Memorandum submitted by Youth Music
CONTEXT—YOUTH MUSIC'S ROLE
Youth Music is a national charity set up in
1999 under the auspices of the DCMS and Arts Council England.
It provides music-making activities for children and young people
from birth to 18 years of age (primarily out of school hours)
targeting those who would otherwise not have the opportunity,
many of whom are living in areas of social and economic need.
By 2006 Youth Music aims to have reached more than one million
children and young people.
Youth Music has three main roles—funder,
development agency and advocate. Through the 1,172 grants so far
awarded it has already begun to establish a legacy of music making
opportunities, improve overall standards of music making and prove
that music has a positive effect on children and young people.
The organisation's four main objectives are:
Access—For those with least opportunity.
Breadth—Music of all styles and all
cultures.
Coverage—Rural, urban, coastal and
UK wide.
Quality—Encourage high standards
for all.
Youth Music has a commitment of £70 million
for seven years from the National Lottery via Arts Council England
for work up to March 2006. It also raises funds from other sources
for its own work and has levered in more than £13.7 million
in partnership funding from other sources, including applicants'
partnership funding.
Youth Music is the major funder of music making
out of school hours and has made grants in 93% of local authority
district areas in England. Attached is a statistical report which
indicates the range of ages, geographical coverage, types of music
and different programmes. Further information is available on
our web site www.youthmusic.org.uk
NATIONAL YOUTH
MUSIC THEATRE
(NYMT)—SIGNIFICANCE AND
ROLE
Although Youth Music's primary remit is to support
and increase children's and young people's first access to music
making, we are concerned to ensure that opportunities to progress
to higher levels of engagement (including pathways to pre-professional
training) are developed appropriately and safeguarded. In this
context, in 2000 Youth Music commissioned a research study into
"The Funding Systems for National Youth Music Organisations".
The report was published in April 2001 and it highlighted 10 organisations
principally serving England which were considered to be "flagship"
national youth music organisations (NYMOs). These were:
British Youth Opera.
National Children's Orchestra.
National Youth Brass Band of GB.
National Youth Choirs of GB.
National Youth Jazz Orchestra/Association.
National Youth Music Theatre.
National Youth Orchestra.
National Youth Wind Orchestra.
Music for Youth.
National Association of Youth Orchestras.
From our study it was clear that this sector
of flagship NYMOs locked, inter alia, a secure basis on
which to try and achieve greater financial stability in an increasingly
difficult and highly competitive environment for fundraising.
In its advocacy role. Youth Music therefore initiated a fund to
support the NYMOs in 2001-02. The fund comprised £250,000
from Youth Music with a supportive contribution of £50,000
from the DfES. Subsequently, Youth Music and the DfES increased
their allocations and Arts Council England gave additional funds
from their Treasury money in recognition of the importance of
this area of work in the NYMOs sector.
Since this study was undertaken, by mutual agreement,
British Youth Opera (with its higher upper age range—up
to 30 rather than 18-19 years) is now funded separately by Arts
Council England. Other potential flagship NYMOs, particularly
representing a wider cultural field, is being explored—to
date, SAM-YO, the National Youth Asian Orchestra, has been added
to the list.
NYMT is considered the leading organisation
for musical theatre in the "family" of NYMOs. NYMT has
a recognised track record of providing high quality experiences
for many thousands of young people across the disciplines incorporated
in musical theatre. The number of alumni who have progressed successfully
into the profession is testament to NYMT's role as an effective
vehicle for pre-professional training in musical theatre. Through
its outreach programme NYMT has also shown a commitment to providing
activities which aim to stimulate creativity within the wider
educational scene and inspire youngsters both in and out of the
school environment.
Youth Music supports all types of music. In
musical theatre and opera, Youth Music has given over 80 awards
totalling £2 million to organisations including Derby Playhouse,
Greenwich Theatre and Chicken Shed Theatre Company. However, in
the not-for-profit sector, within the field of musical theatre,
NYMT appears to have the most extensive operation of high quality
activities for engaging participants of various levels (including
pre-professional training) regionally and nationally.
NYMT—MEETING
OBJECTIVES AND
MANAGING FINANCES
The objectives of the NYMOs fund administered
by Youth Music include increasing access to wider range of young
people, demonstrating ambition and high standards in the musical
activity provided, and building management capacity. In our view
NYMT has met its own objectives as well as those pertaining to
the NYMOs fund.
