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Social Mobility in the Creative Economy Report 2021

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Social Mobility in the Creative Economy Report 2021

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Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre

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https://futuregenerations2020.wales/

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Report from Children's Commissioner Wales

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A plan to set up the National Music Service to support children and young people across Wales to access opportunities to play, sing, take part in and create music.

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DAC Report on Arts & Disability: Young Disabled / Deaf People

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DAC Report on Arts & Disability: Young Disabled / Deaf People

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Nov 2020 - looking at the current situation and what the barriers to engagement are.

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Can look at different areas in Wales to find out where they rank of the deprivation continuum - and also explore different measures of deprivation.
Also reports published here: https://gov.wales/welsh-index-multiple-deprivation
And more stats from WG here: https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Community-Safety-and-Social-Inclusion/Welsh-Index-of-Multiple-Deprivation/WIMD-2019

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About WIMD

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas in Wales. It identifies areas with the highest concentrations of several different types of deprivation. It is a National Statistic produced by statisticians at the Welsh Government.

Deprivation is the lack of access to opportunities and resources which we might expect in our society. This can be in terms of material goods or the ability of an individual to participate in the normal social life of the community.

An Index is a group of separate measurements which are combined into a single number. WIMD is currently made up of eight separate domains (or types) of deprivation (see right hand side). Each of the domains include several indicators of deprivation.

WIMD ranks all small areas in Wales from 1(most deprived) to 1,909(least deprived).The Index provides a way of identifying areas in the order of least to most deprived.It does not provide a measure of the level of deprivation in an area, but rather whether an area is more or less deprived relative to all other areas in Wales. The WIMD 2019 Guidance provides more information on use and interpretation of the results.

Compared to WIMD 2014, WIMD 2019 will use updated data for most of the 47 indicators. The methodology used within WIMD 2019 is broadly the same as for WIMD 2014, but there have been some changes to the Index, including:

changes to individual indicators, and the inclusion of new indicators within the Health, Education, Access to Services, Physical Environment and Housing domains

small changes to the relative weights applied to the domains (or types) of deprivation

There have also been improvements to the functionality of this interactive tool between the two Indexes, including:

more detailed, downloadable maps

deprivation profiles for additional geographies, such as Built Up Areas and City/Growth Deal Regions

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Geography & Technology, Welsh Government

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The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas in Wales. It identifies areas with the highest concentrations of several different types of deprivation. It is a National Statistic produced by statisticians at the Welsh Government.

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In early 2021, we recruited four Next Gen co-researchers aged 18-25 to work with us on analysing the interview data to ensure the voices of young people were being represented and listened to throughout the entire research process. Youth Music has authored this report, but the co-researchers were instrumental in the feeding back and editing of the draft.

Download the 2021 Self Expression Report below to learn more about the links between songwriting, self-expression and wellbeing in young people.

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Youth Music Self-Expression Report | Youth Music

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Read our new report exploring the links between songwriting, self-expression and wellbeing in young...

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Developed by Adam Ockelford - framework for working for children with additional needs

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An inclusive framework of musical engagement

Sounds of Intent is a model of musical development that sets out how we all engage with music, from children in the early years to older people with dementia, from those with profound learning difficulties who are still learning to process sound, to others who are regarded as advanced musicians in their culture. Sounds of Intent is not specific to a particular style or genre of music; it is meant for music teachers, therapists, community musicians, carers, relatives and friends wherever they are, to help them:

understand how children, young people and adults engage with music in different ways

differentiate what they do according to people's varying musical abilities, interests, preferences and needs

gauge the impact of their work.

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Sounds of Intent is a model of musical development that sets out how we all engage with music, from children in the early years to older people with dementia, from those with profound learning difficulties who are still learning to process sound, to others who are regarded as advanced musicians in their culture.

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Resources from the We Are All Musical Conference

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We Are All Musical Resource Page - Live Music Now

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To support the We Are All Musical conference, we’ve curated a selection of resources and contacts to support inclusive music-making in Wales.

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From Children in Wales
Notable findings:
Pre-pandemic 31% of children living in poverty in Wales

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Benefits of Music Education - Stars & Catz

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Benefits of Music Education - Stars & Catz

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Benefits of Music Education Statistics (200+ Studies) | Stars & Catz

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According to science, there are many benefits associated with music education and listening to music in general. This page records and categorises 200+ studies on these benefits.

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Article from NAMM on why music is such a positive influence on teenagers

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Photo credit: Rob Davidson Photography

Teens

Educational Benefits/Facts:

U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12" (U.S. Department of Education NELLS88 Database).

Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance (The National Association for Music Education. "Music Makes the Grade." The National Association for Music Education. Accessed February 24, 2015).

Nearly 100% of past winners in the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology (for high school students) play one or more musical instruments. This led the Siemens Foundation to host a recital at Carnegie Hall in 2004, featuring some of these young people, after which a panel of experts debated the nature of the apparent science/music link (The Midland Chemist (American Chemical Society) Vol. 42, No.1, Feb. 2005).

Music education improves average SAT scores (Arts Education Partnership, 2011).

Majorities of parents and teachers believe music education should be required in both middle and high schools ( NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC, 2015. Striking a Chord: The Public's Hopes and Beliefs for K-12 Music Education in the United States: 2015).

According to The Harmony Project's website, since 2008, 93 percent of Harmony Project seniors have gone on to college, despite a dropout rate of 50 percent or more in their neighborhoods (© 2015 The Harmony Project).

