As part of the Scottish Government's emergency COVID-19 support, £4.25m has been allocated to support youth arts and ensure creative opportunities for children and young people continue to exist across Scotland despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out more about different strands of the emergency funding on the Youth Arts Fund page.
Creative Scotland administers the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI) programme which in 2021-22 will:
There will be four routes to apply for funding for youth music projects in 2021-22:
Reinstatement of the YMI Scottish Government commitment: every school pupil in Scotland should be offered a year of free music tuition by the time they leave primary school.1 We realise that due to disruption in the 2020/21 academic year, there may be some pupils who will not receive a year of free music tuition. We ask local authorities to ensure that in 2021/22 academic year, tracking of the commitment is reinstated and that no further pupils miss out on YMI input.
For projects delivered beyond the above commitment, the purpose is: to tackle inequality and engage young people (of any school age) who otherwise would not participate in meaningful, quality music making opportunities.
This is a targeted fund for Scotland’s 32 Local Authorities and Jordanhill School. Activity supported through this route commences at the beginning of the academic year in August 2022.
For more information on local authority YMI programmes contact your YMI Formula Fund contact (Word document).
The purpose of the Access to Music Making fund is to create access to high-quality music-making opportunities for children and young people aged 0-25 years.
Find out more about the Access to Music Making fund and apply
The purpose of the Strengthening Youth Music fund is to improve the youth music sector infrastructure and the services that organisers offer. It supports strategic action, research or training that will strengthen the youth music sector in Scotland for the benefit of children and young people. The purpose of this fund is not to support project delivery directly with children and young people.
Find out more about the Strengthening Youth Music fund and apply
To support individuals, organisations and networks who work outwith school settings to undertake training and continuing professional development that will strengthen youth music in Scotland for the benefit of children and young people.
This fund is open to individuals, organisations and networks and is managed by the Scottish Music Centre. The fund will remain open until the funds are spent.
For information on how to apply visit the Scottish Music Centre website:
Stay up to date with the programme by signing up to the YMI mailing list below. You can also keep up to date with all things YMI by following the hashtag #YMIScotland and follow us at @CreativeScots.
If you would like more information about Youth Music Initiative, get in touch.
| Name | Role | Email Address |
|---|---|---|
| Morag Macdonald | YMI Manager | Morag.Macdonald@creativescotland.com |
| Kelsey Jubin | Creative Learning Officer (Formula Fund) | Kelsey.Jubin@creativescotland.com |
| Sarah Lockhart | YMI Officer (Access to Music Making and Strengthening Youth Music Funds) | Sarah.Lockhart@creativescotland.com |
If you require support, further information or have any general enquiries about the application process please contact our Enquiries Service. Our Enquiries Service will be able to advise you or will put you in contact with one of our officers.
You can also visit the Creative Scotland contact page for information on how to get in touch via our website or social media.
If you are a D/deaf BSL user, you can access our services with the Contact Scotland-BSL programme. Visit the Contact Scotland BSL website for more information.
