No classical names in anti-Brexit culture list

No classical names in anti-Brexit culture list

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norman lebrecht

May 23, 2016

The UK cultural industry has published a list of 282 arts figures who want Britain to remain in the EU.

Not one classical personality was approached.

No composer. No conductor. No soloist. No orchestra. No singer.

That’s what the arts business thinks of classical music. (Makes you want to vote Brexit?)

List below.

bryn terfelleslie garrett

 

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Actor
Abi Morgan, Writer
Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin, Artists
Adrian Scarborough, Actor
Akram Khan Dancer, choreographer
Alexandra Shulman, OBE Editor-in-chief, British Vogue
Alfonso Cuarón Director, screenwriter, producer
Alistair Spalding, CBE Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells
Allie Esiri Poetry anthologist, director of iLiterature
Allon Zloof Creative Director, Tom Smarte London
Alt J (Gus Unger-Hamilton, Joe Newman, Thom Green), Musicians
Amahra Spence*, Director of MAIA Creatives
Amanda Levete, Architect
Amanda Nevill*, CEO, The British Film Institute
Andrew Hurst, Chief Executive One Dance UK
Andrew Kötting, Artist
Andy Harries, Producer / Chief Executive, Left Bank Pictures
Anna Maxwell Martin, Actor
Anna Schmitz, Executive Producer of Told By An Idiot
Annoushka Ducas MBE, Jewellery designer and entrepreneur
Anoushka Shankar, Musician
Anthony Burrill, Designer
Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Actor
Arlene Phillips, CBE Choreographer
Asif Kapadia Filmmaker
Baroness Oona King*, Channel 4 Diversity Executive
Bella Freud, Designer
Ben Evans, Director of the London Design Festival
Ben Harris, Publicist / Founder Run Music
Ben Rivers, Artist
Benedict Cumberbatch CBE, Actor
Benjamin Caron, Director
Bill Nighy, Actor
Bob and Roberta Smith, Artist
Brian Blessed, Actor
Bridget Floyer, Independent Producer
Bryony Gordon, Writer
Caro Newling, President of the Society of London Theatre
Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate
Carol Main MBE, Director, Live Music Now Scotland/International Development (UK)
Caroline Skinner, Executive producer
Carrie Cracknell, Theatre director
Charles Finch, CEO, Finch and Partners
Charles Saumarez Smith, Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts
Charlotte Mendelson, Novelist
Chiwetel Ejiofor CBE, Actor
Chris Dercon, Director of Tate Modern
Chris Jackson, Author
Christine Molloy, Director
Christopher Wright, Actor
Cornelia Parker, Artist
Dame Harriet Walter, Actor
Dame Hilary Mary Mantel, DBE FRSL Writer
Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Actress
Dame Marina Warner, Writer
Dame Pippa Harris DBE, Film and TV producer
Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, Fashion designer and activist
Daniel Fletcher, Menswear designer
Daniel Rubin, Executive Chairman, The Dune Group
Danny Boyle, Director
Dave Haslam, DJ and Author
Dave Price, Composer
David Adjaye, Architect
David Arnold, Film composer
David Batchelor, Artist
David Heyman, Producer
David Joseph, CBE Chairman and Chief Executive of Universal Music UK
David Jubb*, Artistic Director & CEO of Battersea Arts Centre
David Lan, Artistic director of the Young Vic
David Morrissey, Actor
David Oyelowo OBE, Actor
David Puttnam, Film producer
David Sproxton CBE, Executive Chairman, Aardman Animations studio
David Yates, Film director
Deborah Bull*, Assistant Principal (London) King’s College London
Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive of the Design Business Association
Declan Donnellan, Artistic Director, Cheek by Jowl
Dominic Cooke CBE, Director
Dominic West, Actor
Douglas Gordon, Artist
Dr. Sandie Shaw Chair, Featured Artist Coalition
Ed Simons, Musician
Eddie Izzard, Comedian
Edie Campbell, Model
Editors, Musicians
