Can you believe it is 10 years since Music Generation was officially unveiled?

On 17 January 2011 we reached out, calling for applications from Local Music Education Partnerships to apply for funding to help children and young people access performance music education in their locality and the response was phenomenal! Read it here.

The vision that inspires us is the same today as it was when Music Generation was first established 10 years ago: “What we want to do is really simple. We just want to make sure that everyone, whatever their background, gets access to music tuition. That’s the idea.” – Bono, U2.

Music Generation Bono, U2

Over the past decade Music Generation has put the structures in place to create access to performance music education for children and young people, giving them opportunities to create, play and perform music in their own communities. To date, Music Generation has been established in 25 cities and counties in Ireland, creating some 67,000 opportunities for children and young people each year, and is on target for nationwide expansion by 2022.

10 years on, partnership is still the cornerstone of Music Generation and the force that brought a big ambitious vision to life. It is with special gratitude we thank: U2, The Ireland Funds, Bank of America, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Department of Education, the Arts Council Ireland, and all Local Music Education Partnerships in which Education and Training Boards and Local Authorities play a central role. In addition, we thank the Music Generation Development Officers, Resources Workers and Administrators, the strong team of Musician Educators and, of course, our children and young people across the country. It is the support and collaboration of this partnership that has made it possible for Music Generation to grow, to reach more young people, and to make a life-changing impact.

We look forward to the decade to come for the next Music Generation!