“Transforming the industrial base of the creative and cultural industries can have an amplified effect: for while our sectors are not the greatest emitters, we are the greatest communicators and can inspire great things.” Julie’s Bicycle
Ruthless Jabiru’s vision is that the drive for social and environmental justice fundamental to its programmatic choices equally drives every level of development and delivery of the orchestra’s projects. By prioritising resourcefulness and responsibility it hopes to increase budget efficiency and champion innovation and currency within orchestral systems.
Ruthless Jabiru was founded in 2011 and has a contracted membership of up to 30 musicians and production staff per project. Players are drawn from an evolving database of professional Australian musicians within the major UK orchestras by peer recommendation on a per project basis. By combining its dual advocacy for contemporary composers and Activist narratives into a unique performance model, Ruthless Jabiru aims to use deep listening to re-examine politicised stories and normalise solidarity in all its forms.
Ruthless Jabiru’s points of environmental impact encompass:
Project planning: office practice
Financing: creative partnerships, sponsorships, suppliers, banking
Marketing: public relations, promotions, ticketing
Production: orchestral parts, musician and staff travel, instruments and equipment, stage furniture, carriage and porterage, energy use, programme print, audience travel
and by extension of venue partners: food sourcing and endorsements, waste management
Ruthless Jabiru is committed to understanding, measuring, improving and communicating its environmental performance to its members, stakeholders and audience. Key focus areas for reducing emissions are
- Prioritising environmental and ethical reputation when selecting creative partners, venue partners, promotors, sponsors, suppliers and business services
- Increasing efficiency of the orchestra’s portable production model through an improved balance of eco-friendly assets, sharing economy and commercial rentals
- Movement towards recycled papers and low toxicity inks for all professional print and pre-publication/post-copyright orchestral parts
- Incentivising zero- and low-carbon travel modes for both musicians and audience and exploring options for carbon offset schemes to counterbalance
As a values-driven organisation, Ruthless Jabiru is committed to the wellbeing of its members; aspires to balanced composer representation in all its programmes; and is oil sponsorship free.
Kelly Lovelady
Artistic Director
October 2017
“Energy was conjured from the air, swirled around menacingly and evocatively, and then, abruptly, dispersed.” Florence Anna Maunders reviews Ruthless Jabiru’s collaboration with Decibel New Music Ensemble and soloist Cat Hope, The Holy Presence of, for Planet Hugill. 
Ruthless Jabiru is joined by Australian-based friends Decibel New Music Ensemble in a programme for bass orchestra by Cat Hope, Tansy Davies, Kaija Saariaho, Lindsay Vickery, Pedro Alvarez and Julius Eastman at south London’s Brunel Museum on 02 December. 
Ruthless Jabiru 