Edward Hall, Artistic Director Hampstead Theatre
Elizabeth Karlsen, Producer and co-founder of Number 9 Films
Elizabeth Price, Artist
Emily Eavis, Co-organiser of the Glastonbury Festival
Eric Fellner, Co-Chairman, Working Title Films
Fabrizio Zappaterra, Chairman, Temperley London, and Director, Hunter Boot Limited
Felix Barrett, Founder and artistic director of Punchdrunk
Fergus Linehan*, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival
Francesca Hayward, Ballet Dancer
Franz Ferdinand (Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy, Nick McCarthy, Paul Thomson), Musicians
Gail Rebuck, British Publisher, Chair of Penguin Random House UK
Gary Hume, Artist
Gavin Turk, Artist
Geoff Dyer, Author
Geoff Travis, Rough Trade Founder and co-Managing Director Rough Trade Records
George Longly, Artist
George Want, Directr
Glenn Brown, Artist
Greg Hilty, Director, Lisson Gallery
Hannah Pescod, Producer and co-founder, Bandstand Productions
Hans Ulrich Obrist*, Curator, Artistic Director at the Serpentine Galleries, London
Heidi Thomas, Writer
Helena Bonham Carter, Actor
Heydon Prowse, Satirist
Hot Chip, Musicians
Howard Davies, Director
Hussein Chalayan Designer
Iain Archer, Producer / songwriter/ artist and visiting Professor, Leeds College of Music
Ian Livingstone CBE, Video Games Entrepreneur and Author
Ian McEwan, Novelist and screenwriter
Ilan Eshkeri, Composer
Ilse Crawford, Founder and Principal of Studioilse
Imran Amed, Founder and CEO The Business of Fashion
Jack Thorne, Writer
James Capper, Sculptor
James Daunt Founder, Daunt Books
Jamie Bell, Actor
Jamie Byng, CEO of Canongate Books and founder of Letters Live and World Book Night
Jamie Lloyd, Director and producer, founder of The Jamie Lloyd Company
Jamie MacColl, Musician, Bombay Bicycle Club
Jarvis Cocker, Musician & broadcaster
Jason Watkins, Actor
Jatinder Verma, Artistic Director, Tara Arts
Jay Jopling, Founder of White Cube
Jeff McMillan, Artist
Jefferson Hack, CEO & Co-Founder, Dazed Media
Jenny Agutter, OBE Actor
Jeremy Deller, Artist
Jess Search, Chief Executive BRITDOC
Jessie Ware, Artist
Jo Brand, Comedian
Joanna Hogg, Director
Joe Murphy, Artistic director, Good Chance Theatre
Joe Robertson, Artistic director, Good Chance Theatre
Joe Wright, Director
John Kampfner, CEO, Creative Industries Federation
John le Carré, Author
John Madden, Director
John Pawson, Designer
Jolyon Rubinstein, Satirist
Jonathan Reekie, CBE*, Director of Somerset House Trust
Joseph Mount (Metronomy), Musician
Joseph Richardson, Actor, Musician and Puppeteer
Josh Berger CBE*, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros UK and Ireland, and Chairman of the British Film Institute
Jude Kelly CBE*, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre
Jude Law, Actor
Juliet Stevenson, Actor
June Sarpong, MBE Broadcaster, campaigner
Kanya King, MBE Founder and CEO of the MOBO Organisation
Kate Mosse, Novelist and playwright
Kate Unsworth, Founder and CEO VINAYA
Katharine Hamnett, Fashion designer
Kathy Lette, Author
Katie Mitchell, Director
Katie Moore, Actor
Keira Knightley, Actor
Keith Milow, Artist
Kelly Hoppen MBE, Interior designer, author and entrepreneur
Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp, OBE Chief Executive, The Place
Kerry Hudson, Author
Kevin Macdonald, Director
Kevin O’Hare* Director, The Royal Ballet
Kit Neale, Fashion designer
Koo Jeong, Artist
Laura Bailey Model, writer, Contributing Editor; British Vogue
Laura Wade, Playwright
Laura Wright, Singer
Lee Hall, Dramatist
Lisa-Marie Hoctor, Performer and Co-Artistic Director of Mighty Heart Theatre Company
Louisa Hutton, Artist
Marcus Davey OBE, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, The Roundhouse
Martha Freud, Artist
Martin Parr, Photographer/curator
Mary Swan, Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Proteus
Mat Whitecross, Director
Matthew Baker, Head of acquisitions, HanWay Films
