Dublin November 22, 2015
PRESS RELEASE –FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MUSIC GENERATION TO RECEIVE €3 MILLION DONATION FROM U2 AND THE IRELAND FUNDS
THE IRELAND FUNDS €1M PHILANTROPHIC DONATION FOLLOWS €2M FROM PROCEEDS OF U2 CONCERTS
DONATION WILL ALLOW MAJOR EXPANSION OF NATIONAL MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Dublin November 22, 2015: Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme, is on course for further expansion, following the announcement by U2 and The Ireland Funds of major philanthropic donations of €2million and €1million respectively to the organisation.
In September of this year, U2 announced that €2million from their Irish concerts would be gifted to Music Generation, which provides access to high quality subsidised music tuition for thousands of children and young people across the country. A further €1million will be gifted by The Ireland Funds who, together with U2, seed-funded Music Generation’s first phase (2010 –2015) with a €7m donation –the largest ever philanthropic donation to music education in Ireland in the history of the state.
U2’s The Edge said: “Five years in, Music Generation is continuing to grow. Thanks to The Ireland Funds for adding €1m to the €2m from our Irish shows, it’ll bring us closer to achieving our ambition for every child and young person in Ireland to have access to music tuition.”
Kieran McLoughlin, President & CEO, The Worldwide Ireland Funds said, “We are thrilled to announce this additional gift of €1m to Music Generation. The impact of this innovative music education programme has been extraordinary and brings so much benefit to young people and communities throughout Ireland. The Ireland Funds is delighted to be supporting this flagship initiative and, together with U2, will also seek to raise additional support as part of our commitment to unlocking the musical talents of the next generation.”
Responding to this latest, unprecedented gift to music education in Ireland, Rosaleen Molloy, National Director of Music Generation said, “Music Generation would not exist without the vision and philanthropic support of U2 and The Ireland Funds. It is this vision that has enabled us to successfully implement this ground-breaking music education programme across 12 areas of the country, which now provides access for some 26,000children and young people and creates employment opportunities some 330 people.”
“The reason why Music Generation has been such a success story is because of the partnership base that underpins how we work”, continued Rosaleen. “U2, The Ireland Funds, with the support of Bank of America, Music Network, the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships together with the Arts Council and St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra are our key partners.
Without their input and support MusicGeneration would not have been possible. The impact of the original €7m philanthropic donation from U2 and The Ireland Funds has been extraordinary. Every day, the lives of thousands of children and young people are being transformed through access to a variety of music tuition opportunities –everything from song-writing initiatives to brass bands, orchestras, choirs, rock groups, rap projects, grupaí cheoil and composers clubs. The original donation has seed-funded development and generated ongoing sustained 50/50 investment from the Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships.” Music Network established Music Generation in 2010 following a €7m donation from U2 (€5m) and The Ireland Funds (€2m) to implement its national strategy for music education in Ireland.
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Media ContactMartin Mackin / Síle Murphy, Q4PR, 88 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2.Ph: 086 0288 132 / 01 475 1 444EDITOR’S NOTES Since 2010, Music Generation’s achievements have been exceptional.
Key accomplishments include:
Establishment of the programme in 12areas of the country, 18months ahead of schedule
Access and participation now reaching some 26,000 children and young people annually who would otherwise not have had the choice of access or the chance to participate
Creation of over 330 employment opportunities (300 musicians; 30 management and administration roles)
Delivery of 80 different programmes in over 360 tuition centres
Accessible tuition offered in over 50 different types of instruments across allgenres of music
Establishment of 12Instrument Banks, 5Music Libraries, 5 Recording Studios including 1mobile recording studio and pop up performance Music Bus
Mounting of over 100public performances annually attended by 30,000 audience members
Producing 10national seminars and presenting at 4 national and 4international conferences
Delivery of over 150professional development courses for musicians
Initiation of Young Ambassadors Performance Programme featuring 200 musicians performing at 25 national and international events
Working with over 55 local and national partners from the education, arts, community, voluntary, public, private and philanthropic sectors
20 new commissions by professional musicians and composers for pieces specially written for children and young people
Securing of ongoing annual sustainable partnership funding from Government (€2.5m) and local Music Education Partnerships (€2.2m) estimated at €4.7mannually from 2016 onwards
Investment of €450,000from the Arts Council for a new partnership programme 2013 –2015
Initiation of a National Research Partnership with St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra to inform and influence future national policy
Music Generation is Ireland’s National Music Education Programme which transforms the lives of children and young people through access to high quality subsidised performance music education. Established in 2010 by Music Network, Music Generation was made possible by a €7m philanthropic donation -€5m from U2 and €2m from The Ireland Funds -the largest ever philanthropic donation to music education in Ireland in the history of the State.The philanthropic donation was gifted to progress the implementation of Music Network’s Feasibility Study for a National System of Local Music Education Services.
Music Generation works closely with Government through the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and Local Music Education Partnerships (MEPs) in each of the 12 areas. The original €7m donation has seed-funded development in each of these areas. From 2016 these programmes will continue to be sustained through ongoing 50/50 funding from the DES and MEPs, ensuring a long term and lasting outcome from U2 and The Ireland Funds’ philanthropic giving. The €2m donation from U2’s iNNOCENCE & eXPERIENCE concerts and the €1million from The Ireland Funds, together with further investment achieved through private, philanthropic donations,will enable expansion of the programme to more areas of the country.
Music Generation believes in every child and young person’s musical potential and their innate artistry, that it is every child and young person’s right to have the choice of access and the chance to participate as a musical citizen and that music doesn’t just change lives, it transforms lives.
Music Generation focuses on performance music education –that is vocal and instrumental tuition, encompassing all music genres and all typesof instruments and vocal styles, delivered by skilled professional musicians interacting in an inspirational way with children and young people. Visit www.musicgeneration.iefor further information
