Bursary information
Equality of access to music education is extremely important to us. As such, the following music bursaries are available for individual pupils.
Rosalie Inskip Music Trust
Nationally renowned local musician Rosalie Inskip left money in her will to encourage and develop music excellence in Shropshire, supporting young musicians who have a particular aptitude. The trust helps young musicians up to the age of 24 with funding towards instruments, lessons or travel to achieve their musical potential. Applicants need to be based in the Shropshire / Telford and Wrekin areas.
Applications should be made by completing the form on the Shropshire Council website.
The board of trustees will base their decision on the merits of the information provided. It's therefore advised that applicants supply as much relevant information as possible. As well as including the young person’s contact details, school, age, musical experience and background about their situation, applications should contain a breakdown of the sum being requested by showing, eg the cost of lessons or of a musical instrument. Applicants should also provide a supporting letter or email from a music or school teacher.There's no closing date for the Rosalie Inskip Trust and decisions can take a couple of weeks.
Applicants should be aware that:
-
Funding in the first year doesn't guarantee funding in further years
-
Award of the full grant sought is unlikely; applicants should consider the effect that less than 100% funding would have
Please also note that a second application can't be made within three years of the first grant being awarded. In the event of a second application being made, it's unlikely that a further grant would be awarded. However, this decision is at the discretion of the trustees.
The Alan Surtees Trust
The Alan Surtees Trust is a grant-giving organisation that supports performers whose work is rooted in, or influenced by, traditional music and arts. It was set up 2017 in memory of Alan Surtees, the co-founder and director of Shrewsbury Folk Festival.Applicants for a grant from the Alan Surtees Trust should be aged between 16 - 30 at the time of applying. They must live in the UK and not already have significant financial backing.
Applicants can apply for funding for:
-
Mentoring and tuition from experts in the genre
-
Hiring of rehearsal and creative space
-
Costs towards new instruments and equipment
-
Recording and production of a debut album
-
Production of promotional materials
-
Project research and development expenses such as artist fees, travel expenses
Awards for Young Musicians
Young musicians 5 - 17 years can apply for investments of up to £2,000 as well as mentoring, workshops, and other musical opportunities with AYM.
Awards for Young Musicians (AYM) is a rolling programme that accepts applications at any time. Applications are means tested, being aimed at families where parents or carers have a total income below £30,000 per year. An average award in 2020 was £550 to be spent over one year.
AYM values all genres and styles of music equally. However, they don’t make awards for vocal studies, although singers can apply if intending to further their writing, music production or to study a second instrument.
To be eligible, applicants should live in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, or the Channel Isles. If the applicant has lived in the UK for fewer than three years, please ask for further funding options.
Universal Music UK Sound Foundation Individual Awards
The Universal Music UK Foundation has to date helped over 7,000 students, schools and teachers improve their access to music through the purchase or upgrade of musical instruments and equipment.Applications for funding up to £1500 are accepted. Individuals in full-time education and who are either having regular music lessons from a qualified teacher or are studying music at school/college can apply for funding towards the cost of musical instruments or equipment to further their music education. However, please note that UMUK Sound Foundation is unable to accept applications to fund music lessons, tuition fees or maintenance costs.
There are two application forms available to download to complete; one is for applicants who are aged 15 and under and the other is for applicants aged 16 and over (on the day of submission).
Other sources of support for music pupils
Contact us
Please get in touch to enquire or book.
