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weareopus.bsky.social
We Are Opus
@weareopus.bsky.social
530 followers 23 following 38 posts
Opus works to create and support responses to achieve urgent systemic change through @nowthenmag.bsky.social @festofdebate.bsky.social & more.
👉 weareopus.org
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weareopus.bsky.social
We live in a world where we have too much of what we don't need and too little of what we do – but it doesn't have to be this way 🌱

This Thursday, join us for an exciting conversation about Radical Abundance with Keir Milburn.

🕖 7pm
📌 The Workstation
🎫 tickettailor.com/events/wordlife/1838497
A graphic advertising an event called 'Radical Abundance'. The poster features the words "Wordlife Present... a Reading Rooms event", the cover of the book 'Radical Abundance: How to Win a Green Democratic Future', and the words "In conversation with Keir Milburn and Debs Grayson. Thu 2 October. 7–9:15pm. The Workstation, Sheffield"
September 29, 2025 at 3:16 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
Capitalism has created a world of bullshit abundance, where we have too much of what we don’t need and too little of what we do.

Join us in Sheffield on 2 October to hear Keir Milburn in conversation about the alternative: Radical Abundance ✨

Tickets 👉 tickettailor.com/events/wordlife/1838497
A graphic advertising an event called 'Radical Abundance'. The poster features the words "Wordlife Present... a Reading Rooms event", the cover of the book 'Radical Abundance: How to Win a Green Democratic Future', and the words "In conversation with Keir Milburn and Debs Grayson. Thu 2 October. 7–9:15pm. The Workstation, Sheffield"
September 16, 2025 at 9:02 AM
weareopus.bsky.social
Join us in #Sheffield on 2 October for an exciting in conversation between Keir Milburn and Debs Grayson about Keir’s new book 'Radical Abundance', co-written with Kai Heron and Bertie Russell.

📅 2 October
📌 Workstation
💷 £5 (£10 solidarity)

Tickets 👉 tickettailor.com/events/wordlife/1838497
A black-and-white photo of a bearded man, wearing a black polo-neck sweater and looking at the camera with a slight smile
September 5, 2025 at 3:02 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
A statement from Opus on the government's decision to proscribe @palaction.bsky.social.

You can also read the full statement on our website, where all of our sources are linked.

➡️ weareopus.org/post/opus-te...

#PalestineAction
Opus team statement on the ban of Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws After their protest at RAF Brize Norton, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to designate direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Palestine Action sprayed paint on military jet engines as a protest against the UK’s complicity in Israel’s genocide. This is not terrorism. Direct action is the heartbeat of our democracy, and the government’s draconian attempt to smear Palestine Action represents a dangerous moment for civil liberties in the UK. Since the Policing Act, protest has been curtailed and police have been given more power than ever to intervene in protests, and to arrest protesters. Our government have supported Israel’s genocide both politically and materially. Keir Starmer has refused to call Israel’s actions a genocide, when the UN, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have all done so. Recent data from Action on Armed Violence has found that the RAF have conducted more than 500 reconnaissance flights over Palestine since December 2023. The UK has sent thousands of military items to Israel since October 2023. Just days ago, a study from Harvard found that Israel has “disappeared” 377,000 Palestinians, half of them children. Research published in the Lancet estimates the death toll is 40% higher than shown in official records. Israel are committing a genocide in Palestine, and they’re doing it with the support of the UK government. Sheffield is not unconnected to this genocide. Research from the University of Sheffield is used to provide vital parts for arms for Israel. The university has received almost £100m over the past 12 years in investments from arms manufacturers. BAE Systems have opened an artillery production facility in Sheffield, further cementing the city as a major player in arms production. Palestine Action have put their own freedoms at risk to call out the complicity of the UK government in supporting a genocide. In accusing them of behaving as a terrorist group, this government is further weaponising post-9/11 legislation which criminalises and demonises Muslims. We refute the allegations that Palestine Action are terrorists, and we challenge the government’s definition of terrorism. It will soon become illegal to express any support for Palestine Action. The nature of proscription also complicates how journalists can cover the group, a startling restriction of freedom of speech. At Opus, we work to make systems change possible for a better world. We urge everyone in Sheffield and the rest of the country to agitate for Palestine Action’s right to protest, and our collective right to object to a genocide. We will continue to use our platforms to amplify groups like Palestine Action whose principled actions make a better world possible. Emergency mobilisation outside Sheffield Town Hall, Thursday 26 June, 5:30 pm
June 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
📢 Powerful words from Dr Sahar Awadallah, who at last week's Parkwood Springs protest organised by the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign spoke alongside other Sheffield people who are tirelessly raising their voices to fight for a free Palestine.

