Music

‘New generation’ of larger music hubs revealed

The number of music hubs will be reduced from 116 to 43, with the organisations covering larger areas

The number of music hubs will be reduced from 116 to 43, with the organisations covering larger areas

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.

Damian Hinds
Damian Hinds

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 AreaName of Hub Lead Organisation
Bedfordshire & Milton KeynesInspiring Music Education Hub
BerkshireBerkshire Music Trust
BirminghamServices for Education Ltd
Black CountryDudley Metropolitan Council – Dudley Performing Arts
Buckinghamshire & OxfordshireBuckinghamshire Music Trust
Cambridgeshire & PeterboroughCambridgeshire Music
Cheshire & WirralLove Music Trust
Cornwall & the Isles of ScillyASONE PERFORM Community Interest Company
Coventry, Solihull, WarwickshireCoventry Music
CumbriaWestmorland and Furness Council: Music Hub
Derby & DerbyshireDerby & Derbyshire Music Partnership
Devon, Plymouth & TorbayDevon Music Education Hub
Dorset & SomersetOctagon Theatre, Somerset
Essex, Southend-on-Sea & ThurrockEssex Music Services
Gloucestershire, Swindon & WiltshireGloucestershire Music Education Hub
Greater Manchester and Blackburn with DarwenBolton Music Service
HampshireHampshire Music Service
Herefordshire & WorcestershireSevern Arts
HertfordshireHertfordshire Music Service
Hull, East Riding, North & North East LincolnshireHull Music Service
Kent & MedwayKent Music
LancashireLancashire Music Service
Leicester & LeicestershireLeicester-Shire Schools Music Service
LincolnshireLincolnshire Music Service
London – EastWaltham Forest Music Service
London – NorthHaringey Music Service
London – South EastSEL Music Education Ltd
London – South WestTBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme
London – WestThe Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Merseyside, Halton and WarringtonLiverpool City Region Combined Authority
Norfolk & SuffolkNorfolk County Council
North and South of Tyne and DarlingtonNorth Tyneside Music Education Hub
North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire & RutlandNorthamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust
Nottingham & NottinghamshireCulture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands) – Nottinghamshire Music Hub
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford & WrekinEntrust Support Services
Solent, Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleSouthampton Music Hub
South YorkshireTBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme
SurreySurrey Arts
SussexCreate Music
Tees ValleyTees Valley Music Service
West of England (Avon)Bristol Music Trust
West YorkshireBradford Music Education Hub
York & North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire Music Service
BerkshireBerkshire Music Trust
BirminghamServices for Education Ltd
Black CountryDudley Metropolitan Council – Dudley Performing Arts
Buckinghamshire & OxfordshireBuckinghamshire Music Trust
Cambridgeshire & PeterboroughCambridgeshire Music
Cheshire & WirralLove Music Trust
Cornwall & the Isles of ScillyASONE PERFORM Community Interest Company
Coventry, Solihull, WarwickshireCoventry Music
CumbriaWestmorland and Furness Council: Music Hub
Derby & DerbyshireDerby & Derbyshire Music Partnership
Devon, Plymouth & TorbayDevon Music Education Hub
Dorset & SomersetOctagon Theatre, Somerset
Essex, Southend-on-Sea & ThurrockEssex Music Services
Gloucestershire, Swindon & WiltshireGloucestershire Music Education Hub
Greater Manchester and Blackburn with DarwenBolton Music Service
HampshireHampshire Music Service
Herefordshire & WorcestershireSevern Arts
HertfordshireHertfordshire Music Service
Hull, East Riding, North & North East LincolnshireHull Music Service
Kent & MedwayKent Music
LancashireLancashire Music Service
Leicester & LeicestershireLeicester-Shire Schools Music Service
LincolnshireLincolnshire Music Service
London – EastWaltham Forest Music Service
London – NorthHaringey Music Service
London – South EastSEL Music Education Ltd
London – South WestTBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme
London – WestThe Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Merseyside, Halton and WarringtonLiverpool City Region Combined Authority
Norfolk & SuffolkNorfolk County Council
North and South of Tyne and DarlingtonNorth Tyneside Music Education Hub
North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire & RutlandNorthamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust
Nottingham & NottinghamshireCulture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands) – Nottinghamshire Music Hub
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford & WrekinEntrust Support Services
Solent, Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleSouthampton Music Hub
South YorkshireTBC pending outcome of the Investment Programme
SurreySurrey Arts
SussexBrighton Dome & Festival Limited
Tees ValleyTees Valley Music Service
West of England (Avon)Bristol Music Trust
West YorkshireBradford Music Education Hub
York & North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire Music Service

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