'All Together Now': Music, Community and Standing Against Hate

When I was four years old I desperately wanted to watch television. My parents finally relented and let me watch Yellow Submarine, deeming it a harmless watch. In this 1968 animation film, the Beatles accompany Captain Fred on a mission to free Pepperland from the joy and music-hating Blue Meanies. Little did they know that it would become the prism through which I view the world and set the path for my life ahead.

I couldn’t articulate it at the time, but I knew as the credits rolled over ‘All Together Now' what I wanted to do when I grew up: make music and fight Blue Meanies.

The MU have just launched an anti-far right hub. It aims to educate and galvanise, so that musicians can offer a loud counter voice to the growing hate and division in society. I felt a sense of relief when I read about it—the global pushback on human rights is frightening and it’s encouraging to see such positive action from the music community—although the feeling was followed by a profound sadness that such a thing is needed in 2026.

To me, this is personal—I am a woman. I grew up in Berlin and was raised by liberal parents. My grandparents are Holocaust survivors who came to the UK as refugees in the late 40s. At school, I learnt all about the rise of fascism in detail and at various developmental stages. From my own family story and my education, I know how fragile freedom and progress can be. I was acutely aware that I could live to see a rise of fascism in Europe again. I just didn’t think it would be this blatant and painfully obvious.

Telling your story is political

True to my four year old self, I built a life around music. I am a singer-songwriter and performer, a published author and an artist advocate. I would not call myself an activist, but I am an artist with a voice and speaking/singing out against what I believe is unjust and immoral is part of my nature.

I started writing songs about my grandfather’s story back in 2016, when I first started releasing music. Ten years ago speaking up for refugee rights as part of my stage talk was in no way controversial. It was a safe, mainstream point of view to hold and not a party specific issue. But there has been a palpable shift.

The same statements I express have become political—what was once met with confident applause is now on occasion met with awkward shuffling. My songwriting and my views haven’t changed, but the temperature around me has. Sometimes, activism is not something you do, but something you grow into when circumstances change.

Sharing your story and what you believe in may not feel like an act of defiance or activism, but it might make more difference than you think. Music is a brilliant conduit for empathy and it is this, the ability to see the world through someone else’s eyes, that we need to progress as a society.

‘With A Little Help From My Friends’

I started hosting annual fundraiser shows in support of anti-racism, pro-refugee charities in 2016. I put my love of the Beatles to use and designed a live show that celebrated whichever Beatles album had an anniversary that year. The goal was to have a great time playing music I love with my friends (a host of local artists and promoters Liverpool Acoustic), while raising awareness and funds.

We raised money for In Place Of War and Love Music Hate Racism, before deciding to focus on refugee charity Choose Love. Noticeably, the need and urgency to support those fleeing conflict and persecution felt greater each year. Choose Love provides hands-on support to vulnerable people and is at the coal face of campaigning against the far-right in the UK. They were also a large presence at the recent anti far-right demonstration, alongside the MU.

I’m proud to say that we’ve raised thousands of pounds for those charities over the years and have had a great time doing it. What exceeded my expectation was that this event series grew into a real community. The artists who gave their time and talents each year feel like family and many of the audience members have become friends. ‘All Together Now’, indeed.

Our role as musicians

Whether you’re in a position to fundraise or not, I believe we as artists are uniquely positioned in society to help bring on lasting and meaningful cultural change. We make music because we have a need to share our point of view, to distill the human experience as we see it and to share those observations with the world. And in turbulent times it is our job to reflect society, as well as to bring joy, reprieve, and to create spaces where community and cultural exchange can take place.

Protesting is great and an important pillar of any democracy, but activism doesn’t have to be on the streets with placards. It can be a fundraising gig. It can be offering kindness and understanding to someone who is not affording us the same. It can be calmly presenting an idea in song or in your networks and communities.

After all, to bring it back to my mastermind subject, ‘Yellow Submarine’ ends with the animated version of John Lennon holding out an olive branch to the chief Blue Meanie, inviting him to switch sides, saying: “Won’t you join us?”