Dundee City Council axes funding for Sistema children's orchestra

A children's music charity says it is "heartbroken" after Dundee City Council axed funding for its youth orchestra.

Sistema Scotland provides free music tuition for young people in deprived areas through its Big Noise programme.

Councillors approved savings of £18m and a council tax rise of 4.75% as they passed the budget for 2023/24.

Sistema chair Benny Higgins told the BBC that the council had promised to continue "substantial funding" and branded the cuts "shameful".

The Big Noise project in the Douglas area of Dundee was the fourth to be launched by the charity in 2017.

It could be forced to end without a £300,000 grant from the council.

Mr Higgins said: "They made a promise that they would continue giving us substantial funding.

"We recognised the pressures they're under and reduced our funding request by more than 50%.

"Not only did they deny us the funding, but also they hid behind excuses that it was just a musical contribution to the community - which it's not."

Mr Higgins said Big Noise Douglas had changed lives for the children involved.

He added: "The council said there was a lack of evidence that it is was working, which is untrue, ask the families. It's a transformational programme of change for the young people and we have very solid evidence to that."

Big Noise launched its first orchestra in Raploch in 2008 and is funded by Stirling Council and other private sources.

The project was inspired by Venezuela's El Sistema, which grew from the ideas of Jose Abreu who taught music in some of Venezuela's poorest neighbourhoods.

Big Noise Douglas works with around 450 pupils from St Pius and Claypotts Castle primary schools.

All sessions and instruments are provided free of charge, and children can choose between learning the violin, viola, cello or double bass.

Musician Nicola Benedetti was among those urging the council to approve funding for project.

There are also Big Noise orchestra projects in Raploch in Stirling, Govanhill in Glasgow, Wester Hailes in Edinburgh and Torry in Aberdeen.

Children learn not just music but confidence and team building through the orchestras at the centre of each project.

It is seen as a long term investment, with children progressing through the scheme from pre-school to secondary.

Dundee City Council declined to comment on the Sistema funding withdrawal. A recent council report had recommended the cut.

It recognised the benefits of the programme, but said the council's own music service already had a presence in the schools where Big Noise Douglas takes place.

The report also said there was limited proof that it had significantly improved attainment and attendance outcomes for children.

The council announced savings of £18m in order to set a budget of £443m for 2023/24. It said 48% of this would fund children and families services.

The 4.75% council tax increase will set the rate for band D properties at £1,486.

Councillor Willie Sawers, depute convener of the policy and resources committee, said: "This year has been particularly challenging as we are mindful of the cost of living crisis, not just on the council's finances, but on those of the people of Dundee.

"We have sought to strike a delicate balance while supporting the most vulnerable members of our communities."

Sistema Scotland is aware of the huge challenges facing councils. In some areas, they have been able to negotiate a lower contribution, at least temporarily.

The problem is that the scheme needs to be open to all in the communities it has chosen. Scaling back would require limiting access, which flies in the face of Sistema philosophy.

In Aberdeen, which invited Sistema to set up an orchestra in Torry, the council say they are unable to sustain the 75% share of the costs they've been paying since 2015.

They will be aware that Sistema Scotland enjoys a higher profile, and a wider level of private support, than many other organisations and they may be hoping that they'll find other ways to plug the gap.

But Sistema Scotland say in the current climate, with five centres (and a sixth spin off project in Stirling) they've exhausted all the obvious avenues.

They're keen to remind councils funding all of their projects that these provide social, rather than musical benefits and are long term commitments.

The oldest of the groups, the Big Noise Orchestra in Stirling, has being going long enough for an entire generation of children to grow into adulthood.

Some are musicians but most aren't although they say the confidence in themselves and their once maligned neighbourhood have allowed them to pursue paths they might never have considered.

Many now teach and assist the children who are now involved.

And they believe the young people across the whole Sistema Scotland network deserve the same chances and the same investment in their future