Creative Scotland have announced almost £1.7 million funding for 63 youth music projects today. The funding is intended to help inclusivity and tackle social issues through the positive power of music.
A.R.T.S. Afternoon in Edinburgh is the body behind Pulse of the Place the young samba drummers who will lead the New York City Tartan Day Parade in Manhattan next weekend. The group has been awarded £30,000.
The group were rehearsing in Inverleith Park this week ahead of the big day.
Edinburgh-based Into the Music will create purpose built instruments to allow participants to improvise music in a safe space. With some adaptations the music is always played in tune promoting confidence in the young musicians.
Giorgos Bouras, Community Music Facilitator at Into The Music, said: “Into The Music provides an accessible platform for music improvisation in a relaxed environment. The YMI Access To Music funding will allow us to provide weekly workshops to children and young people with additional needs who would otherwise not have many opportunities to take part in quality music making experiences. Purpose-built string instruments and motion tracking technology will allow everyone to participate no matter their ability and musical experience and explore the possibilities of group music making in a fun and informal way.”
ANGIE’S PROJECT
Angie’s Project in Edinburgh is a youth work music project centred on electronic music production education. Named after Angie McNeil, an Edinburgh nurse and DJ who tragically took her own life this year, her legacy will see beat-making used as a tool to improve engagement and boost wellbeing, with workshops to be trialled in NHS settings.
Robbie Tolson, Director of Turn the Tables, said: “Angie McNeil’s friends approached us about fundraising to deliver DJ workshops for young people in Edinburgh after the tragic passing of their friend Angie.
“Angie was a passionate music lover, DJ and nurse. After a successful fundraising campaign led by Angie’s friends, we felt the best way to honour Angie would be to combine our youth work activities into a single project, working alongside Action For Children and other partners to deliver “Angie’s Project”.
“Morag Macdonald, YMI Manager at Creative Scotland, said: “Scottish Government’s renewed commitment to YMI into its third decade recognises the strength and ambition of Scotland’s vibrant youth music sector and the very real benefits it brings to young people and their communities. The funding announced today is supporting an incredibly diverse array of projects that will create meaningful opportunities for children and young people to take part in music activities right across the country.”A project that will deliver music sessions in the form of DJ & beat making sessions to young people within both a community setting and at NHS Lothian hospitals.
“We are immensely proud and grateful that Creative Scotland and the Youth Music Initiative is supporting Angie’s Project first year of delivery. The funding provided will double the capacity of what Angie’s friends have already fundraised, enabling hundreds of young people to try DJing and beat making for the first time.”
Morag Macdonald, YMI Manager at Creative Scotland, said: “Scottish Government’s renewed commitment to YMI into its third decade recognises the strength and ambition of Scotland’s vibrant youth music sector and the very real benefits it brings to young people and their communities. The funding announced today is supporting an incredibly diverse array of projects that will create meaningful opportunities for children and young people to take part in music activities right across the country.”
Christina McKelvie, Culture Minister, said: “I’m delighted that children and young people in many of our communities will have the opportunity to benefit from a range of inspiring music projects through YMI. The projects that have been awarded funding focus on inclusivity and widening access and participation in cultural opportunities for children and young people from under-represented groups. Music has the power to boost overall health and well-being and plays an important part in bringing people together to build stronger communities.”
Youth Music Initiative is the key funding channel for these projects. It is funded by The Scottish Government and administered by Creative Scotland.
The full list of all the projects receiving funding is below:
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
