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Big hitters in music have come together for a film called Beat for Peace – showing on YouTube today.

It features the drumming talents of Phil Selway, Jonny Quinn and Nick Mason, and calls on world leaders to do more to avoid a return to civil war in Sudan. The members of Radiohead, Snow Patrol and Pink Floyd feature alongside Elbow drummer Richard Jupp, who explained his support: “From a drumming point of view, it was easy for me to think ‘right, we can do something’.

“Get some high profile names involved; let people have a little bit of fun with it and make people aware of the plight of the Sudanese people.”

Organisers said in a statement that the Sudan 365 campaign calls "on global leaders to take urgent diplomatic action over the next 365 days to prevent all-out conflict returning to Sudan."

The film, now showing online, is the brainchild of drummer Jamie Catto, founding member of 1 Giant Leap and Faithless. He told the BBC why he thought drumming would be a good way to send a message: “The drum is the oldest communication and music device. It’s something anyone can join in with.

“Anyone can add a beat to show that everybody in humanity feels that making sure horrific atrocities and millions of murders don’t kick off again in Sudan; to make sure it is a priority, gets up the list and is fully attended to.”

The film starts with a beat from the war-wracked nation and continues through drummers in over 15 countries. Alongside the big names, people from all over the world can take part, as Catto explained; “As many as can upload their clips on YouTube or Sudan365.org – you can add your beat to show that this needs to be sorted.”

The campaign, organised by groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Save Darfur Coalition, comes with one year remaining until a referendum that will decide whether the south of Sudan becomes independent of the north. It also marks the five-year anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the civil war between north and south.