We can proudly announce that we’ll be delivering the Department for Education’s (DfE) Music Opportunities Pilot! This investment will build on our existing Connect programme (formerly Furthering Talent) to support up to 1,000 young people from low-income families over 4 years.
As part of the refreshed National Plan for Music Education in 2022, the DfE announced the Music Progression Fund (now called the Music Opportunities Pilot), supporting young people to engage with, and progress within music education, mainly in Education Investment Areas.
The aims of the fund aligned perfectly with our Connect programme which, thanks to long term investment from donors and other funders, has grown significantly since it was first piloted in 2009.
In summer 2023, the DfE invited organisations to bid to deliver the fund and in April 2024 Young Sounds UK were informed that our submission was successful. Following a mobilisation period programme delivery will begin this month.
Young Sounds’ model will comprise the 480 young people currently on the Connect programme across 10 partner Music Hubs in England, plus an additional cohort of 490 new students, including the recruitment of two brand new Hub partners.
The additional students will come from:
* Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, and Tameside)
Those on the programme in our Ambassador Hubs will receive the following support, in line with our existing Connect model:
In 2023 we established a network of music education experts called Connectors: all the Hubs will have a Connector to coordinate all the work and serve as a source of advice and support to young people and their families, plus others outside the programme looking for help.
We’ll also hold a Teachers’ Forum in each area, every term (teachers are paid to attend). Facilitated by the programme’s local Connector, these are opportunities for teachers to discuss their students’ progress and the challenges they’re facing and explore solutions together.
We’ll be enhancing the Connect model and learning through the following partnerships:
ABRSM
Providing free graded exams for all young people on the programme as well as developing their ABRSM Open Music Assessment tool. This is an alternative but comparable measure of progress to the traditional graded route. They’ll also be working with teachers involved in the programme to explore a wider progression matrix and look at other ways of measuring progress.
BBC
Feeding into programme learning, supporting the new National Working Group on Progression and providing free access to events and concerts for young people.
Music Mark
Providing sector insight, helping with convening meetings and connecting the learning with the wider sector. They will also convene a new National Working Group on Progression.
Music Masters
Offering free places for up to 6 teachers per year on their PGCEi course ‘Musicians of Change.’
National Youth Orchestra
Providing young musician mentors for the programme as well as working with us to learn more about developing relatable role models for young people.
Open Up Music
Around 50 young disabled musicians will be supported each year to develop their musicianship and take part in an ABRSM Open Music Assessment. Pupils will receive weekly small-group support to learn a musical instrument, rehearse and perform with others, provided by schools participating in Open Up Music’s Open Orchestras programme. Open Up Music will also progress development of their accessible musical instrument, the Clarion, making it easier for organisations like ABRSM to share resources with young disabled people.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Commissioning, researching and producing a toolkit for young people and music educators outlining a set of principles for being a healthy musician, both mentally and physically.
Ambassador Hubs
Connector Hubs
Thanks to funding from Youth Music and other generous assistance from donors and trusts, 2018 to 2023 saw Connect grow significantly. We’re incredibly proud to have been able to support young people across 15 Music Education Hubs during that time. In 2018, Youth Music invested in Young Sounds UK (then known as Awards for Young Musicians) as one of their ‘Fund C’ strategic partners. This followed many years of previous Youth Music investment from 2009, including for the early progression roundtables. The subsequent research and development led to the evolution of Connect.
You can read more about the Connect programme in our 5-year review publication. You can also watch this short film about the programme which highlights some of our key learning from the most recent phase.
“15 years since it was first piloted, we’re delighted to be able to supercharge the programme model over the next four years through the Music Opportunities Pilot. Collaborating with parents/carers, music educators, and an amazing group of Music Hubs and national partners, we’ll continue to learn together, and share our learning, so that many more young people’s musical lives can flourish in the future.”
Young Sounds UK Chief Executive, Hester Cockcroft
“The arts are one of the most important ways to help children and young people to develop creativity and find their voice. Music opportunities should be available to all pupils – no matter their background or circumstance. Following a summer filled with vibrant festivals and creative acts that filled the streets with energy, it’s clear the role music plays in enriching lives. By investing in our young people we not only nurture individual talent, but also secure the future of the UK’s rich music scene by fostering a deep appreciation for music from an early age. Alongside our Curriculum and Assessment Review, the Music Opportunities pilot will help break down the barriers to opportunity by widening access to the arts for more young people across the country.”
School Standards Minister, Catherine McKinnell
“Music should never be the preserve of a privileged few. I want everyone to have a chance to realise their talent regardless of their background. This support will help to make sure that every child has access to high-quality creative education, with the opportunity to learn musical skills that may become the foundation of a lifelong passion or a future star of the UK arts scene.”
Arts Minister, Sir Chris Bryant
