Can Youth Music fund programmes in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales?

 What age groups will Youth Music fund?

 What is ABCDQ?

 How long does it take for an application to be processed?

 Can we apply for programmes that take place in school hours?

 Can Youth Music give awards to schools?

 What kinds of organisations does Youth Music fund?

  If I have already received an award from Youth Music, can I apply again?

 Is it necessary to include trainees in Youth Music funded programmes?

  How do I involve young people in my programme?

 What is 'New and Additional'?

 What do we mean by sustainability?

 Music-making or listening to music?

 Can Youth Music fund individuals?

   Can Youth Music award grants for music study?

 Can we purchase equipment with an award from Youth Music?

 Can Youth Music purchase instruments?

 Can Youth Music fund one-off projects or events?

  Does Youth Music offer work experience opportunities?

At present Youth Music's main source of funding, which comes from the Lottery through Arts Council England, only applies to programmes within England. This is because each nation has its own Lottery allocation and chooses to use it in a variety of ways. Youth Music raised almost £1.5m through the Abbamania initiative (TV show and sales from the resulting CD)  that was organised and supported by the BPI and the BRIT Trust. Without their involvement Youth Music would not have been able to fund so many projects in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales - including Singing Challenge, Music Maker and Instrument Amnesty.

Youth Music remains strongly committed to developing music-making activities for children and young people across the whole of the UK. Our Chief Executive, Christina Coker, is working with the governments in the other nations, together with the arts councils, in order to secure a commitment from them to help Youth Music raise funds to support our activities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

 In Wales in partnership with the Arts Council of Wales Youth Music is working to support the development of two Youth Music Action Zones in Ynys Mon (Anglesey) and in Merthyr Tydfil. We have also initiated a series of discussions across Wales to bring together informal and formal music-making providers.
Youth Music in Wales

Find out about projects we have supported in the other nations using our Events Search

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Youth Music is eager to support children and young people who are taking their first musical steps. To this end we support young people up to the age of 18. Youth Music will consider applications involving young people in detention, or with special educational needs (SEN) up to the age of 25.

The new Open Programmes will launch on July 1, 2005

First Steps – creative music-making for children aged 0-5
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

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ABCDQ stands for Access, Breadth, Coverage, Development and Quality. These are Youth Music's four guiding principles and are the main criteria against which we judge all applications.

• Access - for those with the least opportunity
• Breadth - music of all styles and all cultures
• Coverage - rural, urban, coastal and UK-wide
• Development - music leaders getting better at what they do
• Quality - encouraging high standards for all

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Once we receive your application we will aim to give you a decision within three months. It takes time because we receive a large number of applications and aim to support programmes which will have as large an impact as possible.

We aim to be open, helpful, and accommodating. Equally we have to act prudently since we are helping to distribute Lottery funds.

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Youth Music aims to support music making activities principally in out of school hours. This includes:

• Breakfast clubs
• Lunch times
• After school
• Weekends
• Holiday times

We also want to be flexible. Youth Music understands that programmes may need to begin in school hours especially if the proposal involves encouraging first time participation in music. To help with this, Youth Music will consider applications for programmes where up to 25% of the time is spent in school hours. The proposed programme should aim to encourage children and young people to eventually make music outside of school hours. The 25% option is not automatic; you will need to make a strong case.
*Early Years programmes and those including young people with special educational needs, disabilities or in detention are an exception 

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Youth Music is especially keen to support schools which want to begin or develop activities outside school hours. In order to do this we ask schools to work together in partnership either with each other or with other organisations nearby.

We will support schools that work with a minimum of one other school. An ideal system would be for a secondary school to work with its feeder primary schools. We also welcome proposals from schools which want to work with a community music group or a community studio thereby developing resources and skills that cannot, necessarily, be developed within a school setting.

The 25% rule referred to above will apply.

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Youth Music will fund any non profit-making organisation more than one year old, that is committed to music-making activities for children and young people up to 18. There are some obvious types of organisation. For example:

• community music organisations
• organisations that represent young people's music-making
• education authorities' music services or music trusts
• schools working in partnership
• professional arts organisations
• singing groups
• youth groups

There are many voluntary agencies which are concerned with young people's welfare. They are also eligible to apply if they are committed to music-making activities in the context of their work.

Please note that Youth Music cannot support profit-making companies.