Teens long for more variety and options for making music in school, including the expansion to instruments and technology used in popular music ( Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. (Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens described their music teachers as encouraging, motivating and acting as both role models and friends that can be trusted for listening and giving advice (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

​ Social Benefits/Facts:

In the past, secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs) ("The Benefits of Music Education." VH1: Save the Music. Accessed February 24, 2015.

Teenagers may use musical experiences to form friendships, and to set themselves apart from parents and younger kids (© 2015 Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS), a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization).

Teens feel that playing music teaches self-discipline (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents")

Teens music as their "social glue" and as a bridge for building acceptance and tolerance for people of different ages and cultural backgrounds (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens look at music as an opportunity in school for engagement as performers, composers and intelligent listeners-activities and qualities that appear to be deeply meaningful to them (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens believe that playing music diminishes boundaries between people of different ethnic backgrounds, age groups and social interests (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens indicate making music provides the freedom for teens to just be themselves; to be different; to be something they thought they could never be; to be comfortable and relaxed in school and elsewhere in their lives (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens are committed to their instruments and their school ensembles because they love to be involved in these musical and social groups; 20% of the respondents specified instruments as part of their musical identities, whether or not they were engaged in school music education (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens believe that music is an integral part of American life, and that music reflects American culture and society; there were 333 mentions of the skills that music education can provide access to, including the historical and cultural significance of music in civilizations and societies ( Patricia Shehan Campbell, Ph.D., of the University of Washington,

Cognitive Benefits/Facts:

Students who take music in middle school score signifcantly higher on algebra assignments in 9th grade than their non-music counterparts (http://www.artsedsearch.org/summaries/window-of-opportunity-adolescence-music-and-algebra#sthash.BvS0RoHP.dpuf).

It's notable that both teachers (89 percent) and parents (82 percent) rate music education highly as a source for greater student creativity, a 21st century skill that's highly likely to help young people stand out in an increasling compepetive global economy (NAMM Foundation and Grunwald Associates LLC, 2015. Striking a Chord: The Public's Hopes and Beliefs for K-12 Music Education in the United States: 2015).

Adolescent-centered studies show that even very basic rhythm abilities, such as tapping to a beat, relate with reading skills, and we have provided initial evidence for how both abilities may rely on common underlying neural mechanisms of sound processing (Tierney, A.T. and N. Kraus, The ability to tap to a beat relates to cognitive, linguistic, and perceptual skills. Brain and Language, 2013. 124: p. 225-231).

43 high-school students from impoverished neighborhoods in Chicago randomly assigned to band or choir lessons showed significant increases in their ability to process sounds, while those in a control group, who were enrolled in a junior ROTC program, didn't (2013 study published in Frontiers in Educational Psychology reported in http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-musical-fix-for-american-schools-1412954652).

Teens associate playing music with music literacy, listening skills, motor ability, eye-hand coordination and heightened intellectual capabilities (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

Teens believe music helps adolescents release or control emotions and helps coping with difficult situations such as peer pressure, substance abuse, pressures of study and family,the dynamics of friendships and social life, and the pain of loss or abuse (Presentation to U.S. Congress, 2007, Washington D.C. Invited and arranged by the National Association of Music Merchants/NAMM, on "The Impact of Music on the Lives of Children and Adolescents").

"Music is my life. It's a safe haven." - Student @ Skaneateles High School

"Our school has created a culture that considers the music education part of our programming, as a real partner in the full development and academic achievement for our students." - Dinorah Marquez, Program Director, Latino Arts Strings Program
More Benefits/Facts:
"[In the Latino Arts Strings Program] I had a wide range of ages to talk to, to play music with, to laugh with. Even though we were in a strict musical setting, they helped me find parts of myself that are not musical." - Fatima Gomez, BGCS/Latino Arts Strings Program Alumnus

A study by Patricia Shehan Campbell, Ph.D., of the University of Washington, called "Adolescents' Expressed meanings of Music In and Out of School," reveals the meaning and importance of music participation in the lives of middle and high school adolescents, including those enrolled and not enrolled in school music programs. The research was based on responses by 1,155 teens who submitted student essays to Teen People magazine as part of an online contest inviting teens to speak out to help prevent the further elimination of music programs in schools across the country. The findings conclude that teens:

See music as their "social glue" and as a bridge for building acceptance and tolerance for people of different ages and cultural backgrounds.

Look at music as an opportunity in school for engagement as performers, composers and intelligent listeners-activities and qualities that appear to be deeply meaningful to them.

Associate playing music with music literacy, listening skills, motor ability, eye-hand coordination and heightened intellectual capabilities.

Spoke with the experience of eight to 12 years of schooling in their young lives concerning music's place in school curriculum, the relationship of music to other subjects, the quality of instruction and their perceived need for change to develop more relevant courses and repertoires.

Believe music helps adolescents release or control emotions and helps coping with difficult situations such as peer pressure, substance abuse, pressures of study and family, the dynamics of friendships and social life, and the pain of loss or abuse.

Feel that playing music teaches self discipline.

Believe that playing music diminishes boundaries between people of different ethnic backgrounds, age groups and social interests.

Indicate making music provides the freedom for teens to just be themselves; to be different; to be something they thought they could never be; to be comfortable and relaxed in school and elsewhere in their lives.

Long for more variety and options for making music in school, including the expansion to instruments and technology used in popular music.

