Scottish Government
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Sistema Scotland funding
A hugely successful music programme is set to transform one of Glasgow’s most deprived areas after being awarded more than £1 million from the Scottish Government.
Sistema Scotland has been allocated £1.325 million to aid its expansion to Govanhill where it will establish a Big Noise Orchestra. The organisation has already transformed the lives of hundreds of children through a similar scheme in Raploch, Stirling.
The four year funding package was announced by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop during a visit to Holy Cross Primary School in Govanhill.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise Orchestra is already transforming lives through music, and has the potential to improve confidence, wellbeing, health, education and community safety. The Scottish Government is committed to investing in programmes that can help to prevent health and social problems, which is why Sistema Scotland has our full support with funding coming from several different portfolios.
"Big Noise Govanhill is expected to make a real and positive difference to the community and the people who live there. Through sitting at the heart of the ongoing regeneration of the area, it will leave a long-lasting and meaningful legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games: we hope not only to see the young people of Govanhill taking part in the cultural celebrations surrounding Glasgow 2014, but also that the programme will bring the local community in Glasgow together, strengthening learning and cultural engagement."
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop added:
"Sistema Scotland’s work in Raploch is a fantastic example of how cultural activity can deliver real benefits to individuals, communities and wider society. It has improved the personal and social development of children in Raploch as well as their confidence, self esteem, social skills and ability to concentrate, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of the programme in Govanhill. This substantial funding package for Sistema Scotland demonstrates that the value of culture and creativity is recognised across the Scottish Government."
Sistema Scotland Chairman Richard Holloway said:
"This money is a brave and imaginative investment in the future of Scotland’s children. Since we started in Raploch five years ago the Scottish Government has been very supportive of our work and we were grateful when they funded independent research to evaluate it.
"We are delighted that they are acting on the findings of that research with this substantial funding package which will help us continue our work in Raploch and enable us to start a new centre in Govanhill. Though we still have some money to raise privately, today's announcement means it is all systems go for Big Noise Govanhill and we’ll be working with children there come spring."
Sistema Scotland has been awarded £1.325m in 2012-2016, with contributions from four different Scottish Government portfolios: Children and Young People, Culture and External Affairs, Education and Lifelong Learning and Health and Social Care. A further application for £250,000 from the Infrastructure and Capital Investment portfolio’s People and Communities Fund is currently under consideration.
Sistema Scotland and the Big Noise Orchestra were set up and are running with funding from the Scottish Arts Council and now Creative Scotland - including cash from the National Lottery, BBC Children in Need and a number of charitable trusts and private donors including the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and others.
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