Big Noise is getting bigger
Work to expand project beginning
More work is to be done on the back of an independent report on music tuitiion in the Stirling area, which highlighted that Raploch’s Big Noise project needed to extend its reach to other communities.
The 99-page report by Graham Short Education Services was brought to Stirling Council’s education committee last Thursday.
While praising the overall service and its staff and the council’s commitment to music tuition and for protecting the service thus far, it made 18 recommendations on how it could be strengthened or improved.
It said while the worth of the Big Noise to the wellbeing of the children involved was “almost universally recognised” even by critics, it was seen to be competing for finite resources for music services despite being more of a programme with social and community aims and it was perceived as unfair by some that Big Noise children received free tuition when children from similar backgrounds living elsewhere were having to pay for it.
The report also showed that Big Noise accounted for almost half the council’s total expenditure on music tuition for the last four years.
Big Noise organisation Sistema Scotland agreed with Stirling Council in 2013 to spend £1 million a year until 2018 on the Raploch project, with the council pledging to fund up to £500,000 a year. That includes a contribution to Sistema’s central costs.
In 2016-17 alone, the council’s total budget for music tuition (not including monies from the national Youth Music Initiative) was £1,080,870 of which £480,930 was for Big Noise.
In contrast, YMI funding totalling £216,432 had supported 15 projects at a number of schools and nurseries, involving potentially up to 2000 children - an approach seen as “extremely cost effective”.
The report acknowledged, however, that work was already beginning to expand the Big Noise project to other areas.
The education committee agreed council officers would form a task group to respond to the recommendations and plan next steps in reviewing music provision in Stirling. A further report will be presented to the committee for consideration once this work has