Are committed to their instruments and their school ensembles because they love to be involved in these musical and social groups; 20% of the respondents specified instruments as part of their musical identities, whether or not they were engaged in school music education.

Believe that music is an integral part of American life, and that music reflects American culture and society; there were 333 mentions of the skills that music education can provide access to, including the historical and cultural significance of music in civilizations and societies.

Described their music teachers as encouraging, motivating and acting as both role models and friends that can be trusted for listening and giving advice.

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The Positive Influence of Playing Music on Youth

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Photo credit: Rob Davidson Photography Educational Benefits/Facts: U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12" (U.S.

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Article on child Poverty in Wales May 21

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Article on child Poverty in Wales May 21

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Figures from Save the Children

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Almost a third of children in Wales are living in poverty - the highest percentage of any UK nation, according to a leading children's charity.

Save The Children has called on the Welsh government to take "urgent" action or risk more children being "swept up" into poverty.

The Welsh government said it has increased support during the pandemic.

Poverty is not having enough money to buy food, clothing and a safe place to live and in 2015, the government set a target to "make sure no child is living in poverty by 2020".

Ministers in Wales said six years ago that child poverty levels in Wales were "unacceptable" with their data at the time saying that one in three children lived below the poverty line.

Now Save The Children said figures from 2019-20, compiled before the Covid pandemic, showed 31% of children in Wales were still living in poverty, compared to 30% in England and 24% in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

'Families cutting back'

Even before the pandemic, almost 200,000 children were living in poverty in Wales, with a higher proportion of children affected than at any point in the past five years.

"We've repeatedly heard from families living on low incomes how they have had to cut back on essentials such as food, heating and clothing for children and are sinking deeper into debt," said Melanie Simmonds, head of Save the Children in Wales.

"Many parents also didn't have the tools, resources and skills to adequately support their child's learning and development at home which led to a lot of stress and anxiety. Action needs to be taken at all levels of government."

Analysis

By India Pollock, BBC Cymru Wales Social Affairs Correspondent

Child poverty is not a new problem for the Welsh government.

It is one they have been trying to tackle for years as targets to end child poverty have been made and scrapped.

It is not an easy problem to solve either and there have been plenty of projects that have tried.

These new figures look at the period before Covid-19 so the picture now will be worse.

Those on low incomes will have taken a financial cut when furloughed or made redundant and we know that more than 54,000 food bank parcels went to children in Wales between April 2020 and March 2021 - one parcel every 10 minutes.

So, the Welsh government now has a tougher job on it's hands and might try some more radical ideas such as the pilot of Universal Basic Income that they announced last weekend.

Every council area in Wales has at least one in five children living below the poverty line.

"The figures speak for themselves - the situation for children couldn't be starker," said Ellie Harwood, Wales development manager at Child Poverty Action Group.

"An unacceptable number of children continue to grow up in poverty in Wales, even though the majority have parents who are in work. We can't allow this situation to go on - poverty harms every aspect of a child's development and has long-term consequences for our society as a whole.

"While the main social security powers remain in Westminster, there are many things public bodies can do to reduce cost pressures on families in Wales."

The Save The Children research, conducted by Loughborough University for the UK End Child Poverty Coalition, says 75% of children living in poverty in 2019/20 were in households with at least one working adult - up from 61% in 2014-15.

Their data shows parts of north and west Wales have seen the most dramatic rise in child poverty in the past five years - they say fuelled by stagnating family incomes.

Free school meals

Save The Children has called on the UK government to scrap plans to cut Universal Credit and the charity wants the Welsh government and Welsh councils to help "make sure we are going in the right direction in reducing child poverty".

The Welsh government said it would "support all those children and families who need help" and added it had increased support for families living in poverty during Covid the pandemic, such as an extra £52m to provide free school meals to Easter 2022 and £13.9m via the Discretionary Assistance Fund.

"In 2018, the Equality and Human Rights Commission reported the UK government's tax and welfare reforms would push an extra 50,000 children in Wales into poverty by 2021-22," said a Welsh government spokesperson.

"The coronavirus pandemic comes on top of this. Our Child poverty income maximisation action plan sets out a series of practical actions to help maximise family incomes, reducing living costs and helping to build financial resilience."

The UK government said the latest figures showed the number of children in absolute poverty had fallen by 300,000 since 2010.

"We are committed to supporting families most in need, spending billions more on welfare and planning a long-term route out of poverty by protecting jobs through furlough and helping people find new work through our Plan for Jobs," said a UK government spokesperson.

"We also introduced our £269m Covid local support grant to help children and families stay warm and well-fed throughout the pandemic."

Cardiff has the highest percentage of children in poverty with 36% while Wrexham is the local authority area with the greatest growth in child poverty over the past five years - rising almost three times the Welsh national average.

Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas said the figures were "no surprise" and the authority was "determined to fight inequality" but added they needed help from both UK and Welsh governments.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Wales 'has highest child poverty rates in UK' says Save The Children

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Almost a third of children in Wales are living in poverty - the highest percentage of any UK nation, according to a leading children's charity. Save The Children has called on the Welsh government to take "urgent" action or risk more children being "swept up" into poverty.

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Nuffield Foundation - Young People's perspectives on COVID

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Nuffield Foundation - Young People's perspectives on COVID

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Report on young people's voices and lack of engagement over COVID

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Decision-makers are failing to harness young people's potential to help shape pandemic responses, according to a new international study which reveals the impact of the virus' first wave on 14-to-18-year-olds from seven countries, including the UK, from the perspectives of young people.

