MU response to Young People and the Arts: A Labour Policy Review Consultation

The MU is pleased that the Labour Party is investing time in documenting the importance of cultural education, and has made the following recommendations to Labour's Young People and the Arts consultation. 1. Ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn an instrument For music education to be the best it can be, it has to be a statutory responsibility with long term Government funding. Music must remain integral to the national educational strategy and remain part of the national curriculum. 2. Support the workforces that deliver cultural education This workforce has been consistently undermined by the current Government. In 2013 the MU represented members in over 40 music services where hundreds of jobs have been lost or terms and conditions severely eroded. This widespread casualisation means many teachers are losing employment rights and benefits of employment. They have no guarantee of work; no pension; no holiday pay; no maternity/paternity pay and no chance of any career with a Music Service as there was before. In spite of the expectation for Music Hubs to provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to local teachers, the quality and reach of this CPD is patchy. 3. Increase Central and Local Government funding for the arts A future Labour government should renew its commitment to public investment in the arts, make arts and culture funding a statutory objective for local authorities and formally recognise the limitations of philanthropy as a form of funding. 4. Protect the BBC In order for it to continue to be the cornerstone of public service broadcasting, the BBC needs secure and sustained funding. Each funding round which does not increase the licence fee in line with inflation puts a great number of jobs in the creative industries at risk.