What do music, drama, confidence, education and lifelong learning all have in common?

Connection.

In this episode of The School Run with Jane – Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined by the wonderful Susan Bisatt — highly respected soprano, educator, vocal specialist, former Principal of Little Voices Stockport, and recently retired lecturer in Primary Music at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Susan has spent decades working at the highest level in both music and education, shaping lives through performance, teaching and leadership. From growing up in York with access to the arts, to training at conservatoire, performing professionally, working in education outreach, teaching future teachers, and leading within Little Voices, Susan reflects on the many threads that have connected her career and the ripple effect those connections create.

This is a thoughtful, uplifting conversation about the power of the arts, the importance of safe and creative spaces for children, and why music and drama are about so much more than performance.

This episode is full of warmth, wisdom and a beautiful reminder that when children feel safe, seen and supported, they flourish.

About Susan Bisatt

Susan is a highly respected soprano, educator and vocal specialist. She recently retired from her role as Lecturer in Primary Music at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she helped shape the next generation of teachers. She also spent more than 10 years as Principal of Little Voices Stockport, helping hundreds of children grow in confidence through music and drama.

Susan continues to champion the value of the arts and is also part of Impropera, an improvising operatic ensemble bringing creativity and musical brilliance together in a completely unique way.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Little Voices: littlevoices.org.uk

• Impropera

• Cultural Learning Alliance: culturallearningalliance.org.uk

• Buy Me a Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun

Connect with us:

• Podcast Instagram: @theschoolrun_official

• Little Voices: @littlevoiceslimited

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, leave a review, and share it with someone who would love it too. Your support helps us keep these conversations going.

Podcasts for us are all about learning and sharing, of course free to listen to.

We have some small costs to cover so if you would like to buy us a virtual cup of tea /coffee when we are planning them out please click here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun

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Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials \@‌theschoolrun_official / \@‌mrsjanejames on Instagram, or search and follow Jane James on Facebook. We'd love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at jane@littlevoices.org.uk

Links: For information on Jane’s company Little Voices head to http://www.littlevoices.org.uk⁠⁠

@littlevoiceslimited

You will often hear references to The Olive Jar to find out more follow @theolivejarcourse

www.theolivejar.online

‌

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are just a mum and daughter, sharing their thoughts and chatting with guests that we really respect and sharing our personal stories and insights. Please seek professional advice if you need it.

This episode is edited by Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real

In this powerful return episode of The School Run with Jane – Little Voices, Big Stories, Jane is joined once again by Wendy Gardner, speaker, author and passionate advocate for helping women stop waiting for life to start and begin truly living it.

If you listened to Wendy’s first appearance on the podcast in Episode 109, you’ll already know just how honest, wise and deeply human she is. This time, Wendy returns with even more to share, including the journey behind her newly launched book, Diary of a Misfit Penguin, and the life lessons that have shaped her over the last 18 months.

Together, Jane and Wendy explore the masks we wear, the labels we adopt, and the cost of becoming the person the world expects us to be. Wendy speaks openly about her years in the corporate world, where she was known as “the machine”, and how that identity brought success on the outside while disconnecting her from herself on the inside.

She also shares the deeply personal turning point that changed everything: walking alongside her daughter through severe anxiety and depression, and realising that while she could not fix everything for her child, she did need to begin learning how to love and understand herself.

This is a conversation about courage, fear, healing, confidence, boundaries, gratitude, self-worth and the power of listening to your body.

In this episode, Jane and Wendy talk about:

❤️ Wendy’s new book Diary of a Misfit Penguin

❤️ what has changed in Wendy’s life since her first appearance

❤️ the metaphor of being a “flamingo inside a penguin suit”

❤️ the pressure of performing success and losing yourself in the process

❤️ parenting through mental health struggles

❤️ why children need to see us becoming who we want them to be

❤️ what confidence really means

❤️ fear, visibility and putting your story into the world

❤️ community, support and asking for help

❤️ listening to your body and managing your mental health

❤️ why gratitude can shift your energy and perspective

❤️ the importance of boundaries and learning to say no

❤️ how healing happens through movement, music, singing, dance and stillness

This episode is honest, hopeful and full of wisdom for anyone who has ever felt like they were performing their way through life, while quietly longing to feel more like themselves.

About Wendy Gardner

Wendy partners with women to get promoted, lead with heart, and be fully present at home and at work. After years in the corporate world, Wendy now works as a speaker, coach and author, helping women navigate identity shifts, confidence, visibility and meaningful change. She is also the author of Diary of a Misfit Penguin.

Podcasts for us are all about learning and sharing, of course free to listen to.

We have some small costs to cover so if you would like to buy us a virtual cup of tea /coffee when we are planning them out please click here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun

\

Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials \@‌theschoolrun_official / \@‌mrsjanejames on Instagram, or search and follow Jane James on Facebook. We'd love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at jane@littlevoices.org.uk

Links: For information on Jane’s company Little Voices head to http://www.littlevoices.org.uk⁠⁠

@littlevoiceslimited

You will often hear references to The Olive Jar to find out more follow @theolivejarcourse

www.theolivejar.online

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are just a mum and daughter, sharing their thoughts and chatting with guests that we really respect and sharing our personal stories and insights. Please seek professional advice if you need it.

This episode is edited by Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real

In this episode, Jane is joined by Caron Kelly, Principal of Little Voices West Kent and Southend-on-Sea, for a heartfelt conversation about confidence, creativity, teaching and what it really means to help children feel seen.

Caron shares her journey from a childhood filled with music and performance, to teaching, motherhood, franchise ownership and building a business that changes children’s lives through drama and singing.

Together, Jane and Caron explore why confidence has to be nurtured, the life-changing impact of great teachers, why drama matters in schools, and how Little Voices helps children develop skills that go far beyond the stage.

A warm, funny and honest episode about reinvention, resilience and confidence for life.

Podcasts for us are all about learning and sharing, of course free to listen to.

We have some small costs to cover so if you would like to buy us a virtual cup of tea /coffee when we are planning them out please click here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theschoolrun

\

Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials \@‌theschoolrun_official / \@‌mrsjanejames on Instagram, or search and follow Jane James on Facebook. We'd love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at jane@littlevoices.org.uk

Links: For information on Jane’s company Little Voices head to http://www.littlevoices.org.uk⁠⁠

@littlevoiceslimited

You will often hear references to The Olive Jar to find out more follow @theolivejarcourse

www.theolivejar.online

‌

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are just a mum and daughter, sharing their thoughts and chatting with guests that we really respect and sharing our personal stories and insights. Please seek professional advice if you need it.

This episode is edited by Mike Roberts of Making Digital Real