MAYOR of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard celebrated young people’s musical talents as he launched a new hub that will see an additional £600,000 invested into youngsters’ education.
During an event at the Civic on Wednesday, schoolchildren from across South Yorkshire got the chance to perform live and discuss how music education has impacted their lives and development.
Mr Coppard celebrated the county’s rich musical heritage and shared his excitement for the new South Yorkshire Music Hub, which will see venues from Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley unite to improve services for all.
Led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), the project has received funding and support from Arts Council England as part of a national programme to deliver high quality music education.
It also received an additional £600,000 capital grant from the Department for Education (DfE) to invest in new musical instruments, equipment and technology.
Mr Coppard told the Chronicle: “Wednesday was brilliant but it’s just the start.
“This is about making sure that education right across South Yorkshire is even bigger and even better.
“We’re turbocharging the four services we have across the region and giving them the access and opportunity to share their equipment and learning.”
A Barnsley lad himself, Oliver went on to celebrate the town’s special musical culture.
“People in Barnsley know about the musical history of the town with things like brass bands and then more recently the Barnsley Youth Choir,” he added.
“But people across the rest of South Yorkshire won’t always have access to those same things.
“So it’s about sharing that learning, sharing that history and giving everybody access to that education and support.
“We can get the next Arctic Monkeys, the next Grimethorpe Colliery Band, the next set of talent from the youth choir.
“We’ve got £2bn of cultural industries in South Yorkshire but it’s about more than just money, it’s about making sure people can make the most of their talent and access the joy that music brings.”
