Awards for Young Musicians

Giving talent a chance

Furthering Talent

Extended funding from Youth Music

We’re delighted to report that AYM has been awarded funding for two more years, creating the second phase of our Furthering Talent programme; this will enable us to help an increasing number of children, as well as providing more professional development opportunities for music teachers.

We will continue to partner local Music Education Hubs in Brighton & Hove, Greater Manchester, and Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent, plus expand to two new hub partners in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.


Furthering Talent targets and sustains young people with real, emerging musical talent from lower income families. Initiated by AYM in 2009, our programme helps children who have started to learn an instrument at school, through state-funded whole-class tuition, but whose families can’t afford to support their music-making development once this funding ends.

Furthering Talent comprises individual support (weekly, instrumental tuition and additional musical progression support,) over at least two academic years for each participating young person; this is combined with professional development for music leaders concerned with identifying and progressing musical potential.

Described as ‘overwhelmingly successful’ by music education expert Richard Hallam, in his external evaluation of the programme’s impact (January 2013), Furthering Talent was initially focused on supporting young people in three Music Education Hubs in England.

AYM was awarded a very generous grant from Youth Music, to support the development of the programme in our three partner Hubs, (Brighton and Hove, Greater Manchester and Staffordshire) over two academic years (2014/15 and 2015/16).

  • Individual, weekly, instrumental tuition for two academic years, for 30 young people with emerging potential in music, (30 in each partner Hub – 90 in total) who would otherwise have no chance of continuing to play, owing to lack of funding.
  • Additional support for their musical progression, according to their own, individual needs. This  includes collective opportunities for the young people, via annual ‘Get Together’ events, plus other individual and collective support.
  • Professional development for music leaders in each Hub, concentrating on identifying and progressing musical potential.
  • Funding for each Hub’s Local Furthering Talent Co-ordinator, to continue their work in running the programme locally.
  • External evaluation of the programme.

Here is a  video snapshot of Furthering Talent, filmed at one of our Get Together events, in Staffordshire.

The mother of a Furthering Talent student writes:

“I’m actually lost for words. The help and support that is offered to these young musicians is amazing. I had recognised that Sarah had a little more than ‘being good’ at music and had looked into music lessons for her, but the cost of the instrument, the tuition and the travel to lessons (I don’t drive) was more than I could afford.

I cannot express my thanks enough for the fantastic start this is giving Sarah. Sarah is almost 10 and has a 7 year old autistic brother (plus two grown up brothers). We’ve had a pretty rocky few years with women’s aid refuges, having to start all over again in a new home, the death of my youngest son…. it’s been a tough time for us all and, of course, a bit of depression for me. Sarah needs this. Her confidence has been boosted and the smile I see on her face when she’s finished a piece of music is wonderful to see.”

Words by the mother of Sarah, a Furthering Talent pupil.

Furthering Talent continues to deliver impact. Making a difference – read recent feedback…

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