The government has named 41 organisations that will run a “new generation” of larger music hubs across England, splitting more than £100 million in funding next year.
But two hubs still don’t have lead organisations after a re-tendering process that will see the number of hubs reduced from 116 to 43.
First established in 2012, music hubs are groups of schools, councils, community groups, music organisations and others that support education settings to develop “high quality” music education.
They receive £79 million in annual funding, shared between lead organisations, and £25 million for instruments and technology. The annual funding amount has not changed for several years, and funding is only confirmed until 2025.
Ministers announced in 2022 that they would re-tender for lead organisations to run a smaller number of hubs covering larger geographical areas.
![DamianHinds500px | Schools Week Damian Hinds](jpg/damian-hinds-500px-970x1024.jpg)
Today, the Arts Council England, which administers the scheme on the Department for Education’s behalf, announced 41 of the 43 successful bidders, with two in south west London and south Yorkshire still “TBC pending outcome of the investment programme”.
Its chief executive Darren Henley heralded the “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.”
And schools minister Damian Hinds said the hubs would “ensure every child across the country has the chance to develop a love for music, whether it’s through singing, learning to play an instrument or creating their own music”.
The new music hubs
Name of Music Hub Area | Name of Hub Lead Organisation |
Bedfordshire & Milton Keynes | Inspiring Music Education Hub |
Berkshire | Berkshire Music Trust |
Birmingham | Services for Education Ltd |
Black Country | Dudley Metropolitan Council – Dudley Performing Arts |
Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Buckinghamshire Music Trust |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough | Cambridgeshire Music |
Cheshire & Wirral | Love Music Trust |
Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly | ASONE PERFORM Community Interest Company |
Coventry, Solihull, Warwickshire | Coventry Music |
Cumbria | Westmorland and Furness Council: Music Hub |
Derby & Derbyshire | Derby & Derbyshire Music Partnership |
Devon, Plymouth & Torbay | Devon Music Education Hub |
Dorset & Somerset | Octagon Theatre, Somerset |
Essex, Southend-on-Sea & Thurrock | Essex Music Services |
Gloucestershire, Swindon & Wiltshire | Gloucestershire Music Education Hub |
Greater Manchester and Blackburn with Darwen | Bolton Music Service |
Hampshire | Hampshire Music Service |
Herefordshire & Worcestershire | Severn Arts |
Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire Music Service |
Hull, East Riding, North & North East Lincolnshire | Hull Music Service |
Kent & Medway | Kent Music |
Lancashire | Lancashire Music Service |
Leicester & Leicestershire | Leicester-Shire Schools Music Service |
Lincolnshire | Lincolnshire Music Service |
London – East | Waltham Forest Music Service |
London – North | Haringey Music Service |
London – South East | SEL Music Education Ltd |
London – South West | TBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme |
London – West | The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea |
Merseyside, Halton and Warrington | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
Norfolk & Suffolk | Norfolk County Council |
North and South of Tyne and Darlington | North Tyneside Music Education Hub |
North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire & Rutland | Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust |
Nottingham & Nottinghamshire | Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands) – Nottinghamshire Music Hub |
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford & Wrekin | Entrust Support Services |
Solent, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | Southampton Music Hub |
South Yorkshire | TBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme |
Surrey | Surrey Arts |
Sussex | Create Music |
Tees Valley | Tees Valley Music Service |
West of England (Avon) | Bristol Music Trust |
West Yorkshire | Bradford Music Education Hub |
York & North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire Music Service |
Berkshire | Berkshire Music Trust |
Birmingham | Services for Education Ltd |
Black Country | Dudley Metropolitan Council – Dudley Performing Arts |
Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Buckinghamshire Music Trust |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough | Cambridgeshire Music |
Cheshire & Wirral | Love Music Trust |
Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly | ASONE PERFORM Community Interest Company |
Coventry, Solihull, Warwickshire | Coventry Music |
Cumbria | Westmorland and Furness Council: Music Hub |
Derby & Derbyshire | Derby & Derbyshire Music Partnership |
Devon, Plymouth & Torbay | Devon Music Education Hub |
Dorset & Somerset | Octagon Theatre, Somerset |
Essex, Southend-on-Sea & Thurrock | Essex Music Services |
Gloucestershire, Swindon & Wiltshire | Gloucestershire Music Education Hub |
Greater Manchester and Blackburn with Darwen | Bolton Music Service |
Hampshire | Hampshire Music Service |
Herefordshire & Worcestershire | Severn Arts |
Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire Music Service |
Hull, East Riding, North & North East Lincolnshire | Hull Music Service |
Kent & Medway | Kent Music |
Lancashire | Lancashire Music Service |
Leicester & Leicestershire | Leicester-Shire Schools Music Service |
Lincolnshire | Lincolnshire Music Service |
London – East | Waltham Forest Music Service |
London – North | Haringey Music Service |
London – South East | SEL Music Education Ltd |
London – South West | TBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme |
London – West | The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea |
Merseyside, Halton and Warrington | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
Norfolk & Suffolk | Norfolk County Council |
North and South of Tyne and Darlington | North Tyneside Music Education Hub |
North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire & Rutland | Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust |
Nottingham & Nottinghamshire | Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands) – Nottinghamshire Music Hub |
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford & Wrekin | Entrust Support Services |
Solent, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | Southampton Music Hub |
South Yorkshire | TBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme |
Surrey | Surrey Arts |
Sussex | Brighton Dome & Festival Limited |
Tees Valley | Tees Valley Music Service |
West of England (Avon) | Bristol Music Trust |
West Yorkshire | Bradford Music Education Hub |
York & North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire Music Service |
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