The Song Room excited to be part of Federal Government’s boost to youth arts participation

The Song Room would like to thank Tony Burke and Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP for joining us at The Song Room this week to announce Federal Government support for our program Transformational Learning through Creativity (TLC).

This support for best practice arts learning will enhance the education, personal development and community involvement of vulnerable young Australians.

The $500,000 in funding will be used with great impact to ensure that young people benefit from more that just the opportunity to participate in music and the arts at school – it will help them to grow their confidence, connect with their peers, develop as life-long learners and even succeed in other subject areas. For young people from low socio-economic backgrounds this experience can be transformative.

The announcement was part of a proposed boost to youth participation in the arts by the Australian Government. Four projects will share more than $3.4 million in funding to deliver arts education at schools and in communities across Australia, inspiring the next generation of performers and creatives.

“Arts and culture belong to everyone – no matter where you live, where you go to school, or your background.”
– Tony Burke, Federal Minister for the Arts

The other 3 projects are:

Bell Shakespeare—$1.5 million over four years to continue its National Education Program, which reaches more than 80,000 students and teachers nationwide each year—providing live theatre performances, professional development opportunities for teachers including a regional teacher mentorship program, and resources for classrooms.

Australian Youth Orchestra—$1.1 million over four years will support the orchestra’s National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, enabling experienced music teachers to share their expertise with generalist classroom teachers to ensure students have access to quality music teaching in Australian schools.

Poetry in Action—$320,000 to bring poetry, theatre and spoken word productions to schools across every state and territory, including in regional and remote locations, building young people’s confidence with language.

“By investing in initiatives like The Song Room… we are shaping a society that cherishes and nurtures creativity- it starts in childhood.”
– Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, Federal Member for Higgins.

You can read more about the announcement on the Australian Government website. Learn more about our in-class programs here.