Cancelled by woke, a UK composer appeals for our help
NewsWe reported in March that jazz composer Martin Speake was suspended from his teaching posts after students boycotted his classes at TrinityLaban (TL), Guildhall and the Royal Academy of Music. The triogger was a private email in which Speake questioned obligatory inclusivity agendas.
Martin Speake remains unemployed, banned by mob-rule from teaching and performing.
Here is his latest update:
As soon as TL shared my email with the entire jazz department, my personal nightmare began. Instead of defending my right to hold this belief, TL publicly distanced itself from me, threatened disciplinary action and allowed harmful rumours to spread about me. As a result, students boycotted my classes, not only at TL but also at other institutions. The London Jazz Orchestra, for which I had been lead alto saxophonist for 15 years, asked me to take leave from my post. Other bands refused to play my compositions. All my scheduled performances around the UK were unceremoniously cancelled and most venues refused to book me for future concerts. The release of my latest album was halted. Staff and students alike ostracised me. This led to me needing to take sick leave for an extended period.
I had hoped that, on my return to work in September 2024, the situation at TL (and more widely) would have calmed down. Unfortunately, TL continued to allow me to be the target of discriminatory and harassing behaviour with no regard to my wellbeing, or the law.
More broadly, I continued to be effectively ‘cancelled’ within the jazz scene.
With a very heavy heart I had no choice but to resign from my post with TL in November 2024 as my working environment had become unbearable.
My legal case
I have already filed a claim against TL for the discrimination and harassment I have endured on the basis of my protected philosophical belief (under the Equality Act 2010) as expressed in my email. I allege that TL has failed to secure my right to academic freedom and free speech more generally. I have done this with the generous assistance of the Free Speech Union and the excellent solicitor their support has allowed me to engage, James Murray (Doyle Clayton). The hearing to determine my claim will be between 3-12 August 2026. My preliminary hearing will be on the 9th of September 2025.
I am now also going to file a claim for constructive dismissal against TL. Essentially, TL forced me to resign by virtue of its conduct towards me, which, I believe, constitutes a serious breach of contract. I hope I will be able to join these two claims together and that TL will be held accountable.
Any support you pledge will help me make progress on both claims….
To read more and to support Martin’s cause, please click here.
This could be your kindest Christmas gift.
I hope Martin Speake wins big in his case against such monumentally unfair treatment.
Absolutely. As (Sir) Toby Young himself has pointed out, it’s enough to use the wording of the law to defeat the woke cancel culture. All power to Martin Speake.
Woke is not the insult you believe it to be. Do you know when the word was first used or its original meaning? Throwing it around the way you do puts you in the company of folks who are what we call “low information.”
Is “its original meaning” still current? Words sometimes lose their “original meaning” and take on new meanings.
Precisely. Look at ‘wicked’,’decimate’,’enormity’, ‘incredible’ and ‘celebrity’.
Yes. ‘Woke’ was first used in the early 1930s, when it referred to African-Americans’ awareness of ubiquitous racial/social injustice.
‘Woke’ is now used (in the 2020s) to rebuke white, middle-class intellectuals using minorities as furniture.
The two don’t contradict each other. Language shifts. (And your condescending sense of superiority is, imo, exactly why the word has changed as it has.)
Patronising idiot. ‘Woke’, despite its self-proclaimed initial virtue, is a byword for delusional control-freakery, appealing only to the simple-minded. And yes, I’m perfectly aware of its origins and am in no need of lessons from someone who is too scared to publish their own name.
Does anybody here know the exact words of his private email?
If it contained blatantly racist language, he’s probably brought this upon himself. If not, perhaps he has been hard done by.
As it is, it’s rather premature to label him as a victim of ‘wokeness’. If racist words were involved, he’s more a victim of tolerance.
We don’t know.
We have seen the email. It is not racist in any way. Read the previous posts on slippedisc.
If that’s the case, he’s been hard by.
Unfortunately, many accusations of wokery or wokeness come from racists and other bigots who have been challenged. They go on about their freedom of speech, but object to other people exercising theirs.
Dear Aleks and Anthony
I began writing this last year but after another BLM reference and email from Anthony recently I have been prompted to add more to this response and send this as you have asked for feedback. Regarding your statements on inclusivity and Kaleidoscope: Celebrating Black British Music and now BLM at Trinity.
