Arts Council England has announced the final two Hub Lead Organisations as part of a geographical shake-up of music hubs.In May, ACE announced the HLOs for 41 out of 43 new music hub areas from September 2024, with fresh bids sought to coordinate music education in London South West and South Yorkshire.
After re-opening the application process for these two areas, ACE has now announced the HLOs as South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (South Yorkshire hub area) and South West London Music (London South West hub area).The naming of the final HLOs concludes the process of reducing the number of hubs in England as part of the government’s Music Hub Investment Programme.
The 43 new HLOs will receive a share of over £101m, including £76m to coordinate music education through strategic partnerships and £25m to invest in musical instruments, equipment and technology, including resources specifically for children and young people with SEND.
In a statement announcing the HLOs in May, ACE said: ‘The Hub Lead Organisations will work in partnership with schools, colleges, universities, cultural organisations, local authorities and other educational, creative and community organisations to deliver a broad range of musical activities which are inclusive to pupils from all backgrounds, as well as access to teachers working with a wider variety of instruments, supported by a more connected music education workforce.’
However, observers across the sector have questioned the rationale, transparency and speed of the roll-out.Before the general election, the House of Commons Education Committee heard oral evidence on the changes to hubs from three panels of witnesses: music hubs, national sector organisations, and the government. On the selection process for hubs, Jenny Oldroyd, Director for Curriculum and Qualifications at the DfE, explained: ‘While the current hubs very much preferred keeping the current geographies … some of the organisations that are not involved directly with hubs but work with them preferred regional models.
‘The success of the hubs programme is not just about meeting the needs of the hubs themselves; it is about meeting the needs of all the organisations that work with hubs to deliver music education and co-curricular activities in those areas.’Regarding the ambitious timeline – then five months – for HLOs to have the new system up and running, the Oldroyd said the DfE understood ‘that time was needed for partnerships to reach maturity’, adding: ‘That does not mean they need 10 years to get started or to start working with those models … The five months is about being operationally ready.’