The study is the initial report from the 18-month Growing up Under COVID-19 project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and delivered by independent research institute Ecorys and the University of Huddersfield. The project explores how young people experience the crisis and outlines how to promote their rights and well-being during and after the pandemic.

As well as arguing that their experiences could drive more inclusive, democratic COVID-19 approaches, the report shows their rights have been marginalised through lack of access to quality education, healthcare, and other services.

The report says that political, public and media discourses feature young people as 'victims' of educational upheaval or rule-breaking 'villains'. Yet this population is overlooked in decisions about how the pandemic is handled.

The research involved 70 young people from the four UK nations and Italy, Singapore and Lebanon. The diverse participants, who contributed to the study between July and September 2020, included BAME, LGBTQ+ young people and teenagers with experience of care or mental health issues. They were not simply research subjects but active "experts by experience" mentored by the project team to produce research and commentary on the crisis.

Key findings

Frustration at a lack of involvement in politics, in strategies decided by local schools or services and disappointment that participatory processes such as youth councils or surveys fail to impact on a national level.

The polarising impact of COVID-19 including some teenagers experiencing moments of self-reflection and resilience and others struggling with a lack of support services.

Dismay at media for dismissing younger people as irresponsible in contrast to examples of individuals embracing volunteering or greater family responsibility.

The need for a holistic strategy for managing global public health emergencies.

While there were differences between the countries, which included Italy, Lebanon and Singapore as well as the four UK nations, the young people shared a common frustration about negative stereotyping during COVID-19. One participant said:

"I think there's been a lot of this about, 'oh young people feel like they're invincible so they're not socially distancing'... and I think it's quite a generalisation from unfair stereotypes about young people." Anonymous participant

There were significant concerns about how politicians ignored younger people, and how there were too few opportunities to have their say. This included the fact participants had to be over the age of 18 to ask a question in the televised COVID-19 briefings. One participant commented:

"We were saying, 'Well, young people have questions, too'; why can't we? There's been no address to us, we can't ask questions. Where are we at all in this pandemic?" Anonymous participant

Today's report suggests government and public authorities must improve young people's representation on participatory platforms and review access to support. Schools, youth organisations and service providers should review forums for engaging young people in decision-making. As for media, it must balance the portrayal of young people during the pandemic, from involving them in reporting roles to covering their personal stories.
Laurie Day, principal investigator for the project said:
"The report asks difficult questions about why young people's voices have been so absent from decision-making during the pandemic. Far from being naïve, young people spoke lucidly about their experiences of family life, friendships, access to education and healthcare. They held strong views about political and public responses to the crisis, and about what actions are needed, supported by their own research. Listening to young people is a starting point. But more than this, the report concludes that there is a need for action, results, and accountability. To overlook young people as partners in the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis would be a failure of imagination by the political leaders who are elected to represent them."
Ash Patel, Justice Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation said:
"Young people have been profoundly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but their voices have been largely excluded from the policy discussions that concern them the most. This has left many young people feeling marginalised and disenfranchised from the political process, and lacking agency over their own lives. As this research shows, young people across the world have a good awareness of the societal implications of the pandemic and have demonstrated their resilience during the crisis. We welcome the study's call for more constructive dialogue between policy makers and young people as the coronavirus crisis continues."

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Young people's perspectives on COVID-19 recovery overshadowed by negative 'victim or villain' narratives | Nuffield Foundation

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The study is the initial report from the 18-month Growing up Under COVID-19 project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and delivered by independent research institute Ecorys and the University of Huddersfield. The project explores how young people experience the crisis and outlines how to promote their rights and well-being during and after the pandemic.

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Welsh Issue edited by Paul Carr - need to buy a hard copy somehow

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Popular Music Education in Wales

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Findings from Musical Progressions Roundtable run between 2009 - 2014 by AYM

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Anthem undertook a mapping exercise and a youth consultation of 45 young people from across Wales.

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Anthem Youth Music consultation - illustration ENG[1736]

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Welsh Music Industry in a Post-Covid World

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Welsh Music Industry in a Post-Covid World

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Written by Prof Paul Carr for the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee in Autumn 2020.

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This last week has been a busy one for me, with my report on the impact of live music in Wales released, just a few days before I gave evidence to the Culture Welsh Language and Communications Commitee. In order to give readers an overview of the whole 'post covid music industry in Wales project, what I have done here is upload a transcript of my 15 minute presentation to the committee, which can be downloaded below. A full copy of the 36000 word report can also be found here, with shorter executive summaries in English and Welsh also available for download below.

I have given evidence on live music to the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee a number of times, but this is the first time I have had an entire session dedicated to a report I have written. As always, the session was organised collegiately and professionally, with some excellent questions asked. You can see a recording of the whole 40 minute session below.

As always with evidence sessions like this, there were a number of things I wanted to say, that because of time restrictions, I just did not have the opportunity to address, so it is this that I would like to dedicate the rest of this blog post to.

Firstly, I wanted to highlight that it is NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO COMPARE LIKE FOR LIKE, when considering covid related funds that have been allocated across Europe. For example, prior to the UK's £1.5 bn Cultural Recovery Fund, the following funds had been allocated, none of which outline a specific music pot as far as I am aware.

Austria (EUR 2 billion for arts and culture)

Poland (EUR 900 million for arts and culture)

Netherlands (EUR 300 million for arts and culture)

France (EUR 6.3 billion for small businesses more generally).

