Earlier this week the MU attended the annual STUC Congress at Caird Hall, Dundee. Our motions, which all passed unanimously, included:
- Value Music Education (which asked Congress to call on the STUC General Council to: lobby government to properly fund music education and ensure that YMI funding and funding delivered through the Scottish Government and councils rises in line with inflation; lobby government to recognise the particular challenges in rural communities if music education is not properly funded, where travel costs between schools are higher; stand with the MU where jobs and careers are threatened by cuts to music services).
- A Music Expo Office for Scotland (which asked Congress to call upon the Scottish Government to: establish and fund a Music Export Office for Scotland to provide systematic support for music exports, targeted at independent musicians and small and medium sized Scottish music companies to help build their international audiences; lobby Westminster to secure a Cultural Touring Agreement and Cultural Visa Waiver).
- Support the Arts, Protect the Sector (which asked Congress to call on the STUC General Council to: support the Creative Industries Unions in their fight to hold the Scottish Government to the First Ministers commitment to improved arts funding for the arts; work within all unions to develop cultural initiatives encouraging them to remember and celebrate the role of culture within the Trade Union movement historically).
On Tuesday, the MU also hosted a lunchtime fringe event where we held a discussion on Fair Work with featured panellists, and networked with delegates and other unions over lunch and refreshments.
Our members in action
Our member Ben Lunn spoke in support of a motion on raising taxes to deliver for Scotland in order to support the arts and protect the sector. In his speech, he highlighted that:
- when there are cuts, music and art are often the first to go
- local funding can keep arts in the community
- without local help, the arts will remain solely in the big cities, depriving the working class
- we need to make our local communities place we live, not just work and pay council tax.
He also moved our motion on establishing a Music Expo Office for Scotland.
Our other MU delegate, Christine Cooper, moved a motion on the value of music education with support from EIS, Equity and Unite. In her speech, she stated that:
- music education plays a crucial role in economic prosperity
- if we do not invest in music education, then it also risks excluding those who cannot afford it
- high-quality music education from an early age plays a key role in brain development and has a profound impact on mental health and well-being
- by providing students with opportunities to engage with music, we not only cultivate their artistic talents but also promote their overall health and happiness
- music education nurtures essential skills such as collaboration, emotional intelligence and critical thinking with students learning to communicate effectively and work together towards a common goal. By incorporating music into education, we provide students with a well-rounded skill set that prepares them for success in the modern world.
