Jazz professor boycotted by London students

Jazz saxophonist Martin Speake is on leave from teaching duties at Trinity Laban following an email he sent to senior colleagues and a subsequent boycott of his classes by students, including at the Royal Academy and Guildhall. 

The private email, which he shared with a student and has been quoted on social media, questions aspects of an inclusivity agenda at the conservatoire and in the jazz scene more widely, insisting the industry is not racist.

There is now a petition by students calling for Speake’s dismissal from the conservatoire. It records how Speak’s comments ‘have perpetuated harmful and defamatory narratives about black musicians in the jazz industry’ and ‘His lack of sensitivity for individuals of diverse races and backgrounds contradicts the principles that every educational institution should uphold.’ Some students describe the email as having significant impact on their mental health and causing discomfort within the learning space.