Germany allocated EUR 1 billion, via their 'Neu Start' for culture scheme, includes a 250 million euro allocation to ensure cultural institutions such as music venues are 'fit for reopening'

In my talk to the committee, I discussed culture at home initiatives in Argentina, Belgium and Chile and music specific recovery funds in New Zealand and Australia. However, other interesting examples related to the facilitation and financing of digital content that I would like to have discussed include examples such as.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced their AUD $5 million (£2.7m) 'Fresh Start Fund', which includes the commissioning of new music and music scholarship schemes

Canada's 'Digital Strategy Fund, offers grants of up to £29k to implement digital solutions for long term strategies dealing with Covid-19.

Canada have also launched a 'Digital Originals' scheme, which offers artists micro innovation funds to position their work for online sharing.

Colombia have developed a national registry of artists and are sharing their creative culture as part of their digital strategy.

It's also interesting to note how Cuba's 'Institute of Music ' has promoted online/virtual concerts (collaborating with the Ministry of Culture and the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television).

Also Malaysia's 'Music from Home' initiative, has included a series of 'virtual concerts' which assisted home grown artists produce digital content to engage with audiences.

Finally, I also wanted to note French Government's EUR 50 million allocation to its 'National Music Centre' to support the music industries. This is in addition to the money it already receives from Government. The centre has a remit to increase musical diversity and promote French music around the world - similar to what the Welsh Music Foundation used to do.

In terms of speed of opening live music venues, I gave some examples in my talk of nations across Europe opening more rapidly than Wales. I have included a number of other random examples below, but is important to point out that many of these nations subsequently had to close due to the '2nd wave' of the pandemic spreading across Europe.

France

Live performance venues opened July 15th.

Germany

Live performance venues opened from August 31st, depending on the regions.

Italy

Live performance venues opened from June 15th with a maximum of 200 persons seated indoor and 1000 persons seated outdoor.

Netherlands

Live performance venues reopened from June 1st with a maximum of 30 people per hall. From July 1st, there was no maximum, as long as people maintained a 1.5 metre distance.

Norway

Live performance venues opened on May 7th for a maximum amount of 50 people. Up to 500 allowed from Sep 1st.

I also wanted to point out to the committee how some nations are attempting to compensate for the lack of income currently generated by live music. Although I realise broadcasting is not devolved in Wales, I wanted to highlight that many nations are playing or asking to have more national music played on radio.

In Denmark for example, it was announced in March that Danish National Radio were increasing their quota of local artists and copyright holders from 49% to 80% in order to support the local music scene - for a predetermined period. A number of commercial radio stations followed this example. This was achieved via strategic discussions between government and the radio industry.

Also, Radio France announced on 15 April an initiative to support the French music scene by playing more French music, promoting 'French only' live music evenings and dedicating time to promoting news featuring French artists.

Others examples of this can be seen in Norway, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland, with nations such as Bulgaria, Croatia and Netherlands all having had campaigns asking for more local music to be played on radio. Should we do something similar in Wales?

I also wanted to highlight some different traditions for supporting music pre-pandemic that Wales could learn from, with two main categories being important to me - ' national music centres that promote a nations music and alternative ways of funding.

Regarding music centres, I mentioned Cuba's Institute of Music and the National Music Centre in France in my talk (see above). However, there is also an interesting example in Poland - The 'Music Export Poland Foundation ', which aims to support the export potential of Poland's music industries. In order to do this, it recognises the importance of research, features a database of the Polish music industries, and has readily available information about its music venues. It also features a regularly undated spotify playlist of artists - similar to Creative Wales.

A similar initiative is ' Music Finland ', which supports live music, facilitates tours and showcases talent. Music Finland's main aim is to assist artists who find it difficult 'breaking even' when touring, by paying for accommodation, travel, per diems, and marketing and production expenses (equipment hire, insurance, visas etc).

In my view, Spike Griffiths 'Beacons Project ' is attempting to move in this direction and should be given finance to pilot.

Regarding funding models, it is important to remind ourselves that the UK live music scene relies more on commercial income than in Europe. I am no expert on this, but in Italy for example, the "theatres of the tradition", such as Rome and Naples's opera houses, have been told all their salaries and expenses will be met until the end of 2021 by the state. In a study of venues across mainland Europe - 60% of venues were non-profit on average - with nations like Belgium, France, Switzerland and Netherlands having over 90% non-profit. These venues are seen to attract more government funding - this is not the case in the UK or more specifically in Wales.

At the other side of the spectrum, I understand music venues in the US rely more heavily on commercial income than the UK, so unless they are lucky enough to be bequeathed money by wealthy benefactors, they are in trouble. It is no surprise that the New York music scene is still effectively closed.

This has to be one of the reasons why the music scenes in Europe have been able to open earlier than in the UK? In terms of how Wales could move toward the tradition of mainland Europe - I have no idea how this could happen - but it would certainly protect venues should something like this pandemic happen again, as venues would not rely as much on commercial income - it is that simple.

In terms of how the continued prohibition on live performances in Wales will impact the industry internationally, for me, the longer we wait - the more music industry stakeholders will either leave the profession or take their services elsewhere. I think the main issues are the inevitable talent drain (especially if there is work elsewhere); the fact that so many Grassroot Music Venues are forecast to close, and of course the Economic Impact - We already know that the income from live music across the UK is going to be well down on previous years - the question is how long will it take us to recover and how can Welsh Government help. There has been a longstanding discussion surrounding 'why don't more artists play in Wales' and I would suggest a policy of prohibiting live music is only going to make this worse.

