Rob Madge, YolanDa Brown, Mark Rylance and more to take part in fundraiser concert for Harvey Parker Trust 

The Southbank Centre in London is set to host a star-studded charity concert on Sunday, April 30, 2023, to launch the Harvey Parker Trust, a new charity aimed at supporting the mental health and well-being of young creatives.

The Love In Mind concert will be hosted by award-winning saxophonist YolanDa Brown and feature performances from a range of artists across classical, pop, jazz, and dance music.

The concert is being held in memory of 20-year-old Harvey Parker, a gender-fluid, autistic and talented mixed-race musician who took their own life just days before Christmas 2021. Harvey’s mother, Amanda Parker, founded the Harvey Parker Trust, which aims to raise funds for young artists experiencing mental health crises and give them access to emotional and mental health support.

The Love In Mind concert will feature an illustrious line-up of performers, including WhatsOnStage Award-winning and Olivier Award-nominated Rob Madge, star of the hit West End show My Son’s A Queer. Also performing will be Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance, Grammy-winning Clean Bandit, internationally recognized cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Europe’s first ethnically diverse professional orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra.

The National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain, award-winning jazz organization Tomorrow’s Warriors, Future Talent, and the Choir of Westminster School will also perform, alongside a surprise artist. The Love In Mind afterparty will take place in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall and feature performances from hitmaker Charlie Deakin Davies, the G-A-Y Dancers, and a host of DJs.

The event is a demonstration of the Southbank Centre’s ongoing commitment to supporting mental health and well-being for young creatives as part of their work in arts and nurturing new talent. Misan Harriman, chair of the Southbank Centre, said, “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.”

All profits from the concert will go directly to the Harvey Parker Trust, which aims to make a positive difference in the lives of young artists experiencing mental health crises. Brown added: “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.”

Madge commented: “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.” 

Rylance said: “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.”

Tickets are available via the Southbank Centre website.