B'OperaApr 213 minHow the arts can teach us to be better humansComing to England at Birmingham Rep Theatre I’ve had two lightbulb experiences recently, both a result of engaging with the arts. The...
B'OperaMar 252 minThe lies we've been sold about motherhoodPhoto by Simran Sood on Unsplash What images pop up for you when you think of the word "Mother"? If you fancy making an experiment of it,...
B'OperaMar 251 minImagineImagine Imagine a world where you're free to be you Instead of being labelled pink or blue Imagine a world that's a little more true...
B'OperaNov 26, 20213 minThe B'Opera Christmas Guide to Supporting Small BusinessesRead on for our selection of Christmas gift ideas from small businesses, many of them local, mum-run, and ethical. We're aiming to help...
B'OperaNov 7, 20211 minDo you •really• want to give them more single use plastic this Christmas?We believe that, like us, you want to leave a planet worth living on for our babies and toddlers. So do you really want to give them more...
B'OperaOct 31, 20214 minThis is not what I had in mind when I booked a holiday!Emergency hospital visits and getting flooded was not what I planned for a half term holiday. They say life is what happens when you’ve...
B'OperaJul 19, 20215 minWhy him? A Tribute to Graham VickBirmingham Opera Company's Lady Macbeth of Mtensk, 2019 Photo by Zoë Challenor “Music already belongs to everyone. The democratic wonder...
B'OperaMay 9, 20212 minPlease Look After This MotherPhoto credit: Original photo Anh Nguyen, butchered by Zoe Challenor For mothers everywhere this Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 1) ...
B'OperaMar 8, 20212 minThe music of our daysmonotony," from monotonos "of one and the same tone" It started with us winding the windows down and blasting ABBA out of the car...
B'OperaMar 3, 20213 minSo you think you can't sing?I'm going to be a little blunt. Almost every time the subject of singing comes up, which, given my job, is frequently, someone will say...
B'OperaJan 4, 20213 min"I'm not allowed to feel this way"Today we’re talking about comparative suffering. which I define as - dismissing or belittling your own experience because "someone else...
B'OperaDec 10, 20202 minThe Invisibility of MotherhoodPhoto credit: Tanaphong Toochinda When the Coronavirus pandemic hit Britain in March and lockdown was enforced - something that could be...
B'OperaNov 11, 20202 minHow can we help little ones to make sense of Remembrance Day?Poppy - Seren, age 5 How can we help little ones to make sense of Remembrance Day? A year ago today, I rocked up at Birmingham Hippodrome...
B'OperaSep 6, 20202 minThe Circle of LifeMy grandpa taught me many things. He taught me to laugh by putting his beret on his head and calling it his “lid”, or wiggling his...
B'OperaJun 22, 20202 minWhy love and light is not enough in the face of racismThe idea that we can bypass structural racism if we all just send each other love and light, is being exploded out of the water.
B'OperaMay 29, 20202 minWe need your child's voice!I've spent my whole life in one way or another "finding my voice", and most of my working life helping others to find theirs, and it...
B'OperaMay 22, 20201 minI see youI see you crying at the kitchen sink I see you wondering where your career has gone I see you asking yourself how you are going to pay bills
B'OperaMay 18, 20201 minMaking life sparkly againI'm alternating between being really cross and realising that in their creativity, they've found a way to make their lives all sparkly again
B'OperaMay 8, 20202 minWhat does "essential" mean?A while ago, Youngest was liberally spraying the bed with eucalyptus essential oil. When asked what she was doing, she said “It’s...
B'OperaApr 22, 20204 min12 Ways to Survive Lockdown with Little OnesIf you’re getting to the end of the day with everyone fed, no-one dead, you need to take a moment to celebrate your own awesomeness.