Arts investment to benefit youth cultural offering

More than £300 million has been granted to help young people from any background enjoy the benefits of music and the arts.

Providing the investment over a four year period, the government will finance a network of 121 music education hubs to work with schools, local authorities and community organisations to get more young people taking part in music and arts.

Music hubs, which will use the funding to further their reach, help hundreds of thousands of school, aged children access activities like playing an instrument, singing in a choir or joining a band every year.

The funding will also target young people from lower income families to gain better access to music and arts, with programmes like the Music and Dance scheme providing grants to talented young artists who could not otherwise afford to attend world-class institutions like the Royal Ballet School. The scheme will receive an additional £29 million a year until 2018.

Additionally, the six areas identified by the government in October as the most challenged when it comes to social mobility, will be given particular focus, building on schemes like one set up by Oldham Music Hub which works with children with a range of special needs.

A further 6 cultural education programmes which cover heritage, dance, art and design, film and museums will share a further £4.1 million a year until 2018.

School Minister Nick Gibb said: “Music and the arts can transform lives and introduce young people to a huge range of opportunities - whether that is learning to play a musical instrument, understanding local heritage or attending a world-famous dance school.

“We’re investing more than £300 million over the next four years so that those opportunities are open to all, not just the privileged few.”