, funeral celebrant training, and ceremony for the transition through crisis.

Assessment is based on two written assignments for each module.

Students can attend the classes at the Titirangi Centre for Wellbeing in West Auckland or at the YMCA in Christchurch.

The next ceremony and celebration course is offered in Christchurch on April 19-25. Applications should be made well in advance to enable students to receive pre-course reading material.

Applicants must be over 20 years of age and have a pass in School Certificate English or an equivalent English qualification.

Fees are $475.13 including GST per module. There is a limit of 25 students.

WHAT GRADUATES THINK

Kim Bird, 29

Marriage celebrant

Wellington

Graduated 2000 "I knew I wanted to do weddings from an early age. I believe it is very important to mark the transitions in our life.

"I had already registered as a marriage celebrant when I did the course. It was completely invaluable. I use what I learned every time I do a ceremony. The course gave me the building blocks to create any ceremony - every one is different.

"It was quite an interesting experience with an eclectic bunch of people, some doing weddings like me, others planning to do funerals or other rituals.

"People find out about me by word of mouth. I don't do enough weddings to make a living out of it - but I hope there's a time in the future when I can. There are lots of people who do make a living out of it."

WHAT EMPLOYERS THINK

Neil Little

Director

Davis Funeral Services

Auckland "When we meet with a family, if they make the choice to have a funeral celebrant over a minister of religion we then contact a celebrant to look after the funeral service for them.

"The celebrants come out of the course at a learning stage because, like any public speaking, it takes a while to become experienced and be more polished.

"The course gives people a good basic theoretical knowledge. It teaches them the art of storytelling, which can be a big part of a celebrant's role as not every family wants to speak about their relative themselves.

"It teaches them the right and wrong things to do with grieving families and gives them an understanding of funeral directors' work.

"They have a pool of resources to help personalise a service. After completing the funeral service assignment the results are shared with other students."

THE QUALIFICATION

Certificate in Celebrant Studies

Auckland University of Technology

Phone: 917 9999 ext 7822

Website: www.aut.ac.nz

Email: communication.studies@aut.ac.nz