Is this fund just for Disabled people? We work inclusively with people who face lots of different barriers.

Yes, the Shift the Scene fund is specifically for Disabled children and young people. If you work with disabled people and non-disabled people, then we would expect the vast majority of participants supported through this funding to be Disabled.  We also recognise that intersectionality plays a significant role, and that Disabled individuals often face additional barriers.

Why 9 to 30 year olds?

Our research shows a decline in creative opportunities for Disabled children between the ages of 9 and 16, followed by a lack of support during the transition to young adults and into creative careers.

We anticipate a high number of applications for programmes for young adults, so success rates for these projects will be lower. If you already work with younger ages, we encourage you to think about how you can close the creative opportunities gap before children become adults.

How many people do you expect us to work with?

We don’t have a set figure in mind. Each project will vary depending on the needs of children, young people and the delivery staff. Your application will not be viewed more favourably if you are working with large numbers. 

We’ve done a bit of work with Disabled children and young people in the past. Should we apply to this fund?

You must be experienced in delivering creative work with Disabled young people with the age group/s you are proposing to work with. If you are relatively inexperienced, then this isn’t the fund for you. If you delivery music, then our Trailblazer Fund would be more appropriate. 

When does our project need to start? You said we can start between May and August if we are ready. We would rather start in September.

We want all projects to start work with children and young people by the end of September 2026. 

The period between May and August can be a project set-up phase, for example recruiting staff, finalising partnership agreements, and undertaking co-design activity. However, if you already have these things in place and would like to start delivery over summer 2026, you can.

Why is this just a one-off fund?

This is a one-off, ringfenced fund that we hope will catalyse wider change in practice. Shift the Scene is funded with National Lottery via Arts Council England. Within our funding agreement with them, we also have other priorities to meet which go beyond this fund. 

If you work in music and align with the Shift the Scene principles and criteria, then you can apply to our Trailblazer Fund or Catalyser Fund.

How does the online grants portal work?

This is an online portal that connects to our grants database. All applications and grant requirements must be submitted through this. If you never applied to Youth Music, you’ll need to register as a new user. 

Once you’ve logged in, you should be able to see the Shift the Scene application form to start your application. Please note that this won’t be visible until 31 October 2025.

How will the interviews work?

If you are invited through to the second stage of the application process, there will be an online interview for up to 2 members of your team (plus any additional access support people you want to bring). 

Prior to the interview, we’ll send some information about the areas we’d like to discuss with you. The purpose of the interview isn’t to test your interview skills, and we don’t expect a polished performance. The purpose is for us to get a better understanding about some of your organisational practices and expand on the things you said in your application form.

Who will be making decisions about this fund?

We’ve yet to finalise the full team, however we will ensure that there is Disabled representation at every part of the process. This includes in assessing applications, and in the interview, shortlisting and final decision-making teams.

What are our chances of success?

We anticipate that there will be high demand for this fund. We think the success rate will be around 20%. We anticipate that the success rate for music-based projects might be lower than this. 

What is the application access fund?

If you identify as Disabled and require additional support to make an application to Youth Music, you can apply to our Application access Fund. You should apply for this money before you start making your application.

If you still have questions you can contact the Youth Music team on grants@youthmusic.org.uk or 020 7902 1060.

Do we need to have worked with our partners before?

No, you don’t have to have worked with your partners before. But if that’s the case, we’d recommend that you ensure your partners have shared values and a commitment to this work. If your partners are not experienced working with Disabled children and young people, they should align with the Shift the Scene principles, and they should be ready to go on a journey to improve their practices.

Do we have to pay our partners?

This is down to the partnership arrangement you have in place with them. If you are paying partners, please ensure this is accurately reflected in your budget. Some partners may be able to bring some match funding or in-kind support. 

When aren’t you funding schools, when we know that there is a SEND funding crisis?

We recognise the severity of the SEND funding crisis and the vital role schools play in supporting Disabled children and young people. However, our focus is on funding work that primarily takes place outside of education settings by creating more inclusive, accessible creative experiences in community spaces. This is because Disabled children often have fewer opportunities to engage in creative activities beyond the classroom, and we want to help bridge that gap.

Organisations can partner with schools, and activity can happen in schools but schools can’t be the lead applicants and the programme can’t cover curriculum activity. 

What’s the purpose of the community?

We want to have a space to bring people together, to share learning and to advocate for change. This is because we know that many organisations will be facing similar challenges and can learn from other people’s experiences.

Building on the findings of our Excluded by Design report, we know that there is still a job to be done to equalise creative outcomes for Disabled young people, to improve representation of Disabled people in the arts, and to embed the social model of disability in the way that organisations work. These are likely to be the focus areas of our advocacy work.

What kinds of things will be discussed in the online reflection sessions and the annual face to face events? Will these be facilitated by Youth Music?

Youth Music will curate the sessions, possibly with some external support. We will programme the content according to your needs and interests, which we’ll explore with you if you are successful.

