Gone in the Air: major new research on music opportunities in rural England

In 2015, our previous incarnation NYMAZ launched Gone in the Air, a campaign to improve out-of-school music education so that children in rural England have equal life chances. Today we are pleased to launch a fully updated Gone in the Air report based on new research.

Since the publication of the first report a lot has changed, with factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and difficult economic circumstances having a huge impact on many areas of life. However, despite progress in some areas such as digital delivery, many of the challenges of delivering better music education opportunities for young people in rural England remain.

This new research builds on the original Gone in the Air report, looking to explore where we are now, what needs to change and what needs to happen next. We found that many young people in rural areas love where they live, but are missing out on the benefits of musical participation that are available to their counterparts in larger towns and cities. The music organisations and individuals who are trying to provide those opportunities identified a range of barriers to addressing this need. The report provides 15 recommendations for funders, and 10 recommendations for both music delivery organisations. We hope that this report will be a catalyst for change.

The programming and research that informed this report were conducted in our previous incarnation, NYMAZ. Since our relaunch as AMP in spring 2024, this report’s research will continue to inform our work around rural isolation. This project was funded by Youth Music.

Gone in the Air Report (PDF, 62 pages) and Summary (PDF, 4 pages)

 

Filed under: News