Charlotte Church Isn’t Just Dreaming — She’s Building a Queer Sanctuary for the Soul
Charlotte Church has never been one to whisper — and now, the Welsh songbird turned wellness rebel is turning up the volume on queer liberation. From opera stages to pop chart chaos, Church has long been adored by LGBTQ fans who saw in her something raw, loud, and unfiltered. Now, she’s giving back — not just with words, but with an actual retreat designed to heal queer hearts.
Located in the lush, storybook hills of Elan Village, Wales, her wellness project The Dreaming isn’t your average yoga-with-a-side-of-smoothie operation. This is a full-on spiritual bunker for anyone exhausted by life’s mess — and especially for those who’ve been fighting just to exist.
“The queer community gave me fierceness,” Church says, speaking at her usual breathless, delightfully unpolished speed. “Being fabulous in the face of f**kery — that’s the lesson I carry.”
A Queer Refuge in the Wild
The Dreaming hosts retreats for marginalized groups, including an unapologetically queer program called Returning to the Queer Heart. Here, trans and queer folks are invited to bring their whole selves — heartbreak, grief, rage, joy — and leave society’s shame machine at the door.
“It’s not yours,” Church says fiercely, addressing trans people bombarded by hateful headlines. “None of it is yours. It’s all their own weird sh*t they haven’t worked through.”
That’s not just a soundbite. Church knows what public cruelty looks like. She’s been there — chewed up by tabloids obsessed with her teenage rebellion, her body, her relationships. But unlike most celebrities who retreat quietly, Church went all-in on healing not just herself but others.
“This isn’t some airy-fairy project,” she insists. “People come here with unimaginable pain and leave feeling soothed deep in their soul.”
Healing Is Radical — and Queer
Her queer retreat was a no-brainer. “I am a radical. I believe in liberation for all people,” she says. For Church, that means creating a space where LGBTQ people don’t have to explain themselves — they just get to be.
She co-produced the program with facilitators who designed it around the reality that queer pain doesn’t happen in a vacuum. “Queer people are often denied the fullness of their humanity,” they explain — The Dreaming is about reclaiming it.
Church herself feels like an honorary member of the LGBTQ family — and maybe a little jealous. “Oh my gosh, I wish I was queer! I really need this,” she laughs.
Still Fighting, Still Fabulous
Despite stepping away from pop stardom, Church hasn’t gone silent. Whether calling out anti-trans bigotry or standing up for Palestine, she knows the backlash is inevitable.
“I get sh*t all the time for speaking out,” she shrugs. “I just don’t care. Not anymore.”
And she wants that defiance for the trans community too. “The fact that you won’t break down is why this will stop happening,” she says. “The world is moving forward — get with it or get left behind.”
Church’s final advice? Put on your energetic armor — whatever form that takes. Hers is a swirling DNA helix of snake tattoos. Yours might be a lion ride. Either way, stand tall.
This isn’t just a celebrity passion project — it’s a blueprint for queer resilience. In a world trying to tear us down, The Dreaming is a reminder: we heal louder, prouder, and together.