Musical Futures Project Secures New Funding of £402,000

Musical Futures,a radical education project that has revolutionised music teaching at more than 1,000 secondary schools, has secured funding of £402,000 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to continue operating until July 2012.Musical Futures (www.musicalfutures.org.uk), an innovative approach to teaching and learning, is a Special Initiative of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF), which set up the scheme in 2003. Over that time it has invested £2.5m into the programme, taking it from an experimental project involving three local authority music services, into the mainstream of music education in England. The new funding will consolidate the scheme’s achievements and further embed Musical Futures practices in schools. 
Musical Futures works by helping music teachers to concentrate on how young people learn, rather than on ‘delivering the curriculum’. The programme builds on young people’s musical interests, encouraging non-formal teaching techniques and informal learning.
The results have been demonstrated by a recent survey, in which the majority of teachers indicated that Musical Futures had helped them to become more effective teachers, and had increased their enjoyment of music as well as increasing their awareness of the music that their students engage in outside of school. 95% of students reported enjoying their music lessons more since doing Musical Futures, and many had higher self-esteem in relation to music, as well as improved behaviour and a more positive attitude towards music lessons.
Evaluation by the Institute of Education in 2008 also found that, where Musical Futures is used in the classroom, there was a 40% increase in the numbers of students wanting to continue with music at Key Stage 4.
The new funding will enable:
• Expansion of the network of Musical Futures Champions – practitioners across the country who demonstrate best practice in the use of Musical Futures techniques
• Launch of a restructured training and CPD programme, including ‘Musical Futures Live’ – sessions that will see Musical Futures Champions opening up their Musical Futures lessons for observation and discussion
• Establishment of exciting new ‘Musical Futures Young Champions’ programme, enabling young people across the country to mentor and coach others through the schools music social networking site NUMU (www.numu.org.uk/youngchampions)
• Development of resources to support music teachers with the high-quality delivery of Musical Futures
• Strengthening links with initial teacher training providers
• Piloting Musical Futures work in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Denise Barrows, Head of Education and Learning at Paul Hamlyn Foundation, said: “We are delighted at the impact Musical Futures has had on music education. With this new funding we hope to reach out to even more schools and make music learning more relevant to the lives of the young people participating, helping to connect their in-school and out-of-school musical interests and experiences.”