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You can only apply to one Youth Music programme at any one time but once your current Youth Music programme is completed and you have submitted your final report and accounts, you may apply for funding again. However, Youth Music is not able to fund exactly the same programme again and encourages you either to run a completely new programme or to think of new ways to develop your programme such as, including new participants and/or providing opportunities for previous participants to develop their music-making skills. Before making your new application you must read the Guidelines for Repeat Applicants.
Download Guidelines for Repeat Applicants (27KB Word) 

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One of the big issues for youth music-making is how we can encourage and train the music-makers, leaders and teachers of the future. For this reason all proposed programmes must include a trainee or peer-mentor. These can be young people of school age who you know already and who want to develop skills. They can be recent graduates who want to explore a commitment to working in communities. Potential trainees can come through any route, but they must have 'real' roles to play within a programme. They must have a structured development plan designed by the leader or main animateur. The leader must have skills and experience to hand on. The trainees should not be too experienced to benefit from the traineeship nor so inexperienced that they cannot fully succeed.

There are costs related to training and peer-mentoring and you should include these in your proposed budget. Whilst we think it is not appropriate for trainees and peer-mentors to receive a full rate for the job they will require some financial support.

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 'New and additional' means an entirely new programme of work or a programme that is a significant extension of your current work. This can include:

• Reaching children and young people who have not participated in music-making before
• Building relationships between musically active children and young people and those for whom making-music is a new experience
• Working in geographical areas or communities that are new to your organisations, especially those where little music-making currently takes place
• Moving into a new musical genre
• Working with other organisations like youth clubs or voluntary organisations who are concerned about young people's welfare
  

Youth Music, as a Lottery charity, is obliged to use the 'New and additional' rule. However, we try to be flexible about how we use it, but it means that we cannot support core costs for organisations or proposed programmes that last more than 18 months.

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Youth Music is interested in what the legacy will be after the Youth Music award has run its course. Sustainability does not mean how will you fully support the project financially once the programme has been completed. While your plans for sustainability must be realistic they do not have to be solidly fixed before the programme begins. However, all proposals coming to Youth Music must include ideas for a 'What next? plan. Examples are:

A programme that aims to improve a young people's singing group by working with outside professionals and to increase attendance and, as a result, leave behind a healthier more buoyant group. Sustainability would mean maintaining the interest and enthusiasm of the expanded group and improved skills for the regular leader who can rely on his or her trainees. A youth club where no music-making tradition exists. After a Youth Music award, young people may be in a much better position to run their own gigs, have made local contacts so that expertise and support can be called upon. With the experience in place, a club may be in a position to bid for local authority, local business or charitable support to develop activities.

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YouthMusic is all about music-making by children and young people. While we acknowledge the importance of concert-going or exposure to a wide variety of music styles, our awards can only be used for programmes where the main activities involve music-making, led by excellent animateurs. We invite all applicants and their participants to present their work in a 'performance' or showing of work towards the end of the programme. You should include the costs of this in your budget.

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Youth Music can only fund organisations. However, if you are a music-maker and have an idea for a programme of work, you could approach an organisation who knows you and your work and propose that you collaborate if the organisation agrees to be the 'main applicant'


Can Youth Music award grants for music study?
Youth Music funds not-for-profit organisations who run music-making projects and is sadly unable to provide grants for individual students. For information on student funding check out www.egas-online.org.uk or visit our Other Funding Organisations page

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Youth Music does not provide funding for the purchase of equipment alone. We aim to invest mostly in music-making activities and not in equipment. All awards need at least 10% of partnership funding and you are free to use partnership money to purchase equipment.

The Make It Sound programme, however, allows for up to 10% of the grant to be used for the purchase of music technology equipmet if the need is proven. For First Steps and Vocalise! you may spend 5% of the grant on equipment. We do not automatically allow for the purchase of music technology equipment.

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Youth Music is not currently able to supply funds that are solely used for instrument purchase. Since our founding in 1999 we have co-ordinated three different musical instrument initiatives including the Instrument Amnesty and the Endangered Species Programme. However, currently our funds are mainly invested in supporting music-making activities rather than equipment and instruments. Due to our status as a Lottery funded charity, our funding programmes are governed by set guidelines that can all be downloaded below. 

There are, however, alternative funding organisations which are able to help with musical instrument loans or purchases. You can also contact your local Music Service as they are often able to loan instruments. Additionally, don't forget to check this site for more Youth Music Instrument initiatives in the future.
Visit our Other Funding Organisations page

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The overall objective of Youth Music is to reach children and young people who have the least chance. That means we only invest in music-making activities that have elements of sustainability and progression. We do not normally fund one-off projects or events.

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Unfortunately we are unable to offer work experience at our London office at this stage due to a lack of resources. If, however you are interested in getting involved with one of the music projects we support, then it is best to contact the Project Leaders directly. You can look for projects in your area by using our Events Search where contact details of Project Leaders are also available. Good luck!

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