I would like to discuss this whole issue at some point as black musicians in jazz and many other styles of music are definitely not under-represented in the UK and have far more opportunities than many others as funding bodies, media, promoters and festivals are biased in this way. Some white musicians deliberately have black musicians in their band to help them get gigs rather than thinking who is musically suitable and are too scared to speak out about this issue as they will be labelled ‘racist’.
I and many others find it very hard to get concerts particularly at festivals because of this agenda that is now going on throughout the UK. I realise it comes from the government and above and all institutions and companies are being instructed in this way throughout the UK and many countries worldwide or they won’t get their funding maybe?
Why is it relevant what colour the skin is?
You mention systemic inequality. This is just not the case in my department. Also why hire somebody because of the colour of their skin?
Which black composers in Jazz are underrepresented? Can you tell me?
Several below have OBE or MBE’s. Hardly not recognised by the system.
Certainly not Byron Wallen, Soweto Kinch, Peter Edwards, Jason Yarde, Xhosa Cole, Nubya Garcia, Tony Kofi, Sultan Stevenson, Ezra Collective, Courtney Pine, Ayanna Witter Johnson, Shabaka Hutchins, Moses Boyd, Cassie Kinoshi, Binker Golding, Daniel Casimir, Mark Kavuma, Tomorrow’s Warriors, Nu Civilisation Orchestra, Gary Crosby OBE, Cleveland Watkiss MBE, Orphy Robinson MBE, Julian Joseph OBE, and many others who all have lots of press attention, label support, funding and high profile concerts in comparison to many high quality white musicians who don’t get this support.
Just look at the publicity for the LJF last year https://sites.barbican.org.uk/britishjazz/
and the publicity TL use is all about the black musicians who have graduated such as Nubya Garcia, Ezra Collective, Cassie Kinoshi, Moses Boyd who have media and label support.
This is not representative of the whole of British Jazz or even of TL but a tiny section the controlling bodies choose to promote and these organisations have a lot of power and create an inaccurate perception of what British jazz is.
This is not 20th century USA or apartheid South Africa when there was obvious discrimination and violence from the state against blacks.
There are many under represented musicians and composers of all skin colour and backgrounds. The bias of emphasising black composers regardless of quality of music doesn’t make sense to me. This quote from Frank Haviland sums up for me what is happening “Mainstream publications, educational institutions, the media and public figures are now collectively normalising the war on whiteness to such an extent, you’d think they were discussing a sickness, not a race.”
From this article. https://countrysquire.co.uk/2019/12/30/brits-are-not-racist/
Maybe in classical music and dance it is an issue but there are very few black classical musicians as far as I know, looking at the student body at TL or orchestras and professional musicians, although probably increasing? Let me know. You can’t force black children to play classical music just to get quotas up and promote ‘equality’, whatever that is. Hence TL can only use the jazz course for their quotas hiring black staff and recruiting black students.
It is the classical arena that needs to change in many ways and as I mentioned in a previous email to Aleks, particularly how it is taught. It is a mistake to direct any of this agenda to the jazz course or jazz scene. I feel it is divisive. This makes no financial, artistic or educational sense and I feel this old model and these courses, who
This makes no financial, artistic or educational sense and I feel this old model and these courses, who cannot recruit, are bailed out financially by TL because of the historical tradition. As I said in my previous email to Aleks last year, which he said he agreed with everything I had written on this subject, my suggestion is to recruit the best instrumentalists and then arrange the music for this line up rather than sticking to the orchestral or traditional model. Music can be arranged for any line up. Then students will get far more playing opportunities. The jazz course is thriving and turns away huge numbers of students applying yet has a miniscule masterclass budget for example. These issues for me are a far bigger priority that the so called race issue that TL seems to be making an unnecessary priority to please some goverment dictat.
For me the opportunity is about class not skin colour. Many poor white, asian and black children don’t get the opportunity to play music or afford instruments. Not just black. This policy being promoted by TL is totally discriminatory ironically. If there is systematic bias in Britain which discriminates against one race over others it is against white people. Also there is a use of the victim mentality to further careers (and for other reasons) that needs to be discussed but this is a wider issue.
By constantly emphasising that blacks are discriminated against, institutional racism (which does not exist in the jazz world, apart from maybe against whites now in certain areas of promotion) and are underdogs, deprived of opportunities etc, this encourages the victim mentality and is untrue.