Matthew Hale, Artist
Matthew Herbert, Musician
Meike Ziervogel, Publisher at Peirene Press
Michael Craig-Martin, Artist
Michael Frayn, Writer
Michael Mack, Publisher
Michael Morpurgo, Author
Michael Morris and James Lingwood, Co-Directors, Artangel
Michael Winterbottom, Director
Mike Leigh OBE, Writer and director
Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, Co-founders of Belarus Free Theatre
Nicholas Hytner, Director
Nick Dear, Playwright
Nick Ormerod, Artistic Director, Cheek by Jowl
Nicolai Schumann, Founding Director, Alice’s Pig
Nicolas Brown, Producer
Nicolas Kent, Director/producer; ex- Artistic Director of the Tricycle Theatre
Nicole Farhi, Sculptor
Nigel Carrington*, Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London
Nik Powell, Producer
Nina Gold, Casting Director
Nitin Sawhney, Musician
Noel Clarke, Actor, director, writer
Noel Qualter, Producer/writer, Cineman Films
Ol Parker, Screenwriter and Director
Orlando von Einsiedel, Director
Paloma Faith, Artist
Patricia Rodriguez and Merce Ribot, Little Soldier Productions
Patrick Grant, Designer
Paul Hosking, Artist
Paul Roseby, National Youth Theatre, director
Paul Williams OBE, Director, Stanton Williams
Pawel Pawlikowski, Director
Pete Czernin, Producer, Blueprint Pictures
Peter Florence, MBE Director, Hay Festival
Peter Morgan, Writer
Peter Rice, Sound Design
Peter Strickland, Director
Philip Pullman, Writer
Polly Stenham, Writer
Professor Eyal Weizman, Architect and Professor of Spatial and Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Director of the Centre for Research Architecture
Professor Jonathan Shalit, OBE Chairman, ROAR Group
Professor Tom Inns*, Director of the Glasgow School of Art
Rhodri Meilir, Actor
Richard Curtis, Writer and Director
Richard Gregory, Artistic Director of Quarantine
Richard Rogers, Architect
Richard Wentworth, Artist
Robert Montgomery, Artist and Poet
Ron Arad, Designer
Amir Amor and Piers Aggett (Rudimental), Musicians
Russ Shaw, Founder, Tech London Advocates
Sabrina Guinness, Producer
Sally Wainwright Writer, Director and Executive Producer
Sam Taylor-Johnson, OBE Film Maker, Artist
Sam Thorne Director, Nottingham Contemporary
Samuel Hodges, Director/CEO of Nuffield Theatre, Southampton
Samuel West, Actor
Sandi Toksvig OBE, Founder of the Women’s Equality Party, author, comedian and presenter
Sara and Leonie Lowri, The Eggs Collective
Sarah Solemani, Actress and writer
Saul Dibb, Director
Shaun McDowell, Artist
Shirazeh Houshiary, Artist
Simon Patterson, Artist
Simon Stephens, Writer
Sir Anish Kapoor, Sculptor
Sir David Chipperfield, CBE RA RDI RIBA Architect
Sir Derek Jacobi CBE, Actor
Sir John Hurt CBE, Actor
Sir John Sorrell CBE, Chairman of Creative Industries Federation
Sir Matthew Bourne, Artistic Director, New Adventures
Sir Patrick Stewart, Actor and activist
Sir Tom Stoppard OM CBE, Playwright and screenwriter
Sonia Friedman, Producer
Sophie Fiennes, Director, producer
Sophie Okonedo, Actor
Stephen Daldry CBE, Director and Producer
Stephen Frears, Director
Stephen Woolley, Producer, director
Steve Coogan, Actor, Producer, Writer
Steve McQueen, Artist
Susannah Tresilian, Theatre director and founder of Ariadne
Tacita Dean, Artist
Tara Robinson, Artistic Director of The Conker Groups
Thandie Newton, Actress
Thea Sharrock, Director
Thomas Heatherwick, Designer
Tim Bevan, Co-chairman, Working Title Films
Tim Pigott-Smith, Actor, director, writer
Tom Geens, Director
Tom Harper, Director
Tom Hooper, Director
Tommy Franzén, Dancer
Tony Bevan, Artist
Tracey Emin, Artist
Tracey Seaward, Producer
Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, London
Vicky Ireland, MBE Vice Chair of Action for Children’s Arts
Wayne McGregor, CBE, Choreographer and founder of Studio Wayne McGregor
WIlliam Nicholson, OBE, Writer
Wolfgang Tillmans, RA Artist
Yana Peel*, CEO of the Serpentine Galleries