Regarding the financial sustainability of music venues in Wales, for me, it makes more sense to try and subsidise venues to keep their doors open, as opposed to closed. So the Musicians' Unions recommendation of a seat matching scheme is a good idea, as a means of measuring the amount of government money a venue gets and also, because it it targeting finance towards opening culture up. Depending on what happens with the vaccine, it may be interesting to explore a 'mixed mode approach' for live music - a socially distanced venue accompanied by a virtual, broadcast, which is monitored. Virtual Concerts are explicitly mentioned in Government documentation - but not explained - so this is something that could be explored further. This is where the technical infrastructures of venues would need to be financed, if this approach was adopted. Basically, in this new world, at least in the short term, most music venues can't survive on commercial income alone - many were already struggling, so they need subsidy of some sort.

Regarding how the sector should change in the future for me, Welsh Government needs to do everything it can to make the grassroots sector in particular more sustainable - and that is going to require financial support. We are going to need empathetic licensing; sympathetic rate relief; better transport and internet access across the country; a long-term music strategy; relevant statistical research, good training and mentoring, etc.

As I mention in my report, Welsh Government also needs to understand what its music industries are, and the best way to do this is to develop a Taxonomy. Most importantly, Creative Wales' membership would have to ensure it represents it.

As I have mentioned in an earlier evidence session last year, we also need to make sure the school music curriculum reflects the modern music industries. However, those involved in the post covid music industry will require an even more distinct skill set, depending on the impact of the vaccine - so we need to ensure that education and training is up to date.

It is apparent that most of the major music industry bodies provide Mental Health information - so I would suggest that Welsh Gov should also prepare and provide advice for the Creative Industries and Performing Arts more broadly. Also, there is a lot of research verifying how good music participation is for Well-Being - let's use it!

I would also suggest that Welsh Government needs to ensure it engages with the ways in which the nations creators can a) be exploited more both within the nation via a dedicated web site and also possibly via national media outlets and b) be compensated more for their work, by reducing the value gap for Welsh artists.

The value gap is where much of the mechanical income from music making is in the hands of technology giants such as You Tube, Facebook, Spotify and iTunes. One of the objectives of the 2018 'European Copyright Directive', is to reduce the value gap between internet platforms such as these and the content creators themselves, something which will become essential in a post-covid world, where performance income may be restricted for some time to come.

Finally, I would say Welsh Government could do some work to ensure the means through which the music industries access funding is demystified as much as possible - making it clear where funding is available and how to complete any paperwork.

To finish this blog post, I would like to say a few words about what the Welsh Music Industry could do in order to be more resilient in the future. These are points that I did not mention in the evidence session: I would suggest A) fix what was already broken - by ensuring the pertinent themes that have been discussed in the Culture Welsh Language and Communications Committees evidence sessions thus far are considered and actioned. B) this is a long shot, but could Wales move in the direction of allocating more finance to at least some grassroots live music venues, in a similar way to European venues - so there is less reliance on commercial income. To ensure this we would require more publicly owned venues! C) Is it possible for Welsh Government to develop a philosophy which focuses on support to open, as opposed to support to remain closed? D) The arts more broadly have often been accused of not facilitating equal access to its various sub-sectors, but Welsh Government also need to be made aware that a move toward more online provision has the potential to not alleviate this trend, but to exacerbate it, for those (audiences and music industry stakeholders) currently experiencing 'digital poverty'. We need to ensure the whole of Wales has access to fast reliable Broadband.

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Live Music in Wales: A Report for the Culture Welsh Language and Communications Commitee

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This last week has been a busy one for me, with my report on the impact of live music in Wales released, just a few days before I gave evidence to the Culture Welsh Language and Communications Commitee. In order to give readers an overview of the whole 'post covid music industry in Wales project,...

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Report by Youth Music, Take It Away and young researchers exploring the barriers faced by Disabled musicians to accessing music education & music making.

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We're passionate about this because it affects us personally - and we're not just saying it to be moody or difficult, but because it needs to change.

Jess Fisher, co-researcher

Andrew Miller discusses Youth Music's new report, Reshape Music, which highlights issues around accessibility for Disabled musicians within the music industries - a problem which has never been more pressing.

Music from Disabled artists

Disabled musicians are often forced into choosing an instrument because it works for them, not necessarily because it is what they want to play. I've always loved music and since discovering the drums at fifteen I couldn't imagine my life without it.

John Ramm, co-researcher

Youth Music campaigns

We campaign alongside young people to advocate for those who are missing out, to invest where it's needed most, and to drive change in the music industries and education.

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Andrew Miller discusses Youth Music's new report, Reshape Music, which highlights issues around accessibility for Disabled musicians within the music industries - a problem which has never been more pressing. Music from Disabled artists Youth Music campaigns We campaign alongside young people to advocate for those who are missing out, to invest where it's needed most, and to drive change in the music industries and education.

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Report from Youth Music and Ipsos Mori exploring how young people engage with and value music making. Underpinned by a survey of 1000 young people and a set of interviews.

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What is the Sound of the Next Generation report?

The Sound of the Next Generation is a new research report by Youth Music and Ipsos MORI. It offers ground-breaking insights into the diverse ways young people engage with and value music and music-making, bringing to light the positive and meaningful impact music has for them.

