Hull City Council’s Music Service has been appointed by Arts Council England to lead the Humber Music Hub from September 2024, as part of an ambitious national programme to provide high-quality music education for all children and young people.
The Music Hub covers the Humber region of East Riding, Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. Hull Music Service submitted a successful bid to be Lead Partner, working in partnership with East Riding Schools Music Service and North Lincolnshire Music Service.
As the new Hub Lead Organisation for the Humber region, Hull Music Service will receive £1.7m from the Department for Education. The service will receive £1.3m deliver music education in the local area, plus £400k to invest in new musical instruments, equipment and technology tailored to the needs of children and young people in the region, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Hull Music Service alongside East Riding Schools Music Service and North Lincolnshire Music Service will deliver high quality music education accessible to all children and young people in the region through diverse partnerships between educational, creative and community organisations, in their local communities and throughout the country.
Hull Music Service’s appointment is part of a major investment in a new generation of the nationwide network of Music Hubs. This investment will help to deliver the Government’s National Plan for Music Education, and give all children and young people the opportunity to develop their musical interests as far as they wish, including helping them to begin careers in the music industry.
James Dickinson, Head of Hull Music Service said: “Hull Music Service is delighted that our bid for the Music Hub for the Humber Region, submitted with our partners East Riding Schools Music Service and North Lincolnshire Music Service, was successful. This is an endorsement of the huge amount of high-quality provision that already exists in the region, as well as the expertise of our respective workforces. Our bid identified over fifty partner organisations who are also committed to working with us to deliver, promote and support a broad, diverse range of high-quality musical pathways for our children and young people.”
Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said: “Music education is enormously powerful – it can enrich young people’s lives, help them connect with the people around them, and start them on the pathway to fruitful and fulfilling careers. We are excited to announce this investment in a new generation of Music Hubs, which will support the brilliant work of our dedicated music teachers across the country, and help bring high-quality music education to even more children and young people in every part of England.”
Sarah Maxfield, Area Director North, Arts Council England, said “The North of England has a proud tradition of music education in many genres, including brass and classical music, which we know can enhance lives and provide opportunities for making a career in the creative sector. So I’m delighted that the new strategic partnerships we’re announcing today will ensure that more children and young people receive a varied and high quality music education through a diverse range of musical activities and which is tailored specifically to the needs of the local area.”
