Music for All announces Learn to Play weekend

The charity Music for All has announced the dates of its annual flagship event, hailed as ‘the biggest free music-making weekend of the year’. Learn to Play '24 welcomes people of all ages and abilities to experience free taster sessions and the joys and benefits of music-making.

Open to all, across the UK, Learn to Play provides opportunities for participants to experience free music lessons. The lessons can be in singing or on an instrument.

This year, Music for All welcomes as wide a range of providers to the event as possible, from schools and teachers to community groups and music retailers.

The charity recognises that Learn to Play comes at a time when music education is severely impacted by cuts to public funding. In a statement, it said: ‘the government has imposed a 50% funding cut to art subjects, which will impact the future of the UK arts, the creative potential of the next generation and the people who deliver quality arts education in the UK’.

Sonali Banerjee, general manager of Music for All, continued: ‘The Learn to Play weekend is needed now more than ever, and through our regional music-making events, we aim to connect and support vital UK music providers, as well as inspire and support as many people as possible. The arts enrich our lives, our community and economy, as well as improving our mental health. At Music for All we make it our mission to support disadvantaged music-makers with limited financial resources to access music-making.’

Established 27 years ago, Music for All has awarded cash grants and donated instruments and equipment to numerous individuals, community groups and educational establishments. It partners with Black Lives in Music, Make Music Day UK and Music Mark, among others, and has ambassadors such as Jamie Cullum, Gareth Malone and Chi-chi Nwanoku.

Learn to Play '24 is supported financially by the NAMM Foundation.

To find out more and submit a registration form, visit the Learn to Play providers web page. Those registered will receive a Promo Pack and access to a resource page providing guidance and support with running Learn to Play events.