July 2: When Fear Becomes Normal
how society shapes the way children and young people see themselves, each other and the world they live in
Children aren't born afraid of people who are different from them. They learn about the world by watching, listening and asking questions. Every conversation they overhear, every headline they glimpse and every opinion they encounter helps shape the way they understand the people around them.
Today let’s explore how the messages children hear about immigration, belonging and "us versus them" can quietly influence the way they see others and themselves.
This is about recognising that the language we use, the conversations we have and the stories children hear all play a part in shaping their understanding of kindness, belonging and community.
Because long before children are old enough to vote, they're learning who they believe belongs.
Read more on Cultural Calendar Club…
🔔 coming up on The Work Edit:
Rats, carrots and sport!
coming up on Cultural Calendar Club
12 Months of live, inspiring, entertaining talks events, made financially accessible for all organisations
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International Self Care Day: Self‑Care is not negotiable.
Friday 24 July 2026
12:00 13:00
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In this 60‑minute webinar, we’ll dismantle the myth that self‑care is a luxury or an indulgence. Once again, we’ve been sold short-term, capitalist quick fixes—like scented candles and bubble baths—as if they could patch over much deeper, systemic problems.
Real self‑care is far less glamorous and far more powerful. It’s about boundaries. About rest. About tuning into our natural rhythms and creating the space to truly know ourselves.
We often frame self‑care as something we do for others—role‑modelling healthier behaviours, being better colleagues, parents, partners. And yes, that matters. But the deeper truth is this: we don’t need to earn rest or justify our wellbeing. We need to normalise self-love without attaching it to usefulness.
Self‑care is a political act. It's about reclaiming what we all deserve—without guilt—and refusing to burn out while trying to fix the very systems that make it so hard to care for ourselves in the first place. Because access to self-care isn’t equal, and recognising that is part of the work.