Music for Youth has announced it is moving to Birmingham to co-locate at the CBSO Centre.The charity said the new partnership ‘will see MFY and the CBSO working together to help support the City’s vibrant music culture and help make Birmingham a centre for young people’s music’.
The move follows a feasibility study to select a new location as part of Arts Council England’s Transfer Programme. Running parallel to the 2023-26 Investment Programme for National Portfolio Organisations and Investment Principles Support Organisations, the Transfer Programme provides two-year business funding to organisations willing to relocate by 31 October 2024.
Music for Youth said it chose Birmingham ‘for its lively youth culture and our strong existing partnerships with the CBSO, B:Music, local schools, the music service and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.’ Birmingham is already home to Music for Youth’s annual National Festival, welcoming over 6,000 musicians aged 4–21 to take part in performances, masterclasses and workshops across the city.
Emma Stenning, CEO of the CBSO said: ‘The charity’s decision to relocate to Birmingham is testament to the vibrancy of the city’s cultural life, and they will be joining a brilliant cohort of organisations all dedicated to realising the transformative impact of music in people’s lives’.
The move comes at a worrying time for Birmingham-based arts organisations, following the City Council’s recent decision to slash culture funding as part of a £300m savings plan and 21% council tax hike.
Organisations including the CBSO, B:Music and Ex Cathedra are set to lose 50% of their council grants this year and 100% by 2025.
Phil Castang MBE, chief executive of Music for Youth, said: ‘Whilst it’s a challenging time for the city, we believe it’s the right moment for MFY to collaborate with the sector for the benefit of the young musicians in Birmingham and the wider Midlands region. Our programme gives young musicians at all stages of their musical journey extraordinary live music experiences, and we are thrilled at the prospect of establishing a home in Birmingham.’
