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Youth Music funding

PLEASE NOTE :

THE OPEN PROGRAMMES (FIRST STEPS, MAKE IT SOUND AND VOCALISE!) IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW APPLICATIONS. THE WORK OF THE OPEN PROGRAMMES IS STILL GOING ON IN POCKETS OF CREATIVITY ALL OVER ENGLAND. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE KEPT UP TO DATE ON THE PLANS FOR THE NEW OPEN PROGRAMMES WHICH WILL BE LAUNCHING IN JUNE, PLEASE SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER.

THANK YOU TO THE 1000 ORGANISATIONS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR OPEN PROGRAMME FUNDING, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE NEW FUNDING.

  • First Steps - creative music-making for children aged 0-5
    *Please note that the First Steps programme has been revised
  • Make It Sound – music-making for 5-18 year olds who otherwise lack the chance to take part
  • Vocalise! – for programmes where the voice is the main instrument


    Youth Music distributes its funds in a variety of ways including:
  • Open Programmes - open for general application
  • Partnership Programmes - potential partnership organisations invited to submit proposals
  • Action Zones - solicited applications from regional consortiums
  • Youth Music initiatives - initiatives or events that complement the above programmes


General funding criteria

All the necessary information on each type of programme can be found in the relevant section. In most cases organisations will be applying to one of the Open Programmes. Each has its own application criteria, but the following list of conditions applies to all Youth Music funding.

• Funding is available to not-for-profit organisations in England that are over one year old.
• Participants must be 0-18 (or up to 25 with special educational needs (SEN), disabilities or in detention).
• Projects must include structured music-making activities which are planned to advance children and young people's music skills
• Activities must involve training and development
• Music-making activity must take place principally outside of school hours.
• Youth Music's main source of funding is National Lottery money. This is distributed via Arts Council England, and so is not able to fund projects in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each nation has its own Lottery allocation and chooses to use it in a variety of ways. However, strategic alliances are being established with the Arts Councils of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to enable Youth Music programmes to take place throughout the UK in the future.


Information about the other nations


For further information
T: 020 7902 1060 or E: info@youthmusic.org.uk

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Funding applications are now closed

Youth Music Open Programmes are closed to new applications

"I can think of nothing that develops young people like music: intellectually, practically and socially. But the most important thing is the joy of making music."

Christina Coker OBE, Youth Music Chief Executive

Priority Areas

Early Years

Ensuring that every child under 5 has access to music-making opportunities.

Singing

Working with partners to ensure that children and young people in the UK have access to high quality singing opportunities.

Transition

Improving opportunities for children to continue with their music making after they move to secondary school.

At Risk

Establishing music making as a medium for benefiting children and young people deemed to be at risk*

Workforce Development

Improving the quality and quantity of music leadership in order to deliver better music-making opportunities for children and young people.