Nevis Ensemble is marking COP26, both to highlight the role that the arts can play in conversation and action on climate change, and to reinforce our own commitments to the environment.

Between 31 October and 12 November, Nevis is taking part in a number of events related to COP26:

🌱 On Tuesday 2 November a group of Nevis Ensemble musicians performed at the Glasgow City Council-hosted Civic Reception for the C40 group of mayors from many of the world’s major cities, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

🌱 On Thursday 4 November, Nevis, alongside more than 30 members of the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group (SCSG) will bring focus on climate change within Scotland’s classical music organisations and highlight current and future activities. Follow on Twitter and Facebook using the #ClassicalCOP26 hashtag.

🌱 Nevis, alongside Scottish Ensemble, established the SCSG in 2020 bringing together Scotland’s classical music organisations, as well as the Musicians’ Union, Creative Scotland and Association of British Orchestras. In July 2021 we launched the Scottish Classical Music Green Guide, which can be found here. Since its launch the guide has been shared with other groups throughout the UK, as well as across Europe and Canada.

🌱 On Thursday 11 November our musicians will ‘Walk with Little Amal‘ as part of her visit to Glasgow. This extraordinary public art project has seen Amal walk 8000km from the Turkey-Syrian border to Manchester to focus awareness of the refugee crisis, and then onwards to Glasgow during COP26 to show the role that Climate Justice has in ensuring that the world’s poorest don’t bear the brunt of the negative effects of climate change.

🌱 On Friday 12 November, we will take part in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Climate Cafe series, presenting Nevis’ work in their Climate Portal, whilst linking with artists in other parts of the world.

🌱 Also on Friday 12 November, a group of our musicians will perform around Glasgow, supported by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in community venues and public spaces. The day will culminate in a performance with participants from the Survivor Arts Community, part of our Amplify and Coast to Coast projects with SAC and Music Broth, through the Climate Fringe.

🌱 During November, we will deliver workshop sessions in schools in the Drumchapel and Baillieston, where Nevis Ensemble is Artist in Residence through Glasgow Life’s Creative Communities programme. These sessions, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, will create new songs, written by schoolchildren, with a thematic focus chosen from the ‘Top Three Priorities for Glasgow’ in relation to climate change, as decided by Glasgow residents.

🌱 As part of our support to partner organisations and venues, we have created a Green Venues guide for community spaces we visit. This resource is available to all here.

🌱 Our Board of Trustees has committed to ensuring that Sustainability remains a standing item at Board meetings, with regular reports from our Sustainability Manager, Georgina MacDonell Finlayson, a role kindly supported by the William Grant Foundation.

You can read more about our ongoing Commitment to the Environment in our public statement here, and access our full Policy for Sustainability here.