The First Minister was taken on a tour of the programme by our CEO, Vicky Williams, and had the oppportunity to meet with both community members and young people to learn about what Big Noise means to them. Our young musicians also gave a special performance and awarded the First Minister his very own Big Noise paper instrument.
Among those taking part were a group of Primary 2 pupils from Our Lady’s Primary School in Raploch, as well as the centre’s beginner strings group, a woodwind, brass and percussion group made up of primary school pupils, the Redfire intermediate strings group and the Raploch string ensemble, made up of high school students and school leavers.
The Scottish Government has invested in Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise programmes for more than a decade. In 2024-25 Sistema Scotland will receive £2.6 million from the Culture budget. Any funding for future years will be subject to the budget process and confirmed by the Scottish Government in due course.
The First Minister said:
“Music and the arts have power to bring people together, and I am consistently impressed with Big Noise’s efforts to ensure children and young people across five cities have the opportunity to learn, play and perform.
As well as the opportunity to perform, Big Noise gives the young people they work with a community – and as they progress through the programme they have developmental opportunities including to gain leadership skills, which are beneficial to them in the world of work even if they do not pursue a musical path.
I am grateful to Sistema Scotland for continuing to enrich the lives of so many children and young people by making music accessible and inclusive.”
Vicky Williams, Sistema Scotland Chief Executive said:
“We are enormously grateful to the Scottish Government for their continuing support of Big Noise in Scotland.
This funding means we can do more to support young people and families, tackle poverty and inequality and help build firm foundations for the future of our young people.
Our work over the past 15 years has transformed lives throughout Scotland and we look forward to continuing this critical work with the support of our partners and funders.”
