Published: 06 Sep 2018
Young people across Scotland will enjoy access to high-quality music-making opportunities thanks to £300,000 funding from the Youth Music Initiative (YMI).
12 projects from across Scotland have received funding awards to support activities including piping, drumming, clarsach, mentoring, workshops and performances.
These projects show examples of great partnership working, imaginative programming and close collaboration with young people to develop projects that will grab their attention and offer inspiring opportunities.- Emma Campbell, Interim YMI Manager
The YMI programme is administered by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government to create access to high-quality music-making opportunities for young people aged 0-25 years. The awards have been made through two strands of the Youth Music Initiative Access to Music Making and Strengthening Youth Music.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop said: “Since 2007, our long-standing investment of £109 million in the Youth Music Initiative has made a huge impact, helping young people across Scotland access music-making opportunities and build important skills for the future.
“I am pleased that this £300,000 funding is helping reach young people in communities who might otherwise only have limited opportunities to get involved in music-making activities.
“As we celebrate this Year of Young People, we have committed to investing a further £9 million for 2018/19 in the Youth Music Initiative, as it clearly demonstrates the importance of supporting our young people to realise their ambitions and further develop their creative talent.”
Emma Campbell, Interim Youth Music Initiative Manager at Creative Scotland said: "We're delighted to announce the funding awarded through the first of the YMI's three open fund deadlines in 2018-19. These projects include really considered approaches to engaging with young people who may face barriers to taking part in music-making activities. The projects show examples of great partnership working, imaginative programming and close collaboration with young people to develop projects that will grab their attention and offer inspiring opportunities."
In Glasgow, musicALL will use funding towards their project designed to provide high quality opportunities in music making for young people aged 11 - 18 who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The young people who will benefit attend Middlefield School in Glasgow. The majority of participants will be new and different young people from Middlefield who have had no, or limited access to music making.
Articulate Cultural Trust will use their funding towards Track, a series of contemporary music-making and song writing training workshops for care experienced young people across Dundee and Falkirk. The participatory and creative programme will result in a recording and release of original material in an album to celebrate the creative musical voice of care experienced young Scots. Track is supported by a bespoke traineeship and accreditation programme for care leavers, asylum seekers and young people at risk with the aim of supporting the most marginalised young people onto a training pathway in the music industry.
KOR! Records CIC have received funding to support their work with young people with additional support needs in Glasgow and West Lothian. Participants will take part in music making workshops, band practices and recording sessions producing new music and performing at gig events. KOR will also produce SWITCH 2019, a live music event at Platform.
Artsplay Highland’s funding will go towards the delivery of music sessions in nursery schools across the Highlands. They will also deliver specially tailored sessions for children in SNAP (Special Needs Action Project), an Inverness-based voluntary sector organisation that offers out of school hours services and activities for children with disabilities.
The Princes Trust has received funding to produce Fairbridge Follow-On Music Projectin Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. An individually tailored personal development programme, the project aims to engage with marginalised and excluded young people through music making.
Pete Gilpin, Business Development Manager at The Prince’s Trust said: “The Prince’s Trust is delighted to accept this funding from Creative Scotland. It enables us to provide an exciting and creative music course for young people who otherwise would not be able to access it. We’re looking forward to getting delivery started and watching these young people get creative, whilst developing their skills and confidence to live, learn and earn.”
Musician Olivia Furness has received funding towards a two-year project to establish a permanent open-access youth street band in East Edinburgh. Providing free or affordable instrumental tuition from beginner level in brass and drums,the project aims to broaden participation in music, particularly amongst those from the low income families.
In South Ayrshire, the Girvan Youth Pipe Band Association have received funding to establish a Community Youth Pipe Band.
The Gardyne Theatre in Dundee will use funding to support its music mentoring programme which aims to identify, inspire, engage and inform young musicians and sound technicians of the creative processes and disciplines involved in the creation, recording, production, performance and marketing of their own material.
Sense Scotland’s funding will support the delivery of Sensatronic Flexi-Lab - a project to research and develop the Flexi-Lab Kit- a low-cost, accessible digital music creation kit for young people. The kit will provide an accessible resource for workshop leaders, parents, teachers and other professionals to incorporate cutting-edge technology into their music sessions.
National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS) has received funding towards Go for Platinum. The Go for Bronze, Silver and Gold series of books provide guidance for adults teaching musicianship to young singers in schools, choirs and community settings. This project is aimed at young people who have gone through the programme and will offer them progression through a selection of co-designed activities.
ABC Creative Music have received funding to develop a new online music assessment module for non-specialist primary, early years, Additional Support Needs class teachers and adults supporting music activities outside of schools.
The YMI programme is administered by Creative Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government to create access to high-quality music-making opportunities for young people aged 0-25 years. Awards have been made to the following organisations:
The YMI is a Scottish Government music education programme with a vision to put music at the heart of young peoples’ lives and learning, contributing to Scotland becoming an international leader in youth arts. It was established in response to What’s Going On?, a national audit of youth music in Scotland. It currently supports in excess of 300 projects each year covering all musical genres, age groups and teaching methods. The 2015-16 YMI Impact Report can be found on Creative Scotland’s website.
Creative Scotland has three main aims for the YMI. It should:
The YMI has two distinct strands:
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery.
For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter @creativescots, Facebook www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland and Instagram www.instagram.com/creativescots.
Eilidh Walker, Media Relations & PR Assistant, Creative Scotland
Email: eilidh.walker@creativescotland.com
Tel: +44 (0) 131 523 0019 / 07545 402 064
Switchboard: +44 (0) 330 333 2000
