Connecting Parliamentarians with their Local Music Hubs

On Monday 15th September, over 40 Music Hub Leaders descended on parliament at the invitation of Anna Sabine, MP who is the Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Music Education. When Anna found out about the work of her local Music Hub earlier in 2025, she had a revelation that many other MPs may not realise they have a music hub partnership providing musical learning, part-funded by government, in their constituency. To fix this potential knowledge gap she set up an event to connect Parliamentarians and Hub Leaders. 

Supported by Music Mark, the ISM, Trinity College London and Future Talent, the event took place in the Churchill Suite in the houses of parliament.  Over the course of two hours hub leaders were introduced to MPs and Peers from their area who dropped in between meetings and other commitments.   

The call to action for  MPs was simple, to ‘Be Present, Be a Champion and Be an Advocate’ 

During the afternoon Anna invited Music Mark, Trinity and the ISM to say a few words.  Deborah Annetts from the ISM spoke of her music education in Hertfordshire and the free access she was given to it through the local authority music service.  She then invited Music Mark’s Chair Peter Smalley to speak about the current challenges for Music Services and the wider Music Hub Networks to deliver a similar music education for children and young people today.  Peter pointed out that if revenue funding from government for Music Education Hubs had risen with inflation since 2012/13, it would be worth 43% more than the grant allocated this financial year.  He pointed out that Music Hub partnerships were not planning the next exciting programme to reach more children and young people, but were looking at what cuts they could make to stay afloat. 

Francesca Christmas from Trinity highlighted the support they, and other national industry partners, were keen to continue providing to the Music Hub network, recognising that the music education ecology is more than a network of music teachers, but also of those who provide resources and services such as Trinity College London. 

Bridget Whyte, Music Mark’s CEO, closed the speeches by reminding everyone that the ‘partnership concept’ of a Music Hub extended beyond both delivery organisations and industry providers. MPs should see themselves as advocacy partners – championing the work of their Music Hub locally, in the media and in Parliament.   

No event focussed on music should be without some performances, and Future Talent provided some young musicians who were joined by Jess Gillam MBE.  This was a fantastic reminder of why everyone is so passionate about music opportunities being available to children and young people.  Another reminder came from talking with some of the MPs who attended: 

‘It was great to hear so many MPs speak about how music was important to them and that they were keen to support the work of music educators in their local constituency.  MPs go into politics from a very diverse set of backgrounds – meeting a music teacher and a music service administrator who are now politicians reminded me that whilst it is vital we provide pathways for the next Jess Gillam, we will also be providing a music education to our next generation of parliamentarians!’ (Bridget Whyte) 

Music Mark would like to thank Anna Sabine and the APPG for Music Education for hosting the event and for the opportunities it has created to start or continue conversations between Hub Leaders and their local MPs to build advocacy partnerships.