Young musicians from Perth & Kinross presented a petition to Perth & Kinross Council, opposing savings to the local authority’s Instrumental Music Service (IMS) that were agreed last year.  Young musicians, led by Eva Seba, set up a petition to campaign against the cuts, as well as respectfully protesting in the city centre last spring. The petition has amassed over 5,000 signatures and has been presented to the Council.

Last February, the Council agreed net recurring savings to the IMS totalling £227,000 over the coming 3 years, which included a reduction of 3.5 full-time equivalent Music Instructor staff posts. Budget cuts also included the reintroduction of charges for participation in Central Music Groups such as Perth Youth Orchestra and full cost recovery for Music Camps; two charges which now fall to families. 

Ahead of the Council’s 2025/26 budget meeting in February,  a collective of local organisations involved in youth music have written to each political party in the Councill calling for a reversal of last year’s decision. The organisations raised their concerns over the wide-ranging negative impacts of the cuts on opportunities for young people.

The group also challenged the Council’s failure to consult with affected parties, including young people. before making the decision and highlighted that the savings proposal’s impact-assessment did not accurately reflect the impact on the service and future outcomes for young people.

Eric Scott, President of Perth Youth Orchestra explained: “As parents and organisations who support opportunities for young musicians locally, we have spent the past year advocating for the IMS and challenging these cuts. We are calling for all political parties in the Council to revisit and reverse this decision. We believe the impacts on the service and outcomes for young people were not made clear to Councillors at the point of the decision-making, and that this issue needs to be urgently revisited.”

“We can already see the negative impact of the agreed savings. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request made to the Council has shown that, by 29 October 2024, participation in Central Groups had already reduced in the 2024/25 year to 382, down from 500 the previous year. Participation had been climbing steadily since the music groups restarted post-COVID, but this year’s figures show a sharp decline, meaning young people are missing out on critical opportunities in their music education and development.”

The FOI also confirmed that since February 2024, IMS tuition has already been partially withdrawn from 4 primary schools and fully withdrawn from 8 local primary schools, including many in the Carse of Gowrie ward and other areas such as Letham.

Eric continued: “It is our understanding that retiring staff in 2024 have not been replaced due to the savings pressures; this has already resulted in an inequality of provision in Perth & Kinross, with areas such as the Carse of Gowrie adversely affected.”

The organisations that are calling for this reversal are:

Perth Youth Orchestra, Perform in Perth, Perth & Kinross Young Musicians' Parents Association, Perth Festival of the Arts, Perth & Kinross Music Foundation, Perthshire Brass, Perth Amateur Operatic Society and Perth Symphony Orchestra. 

How can I add my support? 

If you are a parent of a young person affected by the change, you can contact your local Councillor to express your concerns.