“It is the responsibility of all of us that share our planet, for the sake of those that will come after us, to try to heal it from the mess we have all made of it. I am open to learning and changing and want to make a difference.”
Nicholas Daniel OBE, Oboist and Conductor, 11th April 2021 for Music Declares Emergency
As part Turn Up The Volume, a week of Music Industry climate action, The classical music sector is joining with Music Declares Emergency to start a new campaign, bringing together leading voices from the industry - artists, orchestras, venues, composers and agents. We are aware there is so much in the classical world which is challenging in terms of the climate and ecological emergency - everything from international travel through to air-conditioning in venues to preserve high quality concert grand pianos. We want to have honest and open discussions about how to do better, how to work together and also how to create necessary pressure on policy makers to help guide us through this crisis. We have learnt to respond creatively through Covid and much of this learning can be carried forward - so as an industry we also want to talk about this as well as open up the debate with our audiences. We will be celebrating best practice and also pieces of music which directly tackle the issue. Most importantly, we are coming together to start conversations.
Representatives from major classical UK institutions gather to discuss what the challenges are of the climate emergency to their organisation.
Panellists confirmed so far
Sarah Gee Artistic Director, Spitalfields Festival
Charisse Beaumont Chief Executive of Black Lives in Music (BLiM)
Gabriel Prokofiev Artistic Director, Nonclassical
Laonikos Psimikakis Chalkokondylis Creative Project Leader, Sound and Music
Laura Bowler Composer/ London Sinfonietta
Camilla King Cheltenham Music Festival Head of Programming
Panel Chair Sarah Nicolls, Musician and activist