Will the events and reflection sessions take place every year?

That’s the intention. However, the format and regularity might change as the group develops.

You say that the Shift the Scene community will undertake advocacy. We don’t have a lot of communications resource in our small organisation. Does that matter?

No. Even if you don’t have a dedicated comms team, you can still contribute your expertise, and support with things like case studies. Youth Music will work with the community to co-develop a communications plan that we’ll manage centrally. And whilst we have a dedicated communications team, they are very busy, with lots of competing priorities. So we’ll need to agree something that works for everyone. 

What kind of research or evaluation do you want to do?

Once we have awarded the grants, we’d like to discuss this with the group. We don’t want to do research just for the sake of it. However, we know that there is a lack of research about Disabled children and young people’s experiences in the arts, and that a lot of research is written and conducted by non-Disabled people. So there are a lot of gaps we could address. 

How much should we apply for?

Given the types of programmes we expect to see, we expect most organisations to apply for the maximum amount of £200,000.

Do you fund contingency costs?

Yes. We encourage you to include some contingency costs in your budget, so you can be flexible and responsive to changing circumstances.

If we’re not giving you a detailed programme for Years 2, 3 and 4, how should we budget for it?

You can base your budget on the Year 1 activity plan. If you are awarded a grant, we will be flexible with budget changes in future years, so long as they continue to meet the Shift the Scene criteria.

How shall we budget for costs to take part in the Shift the Scene Community research?

We’d recommend you include a notional amount for now, and we can be flexible if this needs to change. The research won’t happen until year 2. 

How shall we budget to take part in the Shift the Scene Community online sessions and face-to-face events?

We’d recommend that you budget for two people to attend these. Online sessions will be for 90 minutes, four times per year.

Face-to-face events could be hosted anywhere in the country (perhaps at one of our funded partner’s locations) so you should budget for travel, accommodation and any access costs for two people. 

You say a proportion of the budget must be spent on delivery costs – can you provide guidance on how much is expected?
Provided some of your budget is being spent on delivery costs, and your budget makes sense in the context of your proposal, there is no set requirement on how your budget is split between delivery costs and core costs.

The guidance says we have to pay the real living wage – does this rule out using volunteers?
You can use volunteers on Youth Music funded projects/programmes. But any paid members of staff (whether freelance or salaried) we expect to be paid the real living wage or above. 

Can we include personal access costs for our staff?

Yes, you can include personal access costs for staff. We commonly see access costs for things like Personal Assistants and transport. However, we know that the types of access costs vary according to individual needs, so feel free to ask for what you need.

I get money through Access to Work. However, it’s not enough to meet my needs. Can I still apply for personal access costs?

Yes. 

I am Disabled but I don’t have access to work. Can I still apply for personal access costs?

Yes. But if you are eligible to apply to the Government’s access to work scheme, then we encourage you to do so – to free up funding for use elsewhere.

If you would like to know more about access to work:

• Watch or listen to Youth Music’s Access to Work exchanging notes recording. This online seminar provided an overview of the scheme. It was run by a Youth Music funded partner and their access support worker, informed by their own personal experiences.
• Disability Arts Online has some great resources on Access to Work. It has different sections for the self-employed, employees and company directors, and employers.

What happens if I don’t have anyone with access needs on my team right now, but then someone new joins mid project? Can I apply for access costs for them mid-way through?

Yes, you can. In the first instance contact your Grants & Learning Officer, who can advise on what to do.

Do you need to have a formal diagnosis to be eligible for personal access costs?

No, as long as the person that you are applying for access costs for is facing additional barriers because they fall into one or more of the following groups (which they might self-identify as belonging to):

• d/Deaf or disabled
• Neurodivergent
• Have learning difficulties
• Have a mental health condition
• Have a long-term health condition.

We have mentors that donate their time – does this equate to match funding?
Yes – this would count as in-kind match funding.

Can cash match funding come from our reserves?
Yes, cash match funding can come from your reserves.

Does match funding have to be already secured by the time we submit an application?
No. Match funding does not need to be secured by the time you submit your application. In the application form you will be able to tell us whether the money is confirmed or not.

What support can I get from the Youth Music team in order to support my application?
We have two online question and answer sessions:

• Friday 17 October at 11am. Sign up for the Q&A via Eventbrite.
• Monday 20 October at 11am – this one is for existing Youth Music funded partners only. Sign up for the funded partner Q&A via Eventbrite.

If you can’t make the sessions, you can:

• Request a copy of the recording.
• Email or call us with specific questions.

Contact us by email to grants@youthmusic.org.uk or call the Grants and Learning Team on 020 7902 1060.

Can someone read through my application form before I submit?
No, due to the volume of enquiries we receive we are not able to read through your entire application form before you submit.

We can answer questions about completing your application; this could include how to submit your application form through the online grants portal, advice about answering questions and questions about whether your organisation or project/programme meet the criteria.