May elections 2023: ask your local council to help your music group

In May, there are local elections in some parts of England (4 May), and in Northern Ireland (18 May). When your local candidates come knocking, you may want to talk to them about your music group.

Making Music members have told us about the issues that affect them at a local level, so below we have put together some asks you could pass on to your candidates if these issues are relevant to you, which you can adapt as necessary.

Tips for making your case

Be specific. Talk about your group/concerts/participants and name check your rehearsal space or performance venue.
Have some figures to hand about your group, for example how many members, how many events do you do a year, how many people in your audience?
Put an info sheet together about your group to give to candidates (you could even include a free ticket to your next performance).

Spaces

Spaces for music making and performance are essential for music groups. Groups need rehearsal and performance spaces that are fit for purpose, financially and physically accessible, with suitable transport links. Post pandemic, it has become even harder than before to find such spaces, especially with adequate ventilation.

1. What is the candidate/their party doing to ensure existing community buildings (such as halls) are maintained and new spaces built for new housing developments?
2. Can they ensure that costs are kept reasonable and concessions given for non-commercial groups? (particularly relevant for local authorities where venues have been handed over to Culture trusts).

Infrastructure

Transport

3. How will the candidate/their party support safe transport links for community activity? Will timetables be maintained/extended into the evening? What about bus stop/car park safety, street lighting or bike lanes?

Sheet music available locally and affordably

This has, in the past, been provided via the public library network, including via Inter Library Loans from other authorities, but recently this service has often been cut.
4. What are the candidate and their party doing to maintain/restart/support such a service in the local public library?

Licensing

Music groups can help revitalise public spaces from bandstands to town squares with regular (e.g. every Saturday) or occasional performances (e.g. annual festivals).
5. Can the candidate and their party help streamline the licensing requirements and paperwork booking systems for volunteer-run music groups, to facilitate their public appearances and contribution to civic life?

Recognising the value of leisure-time music and including it in strategy

The value of music groups

For participants, benefits include:

Physical and mental well-being
Social connections, counteracting isolation and loneliness, building new social capital across socio-economic and cultural divides
Educational, due to continuous learning, soft skills (e.g. teamwork) and confidence
Empowerment through self-governed activity

For audiences and communities, benefits include:

access to live music locally and affordably
contribution to regeneration and place-making, e.g. festivals
support for the local economy (music shops, venue hire, hospitality etc.)
fundraising for local causes, e.g. hospices etc.

6. Are the candidate/their party considering community music activity across departments, e.g. health, culture, economy, social care and education?
7. Does their culture or arts strategy include support for non-professional and professional music organisations? (Not grants - this could be venues, Local Authority staff time to support and promote etc.)