*These people have agreed to sign the letter in a personal capacity.

 

bryn terfel

 

Comments

  • Edgar Brenninkmeyer says:

    Poor island of Albion…

  • Milka says:

    What does “classical personality ” mean ???

  • Halldor says:

    Musicians’ “omerta” – many musicians are instinctively suspicious of words and the profession is very, very cautious about expressing contentious opinions. Nothing like actors, writers or pop-culture stars.

    I suspect that at least 75% of my colleagues, if asked what they thought of Brexit, would simply reply “nice guy, lovely player”.

  • DESR says:

    Choose from the following multiple choice answers:

    Maybe the organisers of this letter have a limited address book and/or imagination?

    Maybe the organisers of this letter felt that to advertise classical music’s privileged position within European culture, and the European Union, would be counterproductive?

    Maybe some artists were approached, and thought better of putting their name to this political statement?

    Maybe all classic musicians are solidly for Brexit?

  • Tim Benjamin says:

    Why would anyone sign such a list?

    Do the organisers think that there are people out there, quavering with indecision, who will suddenly make their mind to vote “in” because a mega-rich ex-pat luvvie has decided the world needs to know their political opinion?

    Indeed, what is the purpose of putting one’s name on such a list?
    Is it self-promotion? The desire to bore everyone else with your politics? Perhaps the luvvies feel that it increases their chance of advancing along the OBE, CBE, etc, ladder?

    Piffle to it all. Make up your own mind, keep it to yourself, and talk about something more interesting instead, such as, I don’t know, the arts?

  • John G. Deacon says:

    Clearly they are brave enough to manifest their astonishing political incompetence and historical ignorance by signing this document. There are two solid reasons for leaving the EU and they are corruption and lack of democracy. Read your history and you’ll note that this good idea will fail so it is better to be outside the tent when the mierda falls. Since Roman times numerous tyrannies have attempted to enforce their rule undemocratically upon the whole of Europe and they included Philip II, Napoleon, AH, Stalin…. and now we have Brussels doing the same thing.

    • Stephen Maddock says:

      …..and we wonder why it’s proving so difficult to have a well-informed rational debate on this subject.

      • Maria Brewin says:

        So start one. Make a well informed rational point or two.

        Your comment contributes nothing.

        • Stephen Maddock says:

          To be honest my real point was that it’s a shame that this whole public debate has become so shouty; much more heat than light so far.
          However, in terms of classical music and the arguments against Brexit:
          1. The whole classical music industry depends heavily on easy international movement of artists and orchestras. This is very likely to get harder if we leave.
          2. The great majority of economists and expert opinion is predicting a severe economic shock to the UK economy over the next few years if we leave. This will be bad news for audiences and bad news for orchestras.
          Others such as Nicholas Kenyon and some of our conservatoires have laid out these arguments more fully and eloquently.

          • OH says:

            Musicians are not uniquely domiciled in the EU – that is a grossly insular posit; nobody suggests a cessation of the movement of talent post-Brexit; the idea that a sclerotic, statist, self preserving government bureaucracy of eye watering size and arrogance is a saviour of arts and culture is frankly bewildering and grotesquely Orwellian.

          • Vovka Ashkenazy says:

            1. The whole classical music industry depends heavily on easy international movement of artists and orchestras. This is very likely to get harder if we leave.

            How so? Artists and orchestras could already move freely between European countries when we had the EEC, and there is no problem for an Icelandic passport holder like me to perform, teach, or live in any EEA country.

            2. The great majority of economists and expert opinion is predicting a severe economic shock to the UK economy over the next few years if we leave. This will be bad news for audiences and bad news for orchestras. Others such as Nicholas Kenyon and some of our conservatoires have laid out these arguments more fully and eloquently.

            The great majority of economists? I wonder what type of carrot has been dangled in front of them? The arguments are equally eloquent either side – they would be – but common sense dictates that decentralization is always better for the economy, and for people in general, whereas centralization always favours the big multinationals with their special political deals.

          • David Nice says:

            Absolutely not true, Mr Ashkenazy, to say that the arguments are equally plausible on both sides. The Brexiters (what a bunch they have ‘leading’ them, egotists and/or psychotics for the most part) have come up with no strong arguments at all that I’ve read, and I’ve been trying to follow them as closely as the ‘Stronger In’s. Very amusing list of 40 or so false facts the delightful Boris has come up with in the past couple of weeks. Not saying that some figures from the other side don’t need checking either, but many have done their homework, not least the Bank of England.

          • John G. Deacon says:

            Mr. Nice needs to study some history and upgrade his reading material (try the Spectator). Here are a few facts for him to get his mind around :-

            a) The EU is supremely undemocratic (history shows therefore that it will fail).
            It will never reform itself and if we stay in we will be snubbed.

            b) The EU is vastly corrupt (20+ years without the accounts having been signed)

            The EU area is the deadest commercial zone in the developed world with massive unemployment. It has 7% of the world pop. and 54% of the welfare. Study the maths because this is untenable.

            c) The EU will collapse – lead by the departure of Greece & Italy and followed by others. As Alex Deane said this week “they can never ever repay their debts” (& he included France). Does one want to be in the EU tent when the SH* drops from the skies ?

            c1) The €uro will collapse – ditto

            d) An EU army (under someone with the morals and leadership of a Belgian) and/or an EU Foreign Minister (like Ashton) are beyond imagination.

            e) Federalism : Britain does not want to be sucked into (or ordered into) a Federal Europe.

