YOUTH MUSIC AND FEATURED ARTISTS COALITION ANNOUNCE CHARITY PARTNERSHIP

18 September 2014 - Press release

The national music charity Youth Music and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) are delighted to announce a charity partnership between the two organisations.

The FAC will be working alongside Youth Music, publicly acknowledging its support for the charity through online marketing and raising the profile of specific valuable campaigns such as the new Give A Gig fundraising initiative.

The Give a Gig fundraising campaign encourage artists, promoters, venue owners and music fans to put on gigs and donate some or all of the profits to the charity. Supporters can also donate a proportion of proceeds of gigs previously organised as part of national or international tours.

Those supporting Youth Music’s Give a Gig campaign will be helping the charity in its work to bring life-changing music–making opportunities to children and young people living in challenging circumstances. These include coping with disability, special educational needs, living in poverty or in care. Through almost 400 music projects supported by Youth Music, it helps over 90,000 children every year. For many, participation in a music project for the first time is a life-changing experience as many would otherwise be missing out on the chance to make music.

Youth Music’s Executive Director, Matt Griffiths said: “We are very grateful to the FAC for backing our work, especially our new Give a Gig campaign. Many artists have shown their dedication to charitable giving in the past but few are aware they could direct these efforts to help create music-making opportunities for disadvantaged children. There is great potential in this partnership to benefit thousands of children and young people living in challenging circumstances.”

Paul Pacifico of the FAC said “ We are excited to be working with Youth Music in enabling fantastic opportunities for young people to connect with and make music. Britain has always been at the forefront of contemporary music around the world and the FAC is committed to programmes that inspire and support future generations.”

Although Youth Music reaches out to 90,000 children every year, for every child it supports, there is another one waiting for its help. Raising funds through the Give a Gig campaign will help the charity to support more young people in need.

The Featured Artists Coalition is building the music business of the future with artists at the centre. Artists and those that enable them should be rewarded fairly and transparently and FAC wants a business that respects the needs and aspirations of the music artist and their fans.

Youth Music wants every child to have access to music-making, regardless of background or circumstances. It invests over £9m every year in music learning activities for those with least opportunity and engages in research to contribute fresh thinking to the music education sector and identify the best ways to engage young people.