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Highnotes Issue 16 • June 2011
Making Music joins ACE's National Portfolio Alex Rumford
Wednesday 30 March 2011 is a date that will remain long in the memory – it was the day I heard that we were offered the opportunity to join the new National Portfolio funding scheme of Arts Council England (ACE). This means that Making Music is guaranteed public funding By Robin Osterley for three years starting Chief Executive Making Music from April 2012, alongside a range of the best arts organisations in England, and can now continue to work to enhance its position as the leading ally and advocate for voluntary music throughout the UK. Faced with a substantial cut in its own income, ACE was forced to make some very tough choices. 206 of
Orlando Gough
its previous clients were dropped entirely; a few lucky ones received increased grants, and many, like us, received a reduction in funding compared to our previous levels. But nobody owes us a living, and we are pleased to have received the recognition and kudos – not to mention the money – associated with being in the new scheme. The lower grant from ACE is obviously disappointing, but Making Music is in a very healthy position to weather such a reduction. We are in the fortunate position of receiving a substantial proportion of our annual income from subscriptions, and it is clear from our growing membership that we are still offering voluntary music groups excellent value for money for the wide range of services they receive. We will of course try to keep any increase in subscription levels as low as possible when we look at how to adjust our budgets from 2012 onwards, but ensuring that our services are sustainable as well as good value for money is a key priority. And there are many other opportunities to close the gap. We will be trying especially hard to ensure that fundraising from sources other than the public purse is given as much focus as possible, and two recent funding successes, from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Headley Trust, give us great cause for optimism. And of course we will be carefully looking at how to reduce costs throughout the Making Music operation in order to ensure we balance the books.
Our Voices Now festival at London’s Roundhouse in March and recent funding wins give us every reason to feel positive
Highlights
In short, Making Music will remain a vibrant and dynamic organisation. We are grateful to ACE for securing our future in the medium term, and we look forward to that future with excitement. Our new strategic plan, Making Music for Everyone, is well under way, and we are confident in our ability to deliver its forward-looking and inspiring objectives. Onwards and upwards! www.makingmusic.org.uk/mmfe
Page 4 Composer Orlando Gough reveals details of the anthem he is writing for members for 2012
Professor Robert Winston
Page 7 Find out who will be joining Professor Winston at our conference on Music and Wellbeing in September
Peter Stokes
Page 9 Our Head of Volunteer Management explains how we are changing our volunteer programme