            The list of reasons for Brexiting is full of facts – unlike the Remains’ list which is made up of much piffle based on Me, Me, Me.

            This referendum is about Us, Us, Us !

          • Saxon Broken says:

            Replying to John G. Deacon:

            (a) The EU is supremely undemocratic.

            Umm. The EU is made up of democratically elected governments, and there is also a democratically elected EU Parliament. And many decisions require unanimity (meaning we can veto the them if we don’t like them).

            b) The EU is vastly corrupt

            Like Nigeria and Afghanistan? Really, while not perfect, and some countries are better than others, it hardly ranks highly in most corruption indices. Politicians are hardly leaving office with billions.

            (b2) The EU area is the deadest commercial zone in the developed world with massive unemployment. It has 7% of the world pop. and 54% of the welfare. Study the maths because this is untenable.

            Highest standard of living in the world, that has, for instance, grown much faster than the US since 1950? And welfare is a good thing. It certainly isn’t untenable (welfare just transfers wealth from the rich to poor/old/sick people, and doesn’t affect the size of the economy).

            c) The EU will collapse.. The €uro will collapse – ditto.

            Err, no it won’t. If the Euro survived the Greek crisis then it will survive for ever (or at least as long as the EU exists). And the EU will survive as long as the member states want to stay together. And since only Britain wants to leave (well some of the people here anyway, we will find out soon if these people are in the majority) there is no prospect that the EU will collapse.

            d) An EU army (under someone with the morals and leadership of a Belgian) and/or an EU Foreign Minister (like Ashton) are beyond imagination.

            It doesn’t have an army, and since neither Britain nor France want it to, it never will. Nor does it have a single foreign policy.

            e) Federalism: Britain does not want to be sucked into (or ordered into) a Federal Europe.

            Obviously, you don’t understand what “federalism” means. It usually means a politically decentralized polity, with considerable independence to the individual parts of the polity.

          • Saxon Broken says:

            Replying to John G. Deacon above.

            (a) The EU is supremely undemocratic.

            Umm. The EU is made up of democratically elected governments, and there is also a democratically elected EU Parliament. And many decisions require unanimity (meaning we can veto the them if we don’t like them).

            b) The EU is vastly corrupt

            Like Nigeria and Afghanistan? Really, while not perfect, and some countries are better than others, it hardly ranks highly in most corruption indices. Politicians are hardly leaving office with billions.

            (b2) The EU area is the deadest commercial zone in the developed world with massive unemployment. It has 7% of the world pop. and 54% of the welfare. Study the maths because this is untenable.

            Highest standard of living in the world, that has, for instance, grown much faster than the US since 1950? And welfare is a good thing. It certainly isn’t untenable (welfare just transfers wealth from the rich to poor/old/sick people, and doesn’t affect the size of the economy).

            c) The EU will collapse.. The €uro will collapse – ditto.

            Err, no it won’t. If the Euro survived the Greek crisis then it will survive for ever (or at least as long as the EU exists). And the EU will survive as long as the member states want to stay together. And since only Britain wants to leave (well some of the people here anyway, we will find out soon if these people are in the majority) there is no prospect that the EU will collapse.

            d) An EU army (under someone with the morals and leadership of a Belgian) and/or an EU Foreign Minister (like Ashton) are beyond imagination.

            It doesn’t have an army, and since neither Britain nor France want it to, it never will. Nor does it have a single foreign policy.

            e) Federalism: Britain does not want to be sucked into (or ordered into) a Federal Europe.

            Obviously, you don’t understand what “federalism” means. It usually means a politically decentralized polity, with considerable independence to the individual parts of the polity.

  • David Nice says:

    I wrote to ask the campaign why not. I haven’t had an answer. Of course I’m not going to turn Brexit, but it really doesn’t help any more than the EUYO debacle.

  • Furzwängler says:

    d) An EU army (under someone with the morals and leadership of a Belgian) and/or an EU Foreign Minister (like Ashton) are beyond imagination.

    Thank you Mr Deacon for your reasoned comments. A propos of what you said about Belgian leadership, perhaps one should recall that it was just that EU and NATO fellow member and supposed “partner” that refused to supply us with specialized ammunition in 1982 during the Falklands War. Italy, amongst other EU states, was equally partisan in its support for the Argentines. With such unreliable “partners” and allies, who needs enemies? So, by all means dream on about the chimera of a European army – but without us.

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