How Scottish Government threw Youth Music Initiative into chaos in a shambolic and shameful way

Music tuition was thrown into chaos with students turning up to find their classes had been cancelled (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Established in the very early days of the Scottish Parliament, the Youth Music Initiative is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Thousands of young people have benefited from a huge variety of projects across Scotland, from string groups in Galloway to the Fèis movement across the Highlands.

Yesterday, I got a message from a musician friend who works on a project funded by the initiative.

Having been commissioned to undertake tutoring for the month of November, he was told earlier this week that the funding was on pause and that his tutoring was thus being cancelled.

Project administrators across Scotland wrote to musicians advising them to seek other work opportunities. One musician in Fife was told at 5.30pm on Monday that all projects were on pause. Children turned up on Tuesday morning to find no tutors.

This sudden abandonment of months of planning and work in the 20th anniversary year had come about as a consequence of the Scottish Government’s emergency budget review following the cost-of-living crisis and the pay awards to public sector workers following the summer’s strikes.

Creative Scotland was told by ministers that, in relation to the Youth Music Initiative for 2022-23, “all government portfolios have been asked to identify remaining non-contracted spend in 2022/23” and “to defer issuing contracts indefinitely”.

Confusion over Scottish Government ‘pause' of youth music fund with tutors out o...

As a consequence, thousands of young people across Scotland had their plans upended, musicians had commissioned work cancelled and projects for the winter were thrown into chaos.

How Scottish Government threw Youth Music Initiative into chaos in a shambolic and shameful way – Andy Wightman