From the NYMOs fund, NYMT has been awarded £261,000
to date—£20,000 (plus £35,000 emergency grant
in 2001-02) and £136,000 (plus a supplementary grant of £70,000)
in 2002-03. The emergency and supplementary grants were towards
managing the deficit and cash flow difficulties of the organisation.
Following the loss of a large annual grant from
an individual sponsor and the ending of an Arts for Everyone grant
from Arts Council England, totalling over £300,000 NYMT was
unable to replace this level of funding support. Indeed, the NYMOs
fund was unable to support one organisation at this level. Accordingly
in 2001, Youth Music advised NYMT that the NYMOs fund would not
be able to replace funding at the £300,000 level (ie one
third of the total fund available for all NYMOs) and that they
should look carefully at their future plans and make adjustments
as appropriate (eg scale down operations) in order to manage their
finances prudently.
NYMT complied fully with the conditions of grant
received from the NYMO fund in 2002-03. However, subsequently,
NYMT indicated continuing financial difficulties, despite the
increased NYMO grant from Youth Music. Having reviewed the situation,
NYMT decided to close its office and stop further spending pro
tem. The Chair of NYMT has kept Youth Music well informed throughout
about the recent difficulties. Youth Music is continuing to work
closely with NYMT's Board, through its Chair, to agree the best
way forward.
26 November 2003
YOUTH MUSIC—BASIC STATISTICAL REPORT
1999—7/11/2003
| General Summary
| |
| Total awards
| £36,169,103 |
| No of Grants
| 1,172 |
| Local Authority Districts Covered
| 93% |
| Grant Awarded by Music Programme
| |
| Open Programme
| |
| First steps
| £1,603,554 |
| Music Maker
| £5,388,361 |
| Plug into Music
| £2,038,523 |
| Singing Challenge
| £1,638,292 |
| Solicited
| |
| CPD |
£170,000 |
| Dynamo—Looking for Energy*
| |
| Dynamo—National Grid*
| |
| Dynamo—Regional Connection*
| |
| Making Change (SPNM, KCN)
| £1,559,130 |
| Partnership Programme
| £3,633,284 |
| YMAZ (inc. Welsh YMAZ)
| £12,829,893 |
| Other
| |
| Early Years Zones & Research
| £343,619 |
| Instrument Amnesty*
| £24,130 |
| Instrument Purchase Prog*
| £240,313 |
| Instrument Swap Scheme*
| £288,814 |
| NYMOs
| £797,900 |
| Singing Zones
| £620,000 |
| Wider Opportunities
| £147,313 |
| |
£36,169,103 |
| *=Closed Programme
| |
| Participant, Trainees & Musicians Statistics
| |
| Average % of First Timers
| 80% |
| Total Participants ages 0-2
| 17,870 |
| Total Participants ages 3-5
| 33,032 |
| Total Participants ages 5-7
| 55,538 |
| Total Participants ages 8-11
| 135,326 |
| Total Participants ages 12-14
| 147,163 |
| Total Participants ages 15-18
| 134,902 |
| Total Participants Special Needs 18-25
| 903 |
| Overall Total Participants
| 524,734 |
| Total Trainees
| 1,647 |
| Total Musicians
| 1,896 |
| Overall Total No of Beneficiaries
| 1,574,202 |
| | Music Type by %
| |
| Classical
| 16% |
| Contemporary Classical
| 4% |
| Culturally Diverse
| 16% |
| Jazz and Roots
| 10% |
| Popular
| 21% |
| All |
1% |
| No code specified*
| 32% |
| |
100% |
| *Includes 361 Instrument Awards
| |
| |
|
| Funding Per Regional Arts Council Area
| |
| Region | Total Grants
Approved in £'s
| Total No of Grants |
| East | £2,676,794
| 65 |
| East Midlands |
£2,712,363 | 84 |
| London | £6,301,101
| 235 |
| North West |
£3,994,223 | 124
|
| Northern | £1,847,993
| 51 |
| South and South East
| £4,464,631 | 130
|
| South West |
£5,195,970 | 167
|
| West Midlands |
£4,200,620 | 125
|
| Yorkshire |
£3,973,897 | 145
|
| Wales | £413,904
| 18 |
| Scotland | £290,794
| 19 |
| Northern Ireland
| £86,814 | 8
|
| Republic of Ireland
| £10,000 | 1
|
| Total | £36,169,103
| 1,172 |
| |
| |
| Age Range
| |
| 0-5 (First Steps)
| 9% |
| 5-7 |
11% |
| 8-11
| 26% |
| 12-14
| 28% |
| 15-18
| 26% |
| |
|
|
