Iconic musicians & world-renowned artists unite for charity auction by War Child UK
Secret 7-inch, the much-loved anonymous charity record sleeve sale that marries world-leading artists with legendary musicians, will return for the first time in four years this March. Originally running from 2012 to 2020, Secret 7-inch captured the imaginations of record collectors and art connoisseurs alike by bringing the two art forms together with the help of a surprise element. Having raised over $600,000 for charity causes in its first iteration, the much-loved Secret 7-inch project is now being relaunched by War Child UK to support its goal of ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war.
For the uninitiated, Secret 7-inch asks seven iconic musicians to provide a track, each of which features on a limited edition pressing of 100 7-inch vinyl records. Artists from all over the world, including Paul McCartney, Hozier, The Chemical Brothers featuring Beck and others, contribute unique sleeve designs, creating 700 one-of-a-kind records. The 700 records will be shown at a free public exhibition which will be returning to Now Gallery on London’s Greenwich Peninsula from March 2-17 and auctioned online on Peggy.
Peggy, the social marketplace for discovering, buying and selling contemporary art, ensures that art enthusiasts and collectors worldwide can participate in the excitement through an exclusive online auction. Collectors can pre-register to bid by downloading the Peggy app and following the Secret 7-inch profile. Anyone can bid to win. The artist of the sleeve will only be revealed once the sleeve has been purchased. Therein lies the secret. After the secret is revealed, winning bidders may resell their artworks on Peggy. In all resale through the Peggy app, not only War Child UK but also the artists of the artworks will receive a resale royalty.
After much anticipation, Secret 7-inch has finally revealed the sleeve contributors for this year’s project. Among the 700 designs are acclaimed British artist Tacita Dean; iconic British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith; one of the most influential names in modern photography and film, Rankin; contemporary artist Cho Hui-Chin; artist, designer and co-creator of Gorillaz, Jamie Hewlett; multidisciplinary Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson and many more.
Additional contributors include Stanley Donwood, Bob & Roberta Smith, Helen Beard, Sue Webster, Tom Dixon, Morag Myerscough, Antony Burrill and many, many more. They’ll be joined by artists chosen via an open submission.
The 700 records will be visible to browse and bid on beginning at 10 am GMT/5 am ET on March 2, 2024. Artworks may be viewed in person in a free exhibition at Now Gallery in London, UK, from March 2-17. The online auction, powered by Peggy, will run simultaneously, meaning people will be able to bid directly on their favorite sleeves worldwide. The auction will culminate in a rolling close beginning at 10 am GMT/6 am ET on March 17th. All money raised from the auction will support War Child UK’s work with children affected by conflict.
War Child UK is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict. War Child UK creates safe spaces for children to play, learn and access psychological support. It aims to reach children as early as possible when conflict breaks out and stay to support them through their recovery – keeping them safe, helping them learn and cope with their experiences, and equipping them with skills for the future.
War Child UK understands children’s needs, respects their rights, and puts them at the center of the solution and campaigns for changes to policies and practices to support children in conflict, working with children and young people themselves to demand their rights. It also specializes in responding rapidly to emergency crises as-they-happen, to offer immediate and critical aid to keep children safe and help them through their trauma. Together with its partners War Child UK UK delivers vital, life-saving work in six countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2022 War Child UK supported 256,000 children and adults, and money raised from Secret 7-inch will help bolster that figure.
