Music education cuts

Local authorities are jumping the gun by cutting their music services while the national funding picture remains unclear, according to both the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) and the Music Industries Association (MIA). The Henley Review of Music Education, due to be published later this month, will make recommendations about music education in England and the future for the £82.6m ring-fenced music grant, but surveys of local authority music services have revealed that cuts of almost 75% over the next two years have already been planned, and the MIA states that “34% of Music Services surveyed have been issued Section 188 or at risk notices.” Peter Roberts, Head of Legal at the ISM, has identified a trend for “more music services now shifting people into self-employed roles and avoiding full and part-time employment”.