North Swindon MP Welcomes Additional £96 Million Of Arts Funding

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has welcomed news that £96m is to be made available to support talented music, drama and dance pupils kick-start their career in the arts.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb, announced that the money will be used to give pupils across the country access to a range of cultural opportunities including: training at the world-famous Royal Ballet School in London, film-making classes at the BFI Film Academy, free opportunities to study art & design at their local college or university, and visits to museums & galleries, using quality resources to support their classroom teaching

The additional £96m takes the total level of support for music and arts programmes to £496 million since 2016. Many recipients of these funds have moved on to successful careers in the arts.

Almost £90 million of combined funding will go to the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) and the Dance and Drama Awards (DaDa). These funds support the most talented pupils to attend prestigious arts institutions, such as the Royal Ballet School in London and Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

Justin Tomlinson MP said: “We have a rich cultural heritage, with many talented young people who deserve to have their creative talent nurtured and developed. This money will go a long way to helping aspiring actors, dancers, filmmakers, and many others fulfil their potential and represent the UK across many different artistic disciplines.”