Music Generation announced on Wednesday that Galway County, Galway City and County Roscommon will receive a combined €1.8m in philanthropic funding from U2 and The Ireland Funds to create increased access to high-quality, subsidised vocal and instrumental tuition for children and young people.
Each area will receive €600,000 over three years, with programming to be managed and delivered by Local Music Education Partnerships in each county.
Operating on a 50/50 matched funding basis, Galway County, Galway City and Roscommon Music Education Partnerships will each generate a further €600,000 in funding locally over the three-year period. Galway County, Galway City and Roscommon are three of a total nine new areas of the country selected for participation in Music Generation’s second phase.
Ireland’s national music education programme, Music Generation was initiated by Music Network in 2010, and is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships. Already, the programme creates access for more than 41,000 children and young people annually across 12 counties, with this week’s announcement bringing the total number of areas reached to 21.
The 9 new Music Education Partnerships selected for participation in Music Generation ‘Phase 2’ will be established on a phased basis over the next five years. Planning for the Galway County set-up process will commence over the coming months, with programming expected to get underway later in 2018. Music Generation Galway City and Music Generation Roscommon will begin planning at a later stage in the ‘Phase 2’ roll-out process, at the end of 2018.
Galway County, Galway City and Roscommon Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) have a shared goal to develop a range of affordable and accessible performance music programmes for children and young people age 0 to 18. This will include the coordination of music tuition services within each area, working in partnership with schools, music education providers, community music groups, youth services, local development companies and third level colleges in the formation of choirs, ensembles, access programmes, composition and songwriting projects, and more, across a range of musical genres and styles.
Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) has been working in partnership with a large number of local partners in the MEPs in Galway City, County and Roscommon to develop plans for music education services in the area. These include the local authorities, a broad range of music education providers in Galway County, City and Roscommon, music organisations, youth orchestras, youth organisations, education representative associations, local action companies, primary schools, second-level and third-level colleges, music and arts festivals, community organisations and media partners.
David Leahy, Chief Executive of GRETB, Lead Partner in all three MEP areas said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this terrific opportunity and to have obtained funding to develop the infrastructure for performance music education in Galway County, Galway City and Roscommon. We will begin the roll-out with Galway County in the coming months and the Galway City and Roscommon areas will commence planning at the end of 2018.”
