Pioneering children’s orchestra told to play on after doubts over funding

Published on Wednesday 25 January 2012 12:21

Scotland’s culture minister has pledged funding for a pioneering children’s music initiative remains secure and warned against “scaremongering” over the multi-million pound project.

The Raploch Big Noise music venture in Stirling, on one of the country’s most deprived estates, was modelled on techniques used to introduce children in Venezeula to music. Mostly private backers have helped raise £3.5 million for the project since its launch less than four years ago.

But plans for Stirling Council to pick up responsibility for £600,000 in annual running costs from 2013 have raised concerns the free music tuition offered to as many as 400 children will come under close scrutiny.

Anne McGuire, Labour MP for Stirling, called this week for the Scottish Government, and not the local authority, to pick up the tab.

And culture minister Fiona Hyslop insisted yesterday the project’s future was secure. “We have got funding in place already,” she said. “It’s got security of funding now and we expect that to continue in the future.

“They are in a strong position. Rather than scaremongering, it’s really important that everybody gets behind the project and talks it up.”

Since 2008, children in the Sistema Scotland project in Raploch have been learning to play music in Big Noise. Numbers have grown from 30 to more than 400 children getting involved.

The project uses techniques pioneered by Venezuela’s Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar, commonly known as El Sistema.

On midsummer night this year, the celebrated conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, which has grown out of El Sistema, are expected to visit Raploch for a high-profile outdoor concert that will include local children. It kicks off Scotland’s part in the London 2012 Festival, the cultural festival tied to the Olympics.

A spokesman for the project said yesterday that Sistema Scotland has relied from the start on private donors and foundations.

While Stirling Council will pick up 75 per cent of running costs from 2013, it is hoped it will raise cash both from private sources and European funds.

Major backers, including the John Paul Getty Jnr Trust, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Sigrid Rausing Trust put in nearly 90 per cent of the £3.8m raised for the first five years of the project, he said.

Public funding, including cash from the former Scottish Arts Council, amounted to only 12 per cent, or £461,000, of the cash.

Sistema Scotland is now looking at launching Big Noise programmes in both Dundee and Glasgow, the spokesman said.

“We are looking to start up other orchestras; we look at ourselves as being the start-up engine around the country, repeating Raploch. That’s why we are not 100 per cent funding Raploch,” he said.

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Hector the Lessor

Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 08:16 AM

A lot of those projects that run the risk of losing funding could be financed in part by Expats. Mind you I reckon most of us are pretty fussy where we put our donations. I reckon that who ever the Scots Government supports, we will support. Or did you think that because we lived abroad we would not have true Scottish attributes. Mind you we will only contribute if it is really, really, necessary. It is a lot cheaper than supporting orphans.

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Canton-eze

Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 03:15 PM

#1 You would, of course, "see no point ....." What must life be like in that dark dungeon of yours? If you knew anything about anything you would know that this system of music teaching is fantastically effective. It brings with it education and the discipline (and reward) of being part of a cohesive group. It's a credit to everyone involved with the project, which for the benefit of the likes of you has nothing to do with "socialist ideas" and has everything to do with achieving something truly worthwhile. Since you only post tiresome stuff intended to disrupt forums, it's safe to say that any normal person passing this way will recognise the pointlessness of your comment. Check out the major backers in the report and go figure.

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Faceless_bureaucrat

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 01:30 PM

"The project uses techniques pioneered by Venezuela’s Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar, commonly known as El Sistema. " - This NOT Venezuela I see no point on importing these socialist ideas.

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