Youth Music worked with Ipsos MORI to conduct online surveys with a representative sample of 1,001 young people aged 7 to 17 across England, as well as in-depth interviews with participants involved in Youth Music projects.

This was followed up with a series of in-depth expert interviews with industry leaders, psychologists and academics to understand the context of our findings and the wider impact of music on society.

Read the full report and join in the conversation online: #SoundoftheNextGen

Read Young Musician's stories

Chi, 21, is a beatmaker and music producer from Oxford. The Beat Route project, run by the Ark T Centre, has helped him learn new skills and work out a direction for his future.

Kallum, 24, is a rapper from Cambridge who's been taking part in music-making projects run by local youth charity Romsey Mill since he was 14.

Taz is a 17-year-old rapper from Cambridge. Over the last three years she's taken part in a number of music-making projects run by local youth charity Romsey Mill.

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The Sound of the Next Generation | Youth Music

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What is the Sound of the Next Generation report? The Sound of the Next Generation is a new research report by Youth Music and Ipsos MORI. It offers ground-breaking insights into the diverse ways young people engage with and value music and music-making, bringing to light the positive and meaningful impact music has for them.

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Senedd Enquiry into the live music industry. Published in December 2020. Includes a range of recommendations around talent development and how music in schools should include more contemporary music and more info on the industry.

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A commissioned report that assesses the options for future delivery of music services. Published in 2020. Commissioned by ADEW.

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A commissioned report that identifies and assesses options for future delivery of music services in Wales.

Documents

If you need a more accessible version of this document please email digital@gov.wales. Please tell us the format you need. If you use assistive technology please tell us what this is.

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A commissioned report that identifies and assesses options for future delivery of music services in Wales. If you need a more accessible version of this document please email digital@gov.wales. Please tell us the format you need. If you use assistive technology please tell us what this is.

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ISM UK Music Teachers survey looking at impact of COVID on music education.

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Senedd Enquiry into Funding for and access to Music Education. Published in 2018. Made 16 recommendations about the way forward, including the creation of a National Plan for Music Education.

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Published 14/06/2018 &nbsp | &nbsp Last Updated 14/06/2018

An interview with Bethan Sayed AM, Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee. Introduce yourself briefly explain the remit of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee. My name is Bethan Sayed, and I chair the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications committee in the National Assembly for Wales. [caption id="attachment_4908" align="alignnone" width="1108"]

Bethan Sayed AM, Chair of the Committee, speaking at the report launch event.[/caption] We scrutinise government ministers in relation to their portfolio. For example, we've recently done an investigation into radio in Wales. We've looked at the Welsh language and we've also looked at the historical environment as well as non-public funding of the Arts. It's been good to be able to have a remit that includes communications so that we can look at the broadcasting landscape of Wales and scrutinise that effectively also. The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications committee has just launched its report on its inquiry into funding for and access to music education in Wales. The topic of this inquiry was chosen through quite an innovative and slightly unusual way. Could you explain the background and what led the Committee to look at this particular issue? After being on committees for quite some time that, of course Assembly Members have their own ideas and bring ideas for future work to the table, which is valid but it could obviously be based on our own pet subjects. I thought it would be interesting to go to the public to ask them exactly what type of investigation they would like us to look into what the population wanted us to focus on, and what were the key priority areas. We did a public poll and it came out that people wanted us to look at music in education the music tuition that people receive in schools and in our communities and how that can be improved and developed. It was really good to launch this public poll because then people could engage with a committee in a very different way. So I was happy that our committee was the first to try this and perhaps we could do it again to come up with other ideas for the future. What were the key themes that the inquiry covered? They were very keen for us to look at music services in schools. We were seeing, constituents coming to our offices saying that there were problems with the funding of this sector. We were seeing that music services by local authorities were being cut. So we wanted to get to grips with what was important and come up with solutions to see how we could aid the sector. We didn't look at the curriculum, because music education in relation to the provision of tutoring was very different to that. That's something that we could look at in future. But that's not what we focused on this time. During the inquiry the Committee heard from a wide range of witnesses and due to your own experiences as a musician this topic must be very close to your heart - Was there anything that came up through the course of the inquiry that was a particular surprise? When we went to Ysgol Pengam, we found that they were doing very structured work in the rock and pop field, and they were competing in competitions in England, but they weren't able to do that in Wales and there was no ensemble. There's an ensemble for the orchestra, here in Wales but no rock and pop ensembles. [caption id="attachment_4912" align="alignnone" width="844"]

