What is the Music Manifesto?

The Music Manifesto campaigns to ensure that all children and young people have access to high quality music education.

The Music Manifesto promotes collaboration across the formal and informal music sectors and the music industry. Through our signatories we represent nearly 400,000 people working in music.

The Manifesto was originally set up by the government in 2004 and is now led by a voluntary, independent and apolitical 13-strong Partnership and Advocacy Group (MMPAG), chaired by Darren Henley, managing director of Classic FM. The MMPAG team work closely with the DCSF and DCMS but remain independent of the government.

The Music Manifesto's £40m national singing programme, Sing Up, was launched in 2007 and aims to put singing at the heart of every primary school.

The latest project supported by the Music Manifesto is In Harmony, a programme inspired by Venezuela's El Sistema, offering free instrumental tuition to young children in some of the most deprived areas of the country.

The Manifesto has produced two reports on music education in England. Report no.2, 'Making Every Child's Music Matter' set out over 50 recommendations for teaching music.

From 2005-2008, three Music Manifesto Pathfinder organisations developed a range of innovative projects designed to offer more young people access to inspiring, high quality music provision.

In November 2007, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, recognised the contribution of the Music Manifesto when he announced a £332m funding package for music over three years.

For 2008-2009, five new partnership programmes have been funded to provide music activities in line with the Manifesto's aims.

The MMPAG is currently working in five areas of focus: The Power of Music; Better frameworks for music education; transition; workforce development; celebration.