Savings to the Education Services Grant 2015-16 Submission from the Deputy Mayor of London for Education and Culture • The Deputy Mayor of London for Education and Culture welcomes the opportunity to respond to section 4 of the consultation questionnaire on the funding of music education hubs. 4 a) Are there any reasons why local authority expenditure on central support services could not be significantly reduced, if not stopped altogether? Please give details below. • The Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture is concerned there is a high risk of local authorities withdrawing support for music hubs. • The Department for Education consultation notes that “Our expectation is that music services should now be funded through music education hubs (which can cover one or more local authority areas) and from school budgets, not from the ESG. More information on music education hubs can be found on the Arts Council website” (page 22). • This sends a strong if unintentional message to local authorities to withdraw their funding for music hubs on the basis that hubs can survive on income from the Arts Council, schools and parents. As we know from annual music hub surveys, this is not the case. • London’s music education hubs rely on local authority income – 79 per cent of London’s music hubs are supported by their local authority. The majority of music hubs cannot provide the service set out in the National Music Plan without local authority funding. • We know that London’s music education hubs provide a vital and high quality service to children and young people, regardless of their social background or ability to pay. Maintaining this provision relies on several sources of income, one of which is local authority funding. • London’s music hubs receive 13 per cent of their cash income, and substantially more inkind income, from local authorities. A 13 per cent reduction in funding would be the equivalent of the London Symphony orchestra losing its entire Arts Council grant. • A sudden loss of local authority income would result in thousands of young Londoners, particularly those from low income families, being unable to access ongoing music provision. 4 b) If you do not think this could be stopped altogether, how much of a saving could local authorities make to these services? If cost pressures on central support services have changed recently, please describe below. • This vital income stream should not be cut off at a time when music hubs are starting to leverage new funding. • Delivering the bold vision of the National Music Plan requires income from many sources. However, all sources of music hub income have dropped since 2010. In London, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Mayor’s Music Fund are working in partnership with music hubs to secure new income and find even more efficient ways of working. • To date the Mayor’s Music Fund has raised over £2.5 million of private funding to support talented young musicians. However, if local authorities cut their funding for music hubs, the Mayor’s Music Fund will be at risk because: o Philanthropists will not support the Fund if they feel that they are simply filling a gap left by local authorities o The Mayor’s Music Fund awards scholarships to children from low income families who have demonstrated genuine talent and commitment. This means that most scholars require two years of teaching, usually through their music hub, before a scholarship can be awarded. Without local authority funding, music hubs will struggle to support children from low income families through to the point of being eligible for a scholarship. • To ensure that music hubs fulfil their potential, we would encourage the Department for Education, Arts Council and local authorities to invest in music hub leadership. The GLA would welcome the opportunity to work with these agencies to develop a high quality training programme for music hub leaders which helps them to become visionary leaders, outstanding fundraisers and entrepreneurial business-people. 4 c) Is further clarification or guidance from the Department needed in order to have a clear set of expectations? If so, why? • Yes – further clarification or guidance is needed. • Given the government’s substantial and valued support for music education, we would ask that the Department for Education encourages local authorities to support their music education hub. This will help to ensure that all children have the opportunity to progress as instrumentalists, singers and composers, beyond the most rudimentary level. Paul Broadhurst, Senior Cultural Strategy Officer - Music and Cultural Education Greater London Authority 020 7983 4130 2