Maya Morris from Lewis School Pengam performing at the event[/caption] So I guess what did surprise me, perhaps because I've come from the more classical side, is that there was such an enthusiasm to set up this ensemble so that people who wanted to go into the rock industry or the pop industry could do that through their school structures. So that was quite enlightening, but also pleasing to see, because orchestras and ensembles is not always going to suit everybody You don't necessarily have to be able to read music to take part in those types of activities, so it would open up a new avenue. In relation to funding streams, that didn't surprise me, because my sister is 18 and she's attended orchestras, and I know from my interest in this issue that this downward trend of the provision of services was not new. The report says that music services must be protected, nurtured and accessible to all. The Committee also states that it welcomes the Welsh Government's Commitment to put creative activity on an equal basis to other areas of learning and experience. Why is music education so important? What are the benefits? I think a lot of schools get it in relation to music because they understand that it's a transferable skill - it's working as a team, it's discipline, it's allowing people to be creative and allowing their wellbeing aims to be met. But some schools, unless the head teacher really understands the value of music, then it might not permeate throughout the school. As somebody who's played the piano, viola and violin from an early age, I think it has to be seen as something that isn't niche, that isn't exclusive, that is accessible - because it can aid you in so many different ways in life. For example, an orchestra course would allow me to become independent. It would allow me to make new friends. You've got to learn to listen to others and to be able to be respectful of others, and so is not all to do with the music that's on the paper - it's about how you want to progress as an individual. People who go into music at a young age can take their skills elsewhere and you will meet doctors, you'll meet scientists, you'll meet politicians who have used music in ways in which they can be quite focused on what they want to do in life. I think we need to encourage more schools to understand that it's not just this fluffy thing about listening or playing music for an hour a day, it's about how that can be seen as a core part of the curriculum in every shape and form. I hope that through this report that we can convince people that we can grow and develop music in our schools. With all those potential benefits it must have been troubling for the Committee to hear some witnesses characterising the position of music in Welsh education as in 'crisis'. In July 2015, the Welsh Government commissioned a report into music services in Wales - What has been the Committee's conclusion about the progress made in the 3 years since the publication of that report - is the Welsh Government doing enough to prevent this 'crisis' from developing? It was very troubling to hear people such as Owain Arwel Hughes, a renowned conductor, Tim Rhys-Evans, who conducts Only Men Allowed, say these things, because I don't believe that they would use the word 'crisis' lightly. [caption id="attachment_4909" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

The Committee received evidence from Tim Rhys-Evans, founder and director of Only Men Allowed[/caption] It troubles me that Wales is associated with music and song, and they were saying we may not be the land of song anymore if we allow this, music services are being cut, and may even disappear in parts of Wales. In fact, we've seen with the national ensembles, less people have been auditioning for them this year so there is that worry. Also with regard to the report that was commissioned, , I feel that once certain ministers had left - that it wasn't a priority for some local authorities. I think that's why we've said so clearly in the report that there needs to be a national guidance and national strategy, because you cannot simply rely on local authorities. I think some people, to be fair, said 'well perhaps that's going a bit too far, we don't want to scaremonger'. But again, sometimes using those types of phrases can actually say 'well now is the time to make sure that we don't get to the point where those services don't exist anymore'. I hope that our support has allowed for that discussion to happen at the right time before more music services are cut or disappear altogether. The report itself covers 16 recommendations but what's the most important issue to take from the findings? Well, we wanted to come up with solutions because, it's been close to my heart for many, many years. Perhaps there's a lack of coming together in the past of people from different walks of life in the music service to say, 'well actually, how can we make this happen and how can we improve on this?' I welcomed the Welsh Government investment in relation to the endowment fund, in relation to the music amnesty and in relation to putting music on the political agenda again. But without structural change, things are not going to improve. So the most important recommendation for us has been to say that we need to establish a national arm's length body for music services in Wales. We simply cannot rely anymore on individual local authorities deciding whether they prioritise it or not. We would need to make sure that it was properly funded, and that there would be a regional element to its delivery on a ground level. At the moment you're seeing the national ensembles work in a different type of landscape to the work that's happening on the ground in our communities. It's called 'the pyramid', so you would have the school orchestras, then you would have the community orchestras, then you would have the national ensembles. If you had one national body - they would be identifying young people to come through the system, and that's what we're not seeing at the moment. There was discussion about whether it could be done in a different way, but I think ultimately we came to the conclusion - especially as we were calling for a national music strategy - that one national body to deal with this particular element of the educational workforce would be integral to its future. I think as a committee we want it to be forward looking, we wanted to put a recommendation out there that would challenge people's minds and that they would look outside the box somewhat to current funding and current structures. We wouldn't want to let any of those particular areas get left behind as well. We didn't want to be too prescriptive but we wanted to put our marker down and say 'this has to be a national system now'. To download Hitting the Right Note: Inquiry Into Funding For and Access to Music Education, click here. For the latest updates from the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, follow@SeneddCWLC on Twitter.

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Hitting the Right Note: Inquiry Into Funding For and Access to Music Education

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Published 14/06/2018 &nbsp | &nbsp Last Updated 14/06/2018 An interview with Bethan Sayed AM, Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee. Introduce yourself briefly explain the remit of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee. My name is Bethan Sayed, and I chair the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications committee in the National Assembly for Wales.

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Put together in May 2020, this report looks at the number of companies, jobs & economic composition of the creative industries in Wales.

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This report aims to begin to map the overall strength of the creative industries in Wales, so that we might begin to tell the story of a creative nation and an emerging and significant media cluster in its capital city.

The creative industries are not only an important pillar for economic growth and a way of re-shaping the local economy, they are the nation's storytellers, representing and promoting Welsh culture, Welsh talent and the Welsh language.

We have estimated that there are more than 8,000 active enterprises and 80,000 people working in the creative industries in Wales.

The global economy is dominated by large, highly integrated media and technology companies (e.g. Disney, Amazon, Comcast). At the same time, 98% of enterprises in the Welsh creative industries are small and micro businesses. They will need specific forms of support if they are to thrive in a competitive global market.

Professor Justin Lewis, Director of Clwstwr said:

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Clwstwr Creative Industries Report No. 1: The size and composition of the creative industries in Wales

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This report aims to begin to map the overall strength of the creative industries in Wales, so that we might begin to tell the story of a creative nation and an emerging and significant media cluster in its capital city.