You just need to look around Greenwich and can see the majority of students at Greenwich University are black. So how are they underprivileged or
discriminated against?
Also the promotion of the organisation Black Lives Matter, as you have put it in capital letters I presume you are referring to BLM, is very dangerous in my opinion. The critical race theory stated by BLM states that racism is embedded in society, not only the product of individual bias and prejudice, but is entrenched in institutions. I don’t believe this to be true. Look at all those who I have mentioned above recognised by the system and the number of black Greenwich University students. They are in the massive majority
BLM promotes defunding of the police so are you supporting that?
The other concerning issue is that because of this emphasis on being black and supposedly a victim and under represented the ‘race card ‘can be used if anybody criticises or disagrees with a black student or staff, then that it is called racist. This is happening and the issue will be nothing to do with skin colour. Very dangerous area we are getting into. Apologising for being white and presuming blacks are always right. Divisive.
Martin Luther King famously called on us to judge
people according to the content of their character not the colour of their skin.
With best wishes
Martin
No surprise there, NL. Most victims of wokery are entirely innocent of any wrongdoing, just like the alleged witches who were put to death for their imagined ‘crimes’.
The email was linked in one of the prior SD items about about the events, but it is also posted at the Committee for Academic Freedom site. Just Google the words “Martin Speake email,” and you should readily get a hit.
There’s nothing hateful in it. But he’s an idiot for expressing the views he holds in the badly expressed and easily misunderstood terms he used, in a disseminable electronic written medium, in a campus, professional, and current cultural climate of which he was far from unaware.
While he says nothing in it that’s overtly racist, it’s understandable why people were still offended.
He claims that white musicians have added unqualified Black musicians to jazz bands to satisfy government policies.
He claims he has a hard time getting gigs at festivals because he’s white.
He says that if there is systematic bias in Britain, it’s against white people.
He says BLM is “very dangerous.”
And the whole email dismiss the notion that there is racism against Blacks in Britain and in British Jazz.
He’s conflating a few issues. He believes he unfairly lost his job over expressing his opinion (free speech). Fine, file a lawsuit over that which is what he’s doing. But as for students and musicians refusing to work with him, well, they have every right to make that choice. That’s not about free speech. Expressing your opinions has consequences.
I hope he takes them to the cleaners. It’s only when institutions start having to write big cheques for their own infringement of liberties that the mass cowardice this ideology has yielded will be phased out.
Personally I think one, two or a few of those Fender Squier starter electric guitar paks with a case, a stand, a little baby amp and a tuner, delivered to the nonprofit inner-city cultural center of one’s choice, might be a kinder Christmas gift.
Just like Elon Musk said, he will financially support the British Revolutionary Party, let them come to power, and eliminate the awakening virus
“In February 2024 I responded to an email asking for feedback on BLM/anti-racist policies and initiatives at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (‘TL’), my employer for the past 22 years. I expressed my view that there is no systemic racial inequality in the UK jazz scene and that Critical Race Theory is divisive and dangerous. I asked for a discussion. I signed off the email with Martin Luther King Jr’s famous adage that we should not judge people ‘by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character’. I never received a reply.” (Martin Speake)
He is just a sane guy. A rarity.
Critical theory:
“A critical theory is any approach to humanities and social philosophy that focuses on society and culture to attempt to reveal, critique, and challenge or dismantle power structures.”
It is a trend in modernist and postmodernist academic thought.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory
Critical race theory:
“Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic field focused on the relationships between social conceptions of race and ethnicity, social and political laws, and mass media. CRT also considers racism to be systemic in various laws and rules, not based only on individuals’ prejudices.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theory
According to CRT, race as a social construct, and neutral legal systems are in fact discriminatory and privileging white people, and all attempts to create a more or less fair society are saturated with racism. This is an American obsession but spread to Europe as well, because of the trendiness of the subject and the attractiveness of collective virtue signalling. Since the entire CRT is based upon storytelling and anecdotal material, it is very vulnerable to witch hunt mass psychosis, with occasional outcomes like the Speake case.
“The woke who fight monsters should be careful lest they/them thereby become monsters. And if they/them/theirs gazes long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into them.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche
I was at Trinity with Martin for four years. A kinder person you could not meet and a brilliant musician. He was also one of the more progressive minds at the college. Good luck, mate. I hope you win your case and are completely and rightly exonerated with compensation ASAP. Cheers, Anthony