Music Hubs: the power of partnerships

We are delighted to continue the Music Hub Investment Programme ‘conversation and consultation phase’ by asking you to share your thoughts and feedback through a survey and focus groups over the next few weeks.  

I’m glad to have reached this key moment where we work together to shape the future of Music Hubs. The music education landscape – and the country as a whole – has evolved significantly since the last investment process for Music Hubs in 2012, which is why it’s crucial we not only draw from the invaluable experiences of current Hubs but from everyone from throughout music education, formal education, youth, arts and culture sectors, including the fresh perspectives and ideas of organisations that have grown in the last 10 years.   

We want to learn from as many people as possible. Hundreds of people expressed interest in taking part in a focus group, so though around 175 people will be involved, we weren’t able to offer everyone a place. To make sure our focus groups are balanced and inclusive, we worked with independent research facilitators and created groups representative of the geographic makeup of the country, the type and focus of organisations and stakeholders working within music education and beyond.  

To make sure everyone has the opportunity to share their feedback, our open-access survey has the same content as the focus groups. However you share your ideas, all the information we receive will be analysed by our facilitators in the same way, and in spring we’ll share how your thoughts helped to shape the Investment Programme and the new Music Hub geographies.  

So, what are the survey and focus groups about? The power of music to change lives: a National Plan for Music Education sets out an ambition for there to be a reduced number of Hub Lead Organisations working more strategically across wider geographic areas to make sure all children and young people in England can discover the power of music. The Department for Education has confirmed that it intends for this to be achieved via prescribed geographic areas, and has shared guiding principles to create these new geographies.  

It’s important to remember that a reduced number of Hub Lead Organisations only refers to having fewer organisations strategically coordinating activity, not a reduction in funding or in the number of organisations helping to deliver music education. Partnerships have been central in delivering music education throughout the past ten years of Music Hubs and the ambition is for new Hubs to deliver exceptional music education through an even wider range of strong partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities, music, youth, creative and cultural organisations and more. 

Partnerships can take many forms and work in different ways, as exemplified by Andrea Spain’s research into three established types of multi-area Hub models and explored in our September ‘Music Hub Partnership Models’ webinar, which launched our conversation and consultation phase. That’s why we’re researching how to create these new partnerships in the way that’s best for children and young people through our survey and focus groups. In line with the Department for Education’s vision, we want to understand what the options are for reducing the number of Music Hub Lead Organisations while ensuring that national coverage is sustained, and that organisations of all kinds are able to contribute as active partners in each Music Hub. 

We don’t have an exact number of Music Hub Lead Organisations in mind, and it’s also important that we don’t make assumptions about what the best solution could be based on current arrangements or ways of working.   

What we want to understand is what the implications of a regional, sub-regional, or more locally nuanced structure might be, and in particular how effective each might be in supporting delivery of the five strategic functions outlined for Music Hub Lead Organisations in the National Plan. 

To help our collective thinking, we’ve borrowed some example structures from other sectors to act as a starting point for conversation – they’re not an exact fit for music education and are not intended to be. To be clear, you don’t need to know about the example programmes we’ve used in detail. It’s not necessary for you to understand their work or focus, the type of organisation that is leading them, or even the specific locations they use. We’re interested in the rough size and structure that these example methodologies represent and what we might be able to learn and reflect on, as we collectively arrive at a geographic structure that will work for music education, for music education organisations, and for children and young people themselves.   

We do recognise that time to respond to the survey is short. Our core motivation is to build an Investment Programme that will enable new Hubs and the children and young people they serve to thrive, and we know this lies in the success of partnerships. With that in mind, we need to ensure that there is sufficient time in our timeline for the sector to have conversations and build partnerships after the new geographies have been published, and also that there is enough time for everyone to mobilise into new arrangements following the announcement of the funding decisions. Protecting this time is putting pressure on this consultation period, but I am sure you appreciate the necessity of this. I would like to thank you for your understanding and for taking the time to share your feedback through our survey.  

I wish to emphasise that our conversation and consultation phase is a moment of opportunity. Together, we not only have the power to celebrate and learn from the successes of the past ten years, but also to cement local need at the heart of music education. The National Plan’s ambition of Hub Lead Organisations supporting a wider area will lead to more strategic planning where local requirements are considered at a higher level of decision-making, with delivery partners being chosen at a local level and everyone contributing to a Local Plan for Music Education.  

The Investment Programme is also an opportunity to open up Music Hubs to new voices, perspectives, and talent. The programme’s open investment process will lead to new partnerships with new organisations, stimulating educational projects that engage even more children, young people and communities with a richer, more diverse range of high-quality musical experiences. Inclusivity & Relevance is at the heart of Arts Council England’s ten-year strategy, Let’s Create, so we’re delighted the National Plan aligns with this ambition.   

We know that change and partnership isn’t always easy. It takes time, commitment and buy in, and excellent leadership. It also requires a willingness to explore new approaches, not just to music but also to how that education is delivered, from logistics to admin.  

I wholeheartedly believe that a more strategic, connected infrastructure of partnerships and the new opportunities they will bring will generate a better musical offer and better support children and young people as they take their musical potential as far as and wherever they want it to go.   

Thank you for sharing your feedback to help us all achieve that vision.  

We shared the findings from this consultation in March 2023. Discover what we learned and the next steps for the Music Hub Investment Programme >