The future of musical youth
Warwickshire County Council has moved to reassure parents that it is working to secure future generations of musicians by making innovative new arrangements for provision.
The county council took the decision to reduce the subsidy for the County Music Service by £223,000 next year, and councillors are investigating options, including the opportunity of a partnership service with Coventry and Solihull, to protect music provision in the county.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Families, said the county council is seeking to maintain the quality of the music service at a time of financial constraint.
She said: “We are already in discussions with our counterparts in Coventry and Solihull to explore ways in which we can continue to provide good support to schools and the community by working more collaboratively across the region. We are doing all we can to preserve a service that will provide a broader music experience and more opportunities for young people to come together and share their talents.
“By making this decision, we are doing our level best to secure a stronger long term future for this service during a time when severe financial pressures are making it very difficult for us to fund aspirational work.
“Unlike many other local authorities in recent years, Warwickshire has continued to run a centrally-funded music service, and we will continue funding a wide range of musical activities next year including a minimum of one hour free tuition to all schools.”
The County Music Service (CMS) currently receives a subsidy of £946,000 from the county council. It provides some music tuition to all schools at no cost and schools are able to purchase additional time from the service.
In the future, schools will receive less free provision from CMS and schools will need to make a greater contribution to the costs of providing tuition.