The Glasshouse

Variations, our first digital mini-festival features four new commissions from a stellar line-up of international artists. All four new pieces are live here on our website, or can be watched on the Sage Gateshead YouTube channel, or via BBC iPlayer.

During lockdown Sage Gateshead commissioned four stellar international artists, Anohni and Yoko Ono, John Grant, Moor Mother and Tune–Yards, to each create a new music film reflecting their experience of the climate crisis and pandemic. Release of the new music films coincides with COP26, the annual United Nations global summit to tackle climate change.

I Love You Earth by Yoko Ono performed by Anohni & Yoko, Faint Positive Lateral Flow from John Grant, Spring Again from Moor Mother and Time No Time from Tune-Yards.

Wendy Smith, Director, Contemporary Music:

We are delighted to present four new pieces of work sharing the artists’ experiences and perspectives on climate crisis and the pandemic, keeping in mind what it means to connect and unite people globally in these times. Variations is four songs with accompanying films by four artists that express love for the earth, for nature, all species, and the air we breathe. The songs express grief and loss when the world we are used to is gone, an urgent need for justice and equality, a plea to work together, imagine change and act now.

Read Wendy’s blog here: Wendy’s Variations Blog: Why Sage Gateshead, and Why Now.