Overall

Since Youth Music was set up in 1999 it has awarded £77,067,011 to music making organisations to fund musical activity for young people aged 0-18 with least opportunity. That’s 2,051 grants.
Since the first grant was issued in 2000 Youth Music has reached 2,283,914 participants across England.

The following statistics were collated in March 2008.

In 2000 Youth Music introduced it’s ‘open programme’ strand involving the programmes First Steps, Music Maker, Plug Into Music and Singing Challenge.

The initial First Steps programme was created in 2000 to encourage and support music-making activities for children aged 0-5. Music is integral to a child's early experiences.  It can help with language, play, learning and with social development.

First Steps encouraged nursery and child-care specialists to put music at the heart of their work. Youth Music has found that many early years specialists feel uncertain about their abilities to develop musical activities with children. First Steps awards were available to organisations which nominated a skilled music specialist accustomed to working in the early years sector in order to help early years staff develop their skills so that once the ‘expert’ has gone, musical activities can remain for future generations of children. It was essential that proposals included strong training and skills-sharing elements.

Youth Music encouraged opportunities to explore music of the many cultures that are around us as well as opportunities to learn and celebrate what diversity is all about.

Grants were available for between £1,000 and £20,000 to work with children between 0-5 years for a period of three to eighteen months. 

The programmes were required to include:

• Singing
• Moving
• Access to appropriate instruments
• Structured music-making activities which are planned to advance children's skills and result in gradual 'progression'
• A clear and vivid plan for sustaining the impact of the activities after the programme has finished
• A plan for how parents can be involved and how the importance of music could be conveyed to them
• If it is felt appropriate, a celebratory showing of work at the end of the programme for parents and supporters

Applications were welcomed from:

• Children's music organisations
• Organisations whose main activity is not music but the organisation must demonstrate a commitment to and knowledge of high-quality music provision
• Nursery schools or departments of larger organisations
• Local education authorities, EYDCP or Sure Start areas where consortia or partnerships can be formed

176 First Steps grants were awarded totaling £2,294,044.
The project reached 59,950 participants in England.

Music Maker was set up to provide financial support for children and young people to take part in music making activities which were led by a high-quality musician and excellent leader.

The musician/leader also had to work with a trainee. We wanted to encourage leaders to share skills, knowledge and practice and to help us improve the overall standards of music making throughout the country.

We looked at applications which encouraged all types of music making

Grants were available for between £1,000 and £20,000 to work with children and young people between 5 and 18 over a period of three to eighteen months.

Applicants were required to include:

• Music making activities involving children and young people up to 18 in out of school hours
• The development of skills in musicianship which fit the types of music or genre highlighted in the application
• A clear and vivid plan for sustaining the impact of the activities after the programme has finished
• A performance or showing of work at the end of the programme

Applications were welcomed from:

• Young people's music organisations
• Organisations whose main activity is not music but the organisation must demonstrate a commitment to and knowledge of high-quality music provision

373 Music Maker grants were awarded totaling £7,106,103.
The project reached 125,474 participants in England.

Plug into Music was designed to provide financial support to develop the use of modern technology in music-making.  These activities might include encouraging collaborations between music technology studios and after-school clubs.

The musician/technician/leader was also required to work with a trainee. We wanted to encourage leaders to share skills, knowledge and practice and to help us improve the overall standards of music-making throughout the country.

We looked at applications which encouraged, for example, the use of composition software, sampling, DJ-ing and the use of the internet.

Applicants could apply for between £1,000 and £20,000 for children and young people aged 5-18 for a period of between three and eighteen months. We chose to focus on proposals for activities for children between the ages of 8 and 14.

Applicants were required to include:

• Music technology activities involving children and young people up to 18 in out of school hours activity
• The development of skills in technology and musicianship which are supported by the type of activities highlighted in the application
• A clear and vivid plan for sustaining the impact of the activities after the programme has finished
• A performance, showing of work or recording at the end of the programme

Applications were welcomed from:

• Young people's music organisations
• Studios with a track-record of, and commitment to, educational activities
• Organisations whose main activity is not music but the organisation must  demonstrate a commitment to and knowledge of high-quality music provision

189 Plug Into Music grants were awarded totaling £3,288,914.
The projects reached 26,244 participants in England.

The objective of Singing Challenge was to encourage children and young people to become involved in singing by developing new repertoire across a broad range of styles, encouraging more boys to sing and to support communities by stimulating the use of song as a medium for celebration and marking changes, developments or achievements, in addition the programme supported choirs and singing groups. 

The singing leaders had to work with a trainee.

Grants were for between £1,000 and £20,000 for children and young people between 5 and 18 years over a period of three to eighteen months. 

Applicants were required to include:

• A clear and vivid plan for sustaining the impact of the activities after the programme has finished
• A performance, showing of work or recording at the end of the programme

Applications were welcomed from:

• Singing organisations
• Music organisations
• Organisations whose main activity is not music or singing but the organisation must demonstrate a commitment to and knowledge of high-quality music and/or singing provision

190 Singing Challenge grants were awarded totaling £2,437,234.
The project reached 59,546 participants in England.