Supporter of the week: John Fulljames

Hannah Booth

14 December 2011

To celebrate Friends of the Earth's 40th anniversary, I've been talking to some of the supporters who've made it all possible. John Fulljames was at the time of the interview The Opera Group's Artistic Director (right) - and saying it with music.

"I'm responsible for the artistic leadership of The Opera Group. I lead the process of selecting artists, ideas and thinking about how we can meet audiences.

Music can improve our understanding of the human stories behind the science.

"I'm also directing [at the time of  interview] 'Seven Angels'. The opera has music by Luke Bedford and words by award-winning poet Glyn Maxwell.

"It takes Milton's Paradise Lost as a starting point for a new story about our relationship with the environment in the context of climate breakdown.

"Milton was writing at a time of radical change, both environmentally and politically.

"British society was going through radical progressive change but at the same time wounding the Earth and losing an old sense of connection to place.

"There are strong parallels in today's world and 'Seven Angels' explores this."

Read the whole interview with John, about opera and the environment.

Next week: Amyan Macfadyen. To see all the supporters I've interviewed, visit our 40th anniversary gallery.

Hannah Booth also writes Lives Less Ordinary.