Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has welcomed a review highlighting the impact of music for young people of all backgrounds during Challenge Poverty Week.
The £9.78 million Scottish Government-funded Youth Music (YMI) Initiative provides music-making opportunities for young people across Scotland, particularly those who would otherwise be unable to participate.
In 2003, the Scottish Government’s YMI was launched to put music at the heart of young people’s lives and learning. It currently operates with an annual budget of £9.785 million and supports all musical genres, age groups and teaching methods.
The review found the Creative Scotland-administered programme had expanded access and opportunities for children across Scotland with more than 453,000 children supported over the last year.
It also found that its newest strand, the Youth Arts Open Fund, delivered in participation with YouthLink, is already creating additional opportunities for young people facing barriers to participation. This includes ‘Starcatchers’, who opened their Baby Studio in an empty retail unit in Wester Hailes, providing free access to creative space for babies and young children.
The review makes a range of recommendations for the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland to consider. These focus on potential structural changes as well as seeking out opportunities to innovate and cement YMI’s position as an internationally-recognised model of best practice in youth arts and engagement.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “At its heart, the YMI is about providing young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to enjoy music. Participation in cultural and creative activities helps young people grow into confident citizens and plays an important role in fostering wellbeing and supporting attainment.
“The Scottish Government is proud to support the delivery of these benefits with £9.78 million funding in the last Budget. The review’s recommendations will be considered carefully alongside the independent Review of Creative Scotland.”
Morag Macdonald, YMI Manager at Creative Scotland said: “This report marks a pivotal moment to both reflect on the profound impact of the YMI on Scotland’s children and young people, and to celebrate how deeply it’s now embedded within the fabric of our national cultural offer. We welcome the report’s recommendations which provide a clear focus for the programme’s strategic development, and we remain ambitious about the future direction of the fund.”
