MUSIC DECLARES – LOUD AND CLEAR

“Let’s imagine a new music industry and make tonight the start of a new adventure” – Faye Milton, Savages.

The first MDE:ONE event was brilliant – a sold-out crowd gathered in the beautiful Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene to be inspired by music from Eska, Sam Lee, Johnny Flynn, Tunng, Shingai, Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Coldcut and inspirational words from Farhana Yamin (International Environmental Lawyer), Fay Milton (Savages), Peter Quicke (Ninja Tunes) Chris Johnson (Shambala/Energy Revolution), Ian Solomon-Kawall (May Project Gardens), Karen Simmons (Universal Music), Jane Beese (Roundhouse) Maddy Read Clarke (MDE) and JB’s own Chiara Badiali and Alison Tickell.

It was a powerful evening of music and talks exploring how the music industry can mobilise itself it to bring about rapid societal change through the decarbonisation of its practises and mass civic engagement through the power of music.

From looking at improving supply chains and carbon impact across the music and festival industry (with Shambala leading the way as a 5* Creative Green organisation with their drive to be 100% vegetarian and disposable free approach, alongside imaginative waste use and transport innovations) to the inspiring greening and biodiversity projects that music venues, such as the bee colony on the roof Roundhouse, are taking on – it was an evening of inspiration that almost made it look easy.

As ever, collaboration, sharing and communication is at the heart of this revolution: with JB director Alison commenting ‘This doesn’t have to be a struggle – We need to collaborate and share our knowledge as quickly as we can’.

And of course the evening was a reminder that the beating heart of this movement is music – beautifully put by Shingai:

‘It’s the rhythm of me, the rhythm of you, the rhythm of everything.. let’s keep this planets heart beating strong…’

Here’s a few photos from the evening – for more head to the MDE Facebook gallery.

Banner image Copyright @ Raquel Natalicchio.