Student profiles

Juliana Laslett

Juliana is both a businesswoman and social commentator.

After obtaining her Masters Degree in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at Goldsmiths, she became convinced that the Internet and social media were ideal tools to support classical music and grow the audience for the genre.  Dilettante Music. which Juliana founded and ran 2007 - 2011, embodied those ideas.

Described as 'terrifyingly innovative' by the classical music writer Jessica Duchen, Dilettante started life at Juliana's kitchen tavble and went on to attract visitors from 130 countries and a registered membership of close to 6,000 musicians, listeners and organisations. The site was featured extensively in the media including BBC Click, BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, CBCRadio, The Toronto Star and The Daily Telegraph,

In October 2009, Dilettante was shortlisted for The Good Web Guide's 'Website of the Year' award from more than 1,000 nominees. In March 2010 Juliana was named one of the 50 'Women to Watc' in the UK Arts sector by the Cultural Leadership Programme.

As a Journolist, Juliana worked at CBC Radio and Watch magazine in Toronto, before joining the family business in the musical instruments sector where she was responsible for launching two innovative, award winning products.

Juliana continues to write about social, cultural and political issues when the mood or the fury takes her. She keeps a blog, Two Words: Notes and Observations, and her work has appeared on RSA Comment, Night and Day: The Spectator Arts Blog, and The Guardian Comment is Free.