Fears over music project
ORGANISERS of a music project that has helped vulnerable children in care fear financial woes will force them to fold.
The Evening Times told last week of the success of Behind the Noise (BTN), which works in 24 schools across Glasgow and Renfrewshire.
Despite supporting 250 young people every year, bosses Ewan Macleod and Rico Capuano claim a knockback from Creative Scotland has put a question mark over their future.
Ewan said: “We are in our fifth year this year but we are worried we won’t be able to continue for our sixth.
“We’re looking for funding for the next year as we had applied to Creative Scotland for funding but were refused, to our surprise.
“Glasgow has a world-renowned music scene but to keep talent here and to keep it staffed we need music apprenticeships and the kind of training that we are providing.
“It would be terrible if we weren’t able to keep going.”
BTN helps young people sample performance, management and production and gives them opportunities for work experience – such as at T in the Park.
Of the 77 school leavers involved in the scheme this year, 61 applied to study performance, sound engineering or business and 55 were accepted.
The scheme, which is run by a team of five, also expanded into Hollybrook Academy, an additional needs school in Govanhill.
And it helped three teenagers from Kibble Education and Care Centre, a secure accommodation unit for Scotland’s most vulnerable children, score places at college.
Over the five years BTN has had 120 students go on to University of the West of Scotland and Napier to study related degrees and the four trainees from its apprenticeship programme are now in employment.
Last week 27 bands made up of 150 young people performed an end-of-year show at the Classic Grand, in Glasgow city centre.
Josh Campbell, of Hillhead High School, has taken part in BTN three years running.
The 17-year-old said: “I’ve learned a lot from being in Behind the Noise.
“This was my third year doing it because you get so much out of it.
“It’s a brilliant programme but a lot of hard work too.
“Music will always be part of my life now that I’ve done this.”
Ewan added: “Glasgow City Council has been really supportive and Renfrewshire Council has been right behind us too.
“But we were really relying on another funding stream so our future is in the balance now.
“It will be devastating if we don’t find the money to go ahead.”