The Arts Council Releases Policies for Music and for Children and Young People’s Arts

Below Allin Gray, IAYO CEO, discusses The Arts Council’s recent policies.

The Arts Council has recently released its policies relating to music and to young people and the arts, making a range of commitments for the coming years in the accompanying implementation plans.

The policy for children and young people’s arts, Growing with the Arts, makes commitments to the development of arts for young people as creators, participants and audiences and particularly emphasises the voice of young people themselves in influencing the development of the arts with and for young people. In relation to ensemble music-making, there is a very clear acknowledgement of the barriers to access and a commitment to working to address these barriers: “With our Music team, we will work in partnership with others to explore equitable and affordable pathways for children and young people from all backgrounds and regardless of financial means to develop their skills to play and perform music, including opportunities to reach the standard required to play with our national youth orchestras and ensembles.”

This commitment follows on from a report commissioned by The Arts Council and due to be published shortly: Youth Orchestra Provision in Ireland | Engagement, Perceptions, Barriers & Pathways in which the many barriers to participating in orchestras were outlined. The report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the youth orchestra scene and we will circulate it to members and our mailing list as soon as it is available.

The music policy and strategy, Advancing Music, makes a very clear and strong commitment to access to music for all Irish people.

“The Council’s music policy seeks to reflect and serve contemporary Ireland in all its diversity. It is framed by a strong sense of mission that each adult and child in Ireland should:

– Be able to express themselves musically in styles and genres of their choice;

– Be able to affordably access musical skills, education, learning and information to enable this;

– Have access and exposure to their local, national and international music heritage;

– Be able to be involved in creating, performing and listening to music of their choice to the greatest extent possible.”

While delivering such access to music directly lies beyond the resources and remit of The Arts Council, there is a very clear commitment to advocate to other areas of government, particularly in relation to curriculum music-education access, design, practice and impact at first- and second-level schools. It is particularly in schools where the foundation of lifelong music participation can be built where, through the provision of early training in musicianship skills, the ability to participate in music of all kinds can be created.

In addition, the music policy gives commitments to advocating and engaging with national and local government on the provision of accessible rehearsal spaces, the provision of instruments to facilitate increased participation and to develop more strategic funding of local voluntary and amateur music-making. With success, over time this can not only grow voluntary participation in music-making but also increase the opportunities for those who wish to make a living teaching and facilitating ensemble music-making.

The two policies are a great validation of the value of non-professional participation in music-making and of active participation in the arts more generally for young and old alike. We very much look forward to supporting the implementation of the plans and seeing the opportunities that come from them.

– Allin Gray, IAYO.