National Youth Arts Wales (NYAW) and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) have announced a new partnership to support music education in Wales.
The organisations will work together on a range of new and existing initiatives to champion ‘high-quality, accessible, engaging and inclusive music education and experiences for young people throughout Wales’.
During the first year, the focus will be on three strands: talent pathways, youth voice and collecting data. This will identify cold spots in provision for young people and deliver several projects, including ‘Côr Skills’ (a programme to give singers an experience of choral singing) and ‘Strings Attached’ (a programme to boost the skills of young violin, viola, bass and cello players).
The partnership was announced at a concert by the National Youth Brass Band of Wales, at The Great Hall, Swansea, on 28 July.
James Welburn, deputy head of engagement at ABRSM, said: ‘We’re delighted to be collaborating with National Youth Arts Wales on what we anticipate will be an engaging and energetic partnership in support of young musicians across Wales.
‘We’re particularly excited about our youth voice programmes, helping to embed the voices of young people within our organisations and the wider sector, and keeping young musicians at the heart of all we do.’
Evan Dawson, CEO of NYAW, said: ‘ABRSM is one of the world’s leading music education organisations and we're excited to embark on this new partnership.
‘Together, we understand the emotional role that music plays in the lives of young people, recognising and celebrating the diverse range of backgrounds each individual brings, while drawing on our musical network of composers, teachers and performers.’
NYAW was founded in 2017 to unite and lead the future development of Wales’s five long-established national youth ensembles: the National Youth Brass Band of Wales, National Youth Choir of Wales, National Youth Dance Wales, National Youth Orchestra of Wales, and National Youth Theatre of Wales.
nyaw.org.uk
abrsm.org
