Scottish Government funds youth music to the tune of £1.5m

The Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI) has provided over £1.5m of funding to 52 community engaging for young people with music-making activities.

Addressing inequality, the activity will enable children and young people to access high quality music making opportunities.

YMI Manager at Creative Scotland, Morag Macdonald said: “The impact the YMI has on children and young people’s lives cannot be understated. 

“Not only is it providing high quality music opportunities focused on those who wouldn’t normally have the chance to participate, but the community spaces created develop social connection, technical skills, confidence and the ability to express themselves in new ways.” 

The latest figures from 2021/22 demonstrate this impact – reaching 362,483 children and young people, training 5,631 people and creating 1,182 education posts.  

A selection of the funded projects include Soundsystems Project, which operates in Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Bute and Glasgow, received funding to continue their workshops.

The workshops will help young people with no musical experience to develop skills in DJing, MCing, music production, songwriting, branding and marketing. 

Through hybrid working of in-person and online sessions and focusing on teamwork, the project builds on young people’s strengths and producing a collaborative live performance.

This will enhances their creativity, collaboration, self-confidence, enthusiasm and skills for life.  

Director of Soundystems Project, Anders Rigg said: “The support that the YMI has offered has allowed us to continue our work across Scotland from Dumfries and Galloway to Oban. 

“Working with the young people in these areas, we’ve been able to offer an insight into the alternative possibilities of a musical career within live music and soundsystem cultures of the UK.

“Many of the young people have had little or no access to music making before and it is a total joy to see them take so well to it within our sessions.” 

Supported by YMI for the first time, Keep The Beat from Cosgrove Care is a music group for 30 children and young people with learning disabilities, autism and additional needs in Glasgow.

Mango Music will lead the sessions which will focus on supporting children and young people to develop their music-making skills.

Chief Executive of Cosgrove Care, Heather Gray said: “We’re delighted to have received this funding to build the music-making skills of young people with learning disabilities and autism.

“We’re excited to be working with Mango Music to develop Keep the Beat and look forward to the performance they will create for us, showcasing the talent and potential of the children and promoting equality and inclusion whilst tackling the stigma that exists for this group of young people.” 

Radio Buena Vida operate an inclusive and accessible community-focused radio station and safe-space café in Govanhill.

Building on the success and demand of their previous Access to Music-Making funded workshops, Radio Buena Vida are establishing a brand-new series of workshops delivered by prominent music-makers in Scotland.

The new workshops will cover a wide range of music-based skills including DJing, music-making, music radio production and live radio broadcasting.

These will be developed specifically for young people often excluded from arts practices, culminating in the creation of an actual radio show.   

Co-Director and Co-Founder of Radio Buena Vida, Suz O’Neill said: “The funding from YMI has been a real game changer for us at Radio Buena Vida.

“Some of the participants have already gone on to host their own radio show live on Radio Buena Vida since completing the workshops and one of the participants has just been booked for their first paid professional gig which is fantastic.

With the 2024 YMI funding we’ve been able to upgrade some of our equipment, add an additional workspace station for increased accessibility and hands-on practise time and invest in more advanced music-making software.” 

Minister for Culture, Christina McKelvie said: “We’re pleased to see the investment in the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) continuing to make a positive difference to young people’s lives across Scotland. 

“Every year, the YMI provides hundreds of thousands of young people with music-making opportunities, and I’ve seen first-hand how impactful the projects are. 

“This continued investment highlights our ongoing commitment to ensure children and young people have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.”

Applications for the 2024 workshops will open in January 2024 on their website and social media.