Minister welcomes recommendations to ensure music provision

Recommendations aimed at ensuring the provision of high quality and consistent music services across Wales have been agreed today by Education Minister, Huw Lewis.

Earlier this year the Minister asked Karl Napieralla OBE to chair a Task and Finish group to look at how the provision of music services could be secured across Wales against the back drop of reduced public spending.

The group’s final report, which was submitted to the Government in July, set out 15 different recommendations for securing music provision.

Today the Minister has agreed to a range of measures which include the development of case study type guidance for local authorities, consideration of national purchasing for collective and cheaper buying of musical instruments and increased partnership working and collaboration between local authorities.

The original report also contained a recommendation for a National Endowment for Music to provide additional funding for young people to develop musical skills, including the possibility of voluntary ticket levy.

The Arts Council of Wales has commissioned a feasibility study on such an endowment  and this is still ongoing.

Speaking about the report, the Minister said:

“During these financially challenging times we must ensure that our young people, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are still able to access high quality music provision.

“This report highlights that in order to achieve that high quality provision on reduced budgets, we must find new and creative ways of working and focus our efforts on increased collaboration between local authorities. It sets out recommendations which I am confident will help us steer a course for much  better collaborative working across the sector.

“I will now ensure this report is fed into our wider work to develop a curriculum for Wales. This will include working with local authorities to help them deliver high quality music education in the classroom, in line with the Expressive Arts area of the new curriculum.

“I am committed to providing young people with opportunities to develop their musical talent. This is important work and  I have asked for a progress report to be published on the Welsh Government’s website in autumn 2016.”