About the Programme
In 2003, the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI) was launched to put music at the heart of children and young people’s lives and learning. It currently operates with an annual budget of £9 million and supports all musical genres, age groups and teaching methods.
On this page you can learn more about the programme by reading the annual plan as well as recent impact reports and evaluations. You can also sign up to our monthly newsletter.
Funding
The YMI has two distinct strands:
- School Based Music Making – activities planned and delivered by local authorities. Local authorities apply to the YMI Formula Fund for this activity.
- The Informal Sector – activities planned and delivered by individuals and organisations who primarily work outwith school settings. There are two informal sector funding routes: Access to Music Making and Strengthening Youth Music, as well as the YMI CPD and Training Fund which is managed by the Scottish Music Centre.
Discover more about the funds that are part of the YMI in our Funding section.
YMI 20th Anniversary Celebrations
This year, we’re celebrating 20 incredible years of the Youth Music Initiative (YMI). Visit this page to find out more and download the promo pack so you can join in with the celebrations!
In 2022 we're celebrating a wonderful 20 years of the Youth Music Initiative.
Downloads
Download our introduction to the Youth Music Initiative in PDF format.
Read the Youth Music Initiative 2021-22 Annual Plan.
Download the latest YMI evaluation in PDF format.
Download this colourful and insightful infographic highlighting the key points of the Youth Music Initiative evaluation.
Download the full 2018/19 YMI Impact report in PDF format.
Stay up to date
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 following us at @CreativeScots.