Foyle Foundation supports Youth Fest

Support received from the Foyle Foundation means that Brass Bands England can support groups to attend with travel bursaries as well as provide resources and activities for participants on the day. The newly titled Foyle Foundation Youth Fest is a brand new, non-competitive brass festival created by Brass Bands England. The event aims to celebrate success and participation in music, inspire and engage young people in an inclusive environment, and encourage personal and musical progression. The inaugural event will take place on Friday 28 June at Barnsley Civic in South Yorkshire. Audience tickets will be available for purchase in June. 

Applications are open for schools, groups and bands to take part. Entry to the festival is free of charge. Up to £350 in travel bursary funding is available to support bands to travel to the event. The deadline for band entries has been extended to Friday 26 April in order to allow bands to apply and benefit from this extra support. This bursary will be available for every group that enters the festival and will be payable after the event upon receipt of confirmation of travel fees incurred. More information can be found on BBE’s Youth Fest information page at https://www.bbe.org.uk/youth-education-and-outreach/youth-fest 

BBE’s Chief Operating Officer Sarah Baumann commented: “This generous support from the Foyle Foundation means that our vision of an inclusive, participant-focused event can become a reality. We know from feedback from schools involved in our Brass Foundations programme or taking part in the Youth Champs that in the current climate travelling to take part in key events is a huge barrier to participation, so we are delighted to be supporting in this way. The £49,000 contribution from the Foyle Foundation supports the entire costs of delivering the festival and it is fantastic to see the clear support for the future of brass banding.” 

The Foyle Foundation is an independent grant-making trust that distributes funds to UK based registered charities and schools.

For more news, features, articles and reviews, subscribe to BBW Digital, available to read online (annual subscription: £30), or subscribe to BBW's printed magazine delivered by post: £40 (UK); £68 (Europe); £81 (Rest of the World). Alternatively, receive both the Digital and printed editions combined: £55 (UK); £83 (Europe); £96 (rest of the world) - saving 50% on the Digital edition. Click here to subscribe!