Muse from Nowhere: The Magic of ELLSO

Speaker: Chris Shurety MBE
What would constitute a music-making utopia? And if such a thing could be described, at least in part, how could it arise? And once established, how would it survive and, indeed, thrive? Chris Shurety, founding member of the East London Late Starters Orchestra, will describe how this ‘open door’ initiative came about and the vision and practice that has maintained its course and served as a beacon for others who have themselves established community-based music-making projects based on similar principles. And he asks, is there anything such organisations can share with those tackling wider cultural, social and political issues? ELLSO has meant an enormous amount to many hundreds of East Enders. Chris, an East London resident, is now Director of CoMA, Contemporary Music for All.