On Thursday 27 February 2025, young musicians on our Connect programme came together for a day of music making at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). The day consisted of a singing workshop, a Bamboo Tamboo workshop, a tour of the college, as well as watching the RNCM percussion students perform in a lunchtime concert.
Last year, Young Sounds became the lead delivery partner for the Department for Education’s Music Opportunities Pilot. This investment is building 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 Connect, young musicians in our Ambassador Hubs receive instrumental lessons, a personal bursary and take part in ‘Get Togethers’ like this, hands-on music-making sessions and musical trips.
Greater Manchester Music Hub, led by Bolton Music Service, is a long-standing partner in the programme and this new funding has seen the cohort expand once again. This ‘Get Together’ was the first opportunity for all the pupils currently on the programme, old and new, to meet. This includes young people from Bolton, Bury, Tameside and Rochdale.
Connector for Greater Manchester, Emily Divver says:
“It was a brilliant way for our young musicians to be inspired and see where their musical journeys could take them. For some of our students it was their first ever experience of watching a live concert! A massive thank you to the RNCM for hosting an amazing day”
Orchestras and Ensembles Assistant Manager at RNCM, Edgar Divver says:
“It was a pleasure to be able to host and facilitate the workshop for so many students on the Young Sounds UK ‘Connect’ Scheme and welcome them into the RNCM. We’re proud of the work we do with young people from across Greater Manchester and beyond, and so we’re keen to support the future of these young musicians by giving them the opportunity to work with our tutors and see our Percussion students in concert action too. For many of these young people, it was their first visit to RNCM, and our hope it that the building and, more importantly, what happens within it can help to inspire their musical journeys and hopefully be the first of many visits to RNCM.”
A massive thank you to all the Connect team in Greater Manchester, Bolton Music Service, St Michael’s, Sunning Hill, St Thomas’s, St Peter’s, Bradley Green, St Mary’s, Middleton Tech and St Gabriel’s. RNCM staff Stuart Overington, Andrea Vogler and all the Students at the RNCM who made the day so inspiring for our Connect students.
We’ve been selected to participate in the Big Give’s Arts for Impact match funding campaign! This March we’re raising £20,000 to supported talented young musicians from low-income families. Every donation made to our campaign between Tuesday 18 March and Tuesday 25 March will be doubled, by the Big Give and their partners, New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture (NPAC), until we reach our fundraising target.
If you believe that nothing should stand in the way of a talented young musician reaching their potential, we’d be delighted if you’d support us.
