New campaign launched to make music making available for everyone in the UK 

Charity Music for All is calling upon organisations and influencers in the education industry to join them and pledge their support to improving music making access for everyone in the UK with the launch of the Music Makers’ Charter campaign. 

The campaign has come at a time where music making opportunities are under threat. 

Government cuts to the arts in recent years have resulted in many primary schools failing to meet basic music curriculum needs for young people, according to the charity, and there is a lack of recognition and overall understanding on the power of music to improve everyone’s health and wellbeing, the economy and society.  

To draw attention to the decreasing opportunities in music making, Music for All has launched the Music Makers’ Charter, highlighting the enormous benefits and current challenges of making music. 

The Music Makers’ Charter is asking supporters to call for: 

• Greater recognition of the powerful benefits of music making on health, wellbeing and society 
• More investment in music making opportunities in formal and informal settings 
• Increased support for disadvantaged individuals and groups wanting to access music making. 

Sonali Banerjee, general manager of Music All explains: “We believe that music making is fast becoming elitist. Sadly, only those who can afford to make music out of the classroom can have access to music lessons in the UK… 

“Our new campaign, the Music Makers’ Charter, is set out to promote the various benefits of music making and to demonstrate how music making is an essential role in maintaining a successful and healthy society, as well as highlighting the harsh realities for would-be music makers in the UK.” 

A recent report ‘Power of Music’ by UK Music and Music for Dementia highlights and supports the significant health benefits music can have on people’s lives, including: 

• Music can ease stress in both physiological and psychological outcomes. This has been proved by reducing stress for patients undergoing surgeries and colonoscopies, for children undergoing medical procedures and for patients with coronary heart disease 
• Music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain; it can stimulate cognitive functioning and may be used for a remedy of some speech and language skill 
• People who spent 30 minutes or more each day during the pandemic on arts activities such as listening to music, had lower reported rates of depression and anxiety and greater life satisfaction. 

There is scientific evidence that people who engage with the arts are more likely to lead healthier lives, including eating healthily and staying physically active, irrespective of their socioeconomic status and social capital. 

Music for All has been helping disadvantaged individuals, charities, community groups and schools to access music making for over 25 years. During 2023/2024 they awarded £118,000 in cash grants and donated 100 instruments, directly benefiting over 11,000 people across the UK.  

By launching the Music Makers’ Charter campaign, Music for All is determined to close the widening gap between policy makers and music makers. They will demonstrate their commitment to the Music Makers’ Charter by taking actions over the next 12 months. 

These actions will include providing up to 1,000 free music lessons during the Learn to Play events across the UK. 

Music For All has said it will donate over 200 Instruments to disadvantaged individuals/groups and provide access to research resources to educators, healthcare professionals and others to highlight the considerable benefits of making music.  

The charity has also promised to award over £56K in music making cash grants to educational establishments supporting the music making capability of their pupils. 

To join Music for All in pledging support to the Music Makers’ Charter, organisations and individuals simply need to sign the petition on the Music for All’s website here. Music for All welcomes all commitments, no matter how big or small.