Simon Roth, one of the organizers of Pop-Up Circus, explains the background to Saturday’s fundraiser:

Pop-Up Circus is a new performance platform which I’m helping to run. We’ve just put a baby grand piano in an art gallery in Bethnal Green with a view to running a regular series, with a mix of jazz, classical and contemporary music.

We are having a fundraiser this Friday 7th September at 7pm, to raise money for the piano’s moving costs and wellbeing. One of the sets is an olympic inspired continuous improvised piano relay with five interchanging pianists – Kit Downes, Elliot Galvin, Dan Nicholls, Sam James and Dave Morecroft. There are also classical recitals by excellent pianists and other musicians.

We were very kindly donated this lovely Broadwood baby grand piano by a WWII veteran, and The Arch Gallery in Bethnal Green are very kindly hosting it in order for us to run a monthly multi-genre music night. BUT … everything has a price. And this is how much it’s costing to realise our vision:>……

Moving the piano: £200
Servicing and tuning the piano: £250
Getting a proper protective cover: £300
A starter fund for monthly tuning so it stays sounding AMAZING!: £250

A GRAND FOR A GRAND is Pop-Up Circus’s Piano Fundraiser. It’s this Friday 7th September at 7pm at The Arch Gallery, 289 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9HA. Tickets are £10, on the door. Donations can be made via Paypal.