Take it away is an Arts Council initiative designed to help more children and young people get involved in learning and playing music.
The scheme is open to individuals purchasing instruments for children under the age of 18, and to 18-25 year olds who are eligible to apply in their own right through one of the 300+ participating music shops across England. Qualifying individuals can apply for a loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument, and pay it back in nine monthly instalments, completely interest free.
The aims of the scheme are:
- To increase access to owning musical instruments for children and young people
- To make buying musical instruments more affordable, particularly for those on lower incomes
- To encourage participation in music making across a wide cross-section of society
- To support a network of specialist musical instrument retailers that provide a range of support services including information and opportunities for developing musicians
Take it away launched in 2007, and so far over 60,000 people have used the scheme to purchase over £39million worth of musical instruments and accessories through more than 300 participating shops across the country.
