Award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown to host LOVE IN MIND with special performance by Rob Madge, star of Olivier Award-nominated show My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?). A star-studded line-up of artists across classical, pop, jazz and dance music to support the mental well-being of young creatives.
Award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown OBE DL is announced today as the host of the Love In Mind concert taking place on 30th April at the Southbank Centre to launch the Harvey Parker Trust, a new charity supporting the mental health and well-being of young creatives.
Double MOBO winner Brown, who was awarded an OBE in the 2023 New Year’s honours list for services to music, music education and broadcasting says: Love In Mind is all about remembering and celebrating Harvey. It’s crucial to speak about mental wellness, and ensure that young people know they’re not alone. I feel privileged to be hosting the launch of this important Trust, and to have such incredible music play a part in the event too, is just fantastic.”
Rob Madge, star of the Olivier Award-nominated hit West-End Show My Son’s A Queer will take part in a very special performance and joins the illustrious line-up of artists already announced including Mark Rylance and music from Grammy award-winning Clean Bandit, internationally recognised cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first ethnically diverse professional orchestra, award-winning jazz organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors, The National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain, Future Talent and Choir of Westminster School plus a surprise artist who will join forces in this spectacular of sound and inspiration to raise awareness and support for the mental well-being of young, marginalised creatives.
Legendary London nightclub Heaven and G-A-Y will support a spectacular Love In Mind afterparty in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Live music comes from hitmaker to the stars Charlie Deakin Davies aka Charlieeeee making their debut as an artist in their own right joined by some exciting special guests. The G-A-Y Dancers take to the floor with a host of DJs newly announced including Prince Jay Jay, Richard Cutmore and Mark Jacobs. Fabulous performances by DeDe Licious, Flesh, Son of a Tutu, Tayris, Ophelia Love, Yshee Black, Coco Couture, Labelle and From Shesus & the Sisters, it’s The Sisters will keep the party going well into the night.
Tickets will be sold separately or as part of the Love In Mind concert’s VIP package.
The Love In Mind concert launches The Harvey Parker Trust in memory of 20-year-old Harvey Parker, a gender fluid, autistic and prodigiously talented mixed-race musician whose mental health took a tragic turn just days before Christmas 2021 when they ended their life. This new charity founded by Harvey’s mother Amanda Parker, aims to make a positive difference and raise funds for young artists experiencing mental health crises and give them access to emotional and mental health support.
Rob Madge says: “I am absolutely thrilled to be asked to support the Harvey Parker Trust and to be part of this beautiful and celebratory launch night, which will ensure that Harvey’s legacy lives on and other young queer people in the creative arts can get the mental health support that they need.”
Mark Rylance adds: “I am honoured to be invited to take part in the launch of this beautiful Trust and look forward with delight to hearing all the wonderful artists who will be enchanting us.”
Jeremy Joseph, founder of Heaven says: “We are so proud and honoured to be supporting this event! Harvey told their friends that they felt at home at Heaven. This launch night will be a great way to remember and celebrate Harvey but also to reach out to others who feel isolated and remind them that they are not alone.”
Grammy-award winner Grace Chatto, of Clean Bandit adds: “Let us always support the emotional safety of creative young minds, for whom the world can be so tough right now. It is an honour to be performing at this beautiful diverse concert alongside such incredible musicians. I only wish Harvey could have been here too.”
The Southbank Centre, where Harvey performed so often as a child and as a young adult announces that the event confirms their ongoing commitment to supporting mental health wellbeing for young creatives as part of their programme of work in arts and wellbeing and nurturing new talent.
Misan Harriman, Chair of the Southbank Centre, comments: “Harvey was a ray of light and the Harvey Parker Trust is a reminder that we have to protect and support our young brilliant and vulnerable minds. I am honoured to see music play a part in making sure that Harvey’s memory will never be forgotten whilst protecting those that are still with us.”
The event is organised by the Harvey Parker Trust and all profits from the concert will go directly to the Harvey Parker Trust.
In memory and celebration of Harvey Parker, 2001 – 2021
Sunday, April 30, 2023 – Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London
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More about Harvey Parker and the Harvey Parker Trust
If you were in London over Christmas of 2021, you may recall a story that reached many TV, radio and social media outlets, particularly across queer networks, to find a young student who had gone missing. Harvey was 20 years-old, gender fluid and autistic. A prodigiously talented mixed race musician playing flute, oboe, piano and organ to professional standard. And was just emerging from their shell to begin modelling. Harvey’s mental health took a terrible turn one night. After attending a Little Simz gig and Heaven nightclub Harvey ended their life just days before Christmas 2021.
Harvey loved music, and nightlife. A regular at G-A-Y and Heaven, and had performed at the Southbank Centre so many times for so many different musical occasions – from when they were a child to a young adult.
Harvey championed marginalised perspectives, lobbying for recognition of trans lives, and to improve the life chances of creatives. He volunteered with homeless charities and worked for arts organisations representing the rights of creatives marginalised because of their social class or ethnicity.
The Harvey Parker Trust has been created in their memory to support the mental health wellbeing of young, queer, marginalised creatives facing mental challenge.
We recognise that mental health wellbeing is at crisis. Creative work is inseparable from personal identity and it’s for this reason that the toll on mental wellbeing is particularly acute for artists, and those who work in the arts. And that burden sits especially heavily on those who come from marginalised backgrounds – whether that’s on account of their disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference or social class.
Mental health wellbeing can turn so very quickly and suddenly: there are far too few resources available to young people needing help.
The Trust aims to:
- Raise awareness of the need for mental health support for young, marginalised creatives – through concerts, and through advocacy.
- Raise funds to support the work of organisations working with marginalised young people, in particular those addressing the mental health needs of young creatives.
- Signpost wellbeing support for young, marginalised creatives.
- Build peer networks for young, marginalised creatives in need of mental health support.
- Build and deliver mental health support programmes for young, marginalised creatives.
- The Harvey Parker Trust is a charity (charity number pending) set up in December 2022
For more information visit the website