Here's some footage we captured 👇
May 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
NEU Sheffield Nighat Basharat, Labour Councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow North Derbyshire Refugee Support Group Now Then Open Kitchen Social Club Opus Page Hall Medical Center RivelinCo Rob Bannister, Labour Councillor for Graves Park Ruth Milsom, Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Crookes and Crosspool SACMHA Health and Social Care SAVTE Sheffield Anti Racist and Anti Fascist Coordinating Committee Sheffield Community Land Trust Sheffield Futures Sheffield Hallam UCU Sheffield Solidarity Sessions Sheffield Tenants Union Sheffield Trade Union Council Sheffield We Demand Change South Yorks NUJ South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice St Andrews Psalter Lane Church Stand & Be Counted Theatre Stand Up to Racism Studio Polpo SYMAAG The House Skatepark Unite South Yorkshire NE 403 CY& NFP branch VVIDY (Voice of Voiceless Immigration Detainees Yorkshire) Xenia Yorkshire Migrants Solidarity Movement Beneath the text is an image of a large banner which reads 'Sheffield Welcomes Refugees'.
May 20, 2025 at 1:11 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
Opus, @nowthenmag.bsky.social and @festofdebate.bsky.social are proud to stand beside City of Sanctuary & organisations across Sheffield in signing this statement, opposing the government's hostile immigration policies and calling for safety and welcome for the many diverse communities in this city.
A photograph of a sign held aloft which reads 'Refugees bring Sheffield joy'. The overlaid text reads: Safety Turns Into Belonging: Sheffield's Joint Statement on the Government's Immigration Plans. Signed by organisations from across Sheffield, united in defence of community and justice. As cultural institutions, youth groups, community organisations, healthcare providers, migrant justice groups, trade unions, faith groups, small businesses, arts organisations, education providers, media organisations, grassroots campaigners, elected councillors, and communities from across Sheffield, we believe in a country where people are safe, welcomed, and treated with dignity. The Government's new immigration proposals, and the rhetoric accompanying them, take us further away from this vision. Let's be clear: yes, there is deep inequality in our society. But it is not caused by people seeking sanctuary. It is the result of political decisions: to underinvest in our public services, to allow a housing crisis to deepen, and to prioritise the super-rich over working people. Scapegoating migrants is a dangerous distraction; one that divides communities, fuels xenophobia, and hides the real roots of inequality. It's been less than a year since towns across the UK, including Sheffield, faced far-right violence that targeted people seeking sanctuary and communities of colour. We have seen first-hand the harm caused when government rhetoric and policies encourage hostility. These are not the actions of a country committed to building stronger communities. They are the actions of one trying to blame the most marginalised instead of addressing systemic failures. These policies isolate, exclude and punish people who are ready to contribute. People who deserve protection and a fair chance, not hostility. There is a better way. In Sheffield, we see every day how people seeking sanctuary enrich our city: as carers, students, volunteers, neighbours, colleagues, and friends. We know that when people are welcomed, they contribute creatively and help build thriving communities. When people are properly supported and included - to study, to work, to live in a stable home - they thrive. Safety turns into belonging. We call on politicians, the media and our communities to reject scapegoating and to join us in building a future rooted in welcome, justice and solidarity. Signed, Andro and Eve Angela Argenzio, Green Party Councillor for Broomhill and Sherrow Vale Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit Archer Project Arts Catalyst ASSIST Sheffield Burngreave Surgery Care4Calais South Yorkshire Chile Solidarity Network Citizens Advice Sheffield City of Sanctuary Sheffield Cooperation Sheffield Festival of Debate Football Unites Racism Divides (FURD) Fresh Grassroots Rainbow Community Housing Justice Ibby Ullah, Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow Juno Books Medact Sheffield Migrants Organise Yorkshire Minesh Parekh, Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Crookes and Crosspool Nabeela Mowlana, Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Park and Arbourthorne Nether Green Methodist Church
May 20, 2025 at 1:11 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
Our collective statement following the Supreme Court ruling last week.
A dark blue graphic with the Opus logo and the following text: Opus team statement on the Supreme Court ruling Last week, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 now excludes trans women on the basis of ‘biological sex’. The ruling relies upon the harmful idea that biological sex is both binary and immutable – something which is easily disproven and for which there is no scientific basis. This interpretation of biological sex not only excludes trans women from womanhood, but also entirely denies the existence of intersex people. In this case, the court chose only to hear from transphobic organisations, not from trans people themselves, and have reached a verdict which is blatantly unscientific and which will only sow further division. The legal repercussions of the ruling are as yet unclear, but it has the potential to do enormous harm to trans people in the UK – not just because changes in how equality law is interpreted will further exclude and marginalise people, but also because of the toxicity and dehumanisation this decision has once again unleashed in the media and in mainstream culture. This ruling has emboldened so-called ‘gender-critical feminists’ in the context of a media ecosystem which routinely dehumanises trans people, and which could result in trans people being further denied access to life-saving services. Many of our politicians, figures in the mainstream media and media corporations themselves are responsible for normalising and legitimising the dehumanisation of trans people, which has led both to regressive policies, including reduced access to healthcare, and an enormous increase in the levels of harassment and violence trans people face on a daily basis. We must also acknowledge that this continuing erosion of the legal protections of trans people is being funded by powerful organisations and people that seek to further a regressive agenda worldwide. The underlying purpose of these attacks is to remove trans people from public spaces entirely, due to the threat trans inclusion would pose to patriarchal systems that enforce binary gender roles and uphold the brutal capitalist system we live under. We at Opus will always stand in solidarity with the trans community, including our trans colleagues and friends, for whom this ruling is both painful and scary, and has been followed by yet another wave of hatred and bad faith arguments. We will continue to use our platforms, such as Now Then magazine and the Festival of Debate, to amplify trans voices and fights for equal rights in Sheffield and beyond.
April 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
In our three recent job ads, we failed to list our Equal Opportunities form and we didn't specify that we'll offer an interview to any disabled person who meets the criteria.

We've extended the deadline for all three, as we're seeking the strongest and most diverse field possible 🧵

#SheffieldJobs
A graphic with the words "Come and work with us at Opus" over a bright yellow background
April 10, 2025 at 3:10 PM
weareopus.bsky.social
👋 2024 was another incredible year at Opus, the Sheffield-based social enterprise exploring and furthering systems change.

➡️ Read our Annual Report to find out what we got up to, and learn more about how we work together as a worker-owned organisation: loom.ly/t4PnpdY
The Opus logo on a dark blue background, with the words '2024 Annual Report' written underneath. Around the logo are a number of photographs showing Opus team members working together, and audiences and speakers at Opus events. The photos are displayed in circular frames with interconnecting lines between them.
January 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM