Minister announces funding boost to support music & arts in new curriculum

Jeremy Miles, Education and Welsh Language Minister has announced a £6.82m funding boost to support creativity within the curriculum by providing additional music resources to schools.

The announcement comes as part of the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commitment to set up a national music service and is aimed at improving opportunities to learn and play musical instruments.

An additional £3m will be match funded by Arts Council Wales to extend the Creative Learning through the Arts (CLTA) programme for a further three years.

Since being established in 2015, more than a third of schools in Wales have participated in the Lead Creative Schools scheme.

The new phase of the CLTA programme is intended to enable more schools to become a Lead Creative School, receiving support from arts practitioners to deliver creative learning projects within their schools.

Initially the funding will make musical instruments available to learners who are less likely to already have access to them, such as those eligible for free school meals.

Funding for adaptive musical instruments and specialist equipment will also be available for learners with additional learning needs (ALN) in both mainstream and special schools, to ensure that access to music education is available to all.

Embedding creativity

Jeremy Miles said: “We know that music and creativity can provide benefits to young people in all aspects of their learning, and access to this shouldn’t be determined by your background.

“I’m pleased to announce this funding to provide music resources to support the new curriculum, and to extend the Creative Learning through the Arts programme for another three years, and I’m committed to making sure that all learners have access to these opportunities within schools.”

Chair of Arts Council Wales Phil George said: “Extending the Creative learning through the arts programme is a testament to its success since 2015.

“Partnering extraordinary teachers with professional creative practitioners has allowed learners to experience a new kind of classroom environment, one that uses creativity to open pathways in all school subjects, and one that taps into a young learner’s natural inquisitiveness and imagination to solve problems and release their own potential.

This third phase of the programme will further embed creative approaches in the practice of more and more schools as they respond to the exciting opportunities in the new curriculum. This partnership with Welsh Government puts the arts where they belong, at the heart of society and for the benefit of all.”