Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s Young Start fund awards cash from dormant bank accounts

Over £1.1 million has been awarded to budding young musicians and performers by the Big Lottery Fund Scotland.

Its Young Start fund, made up of money collected from dormant bank and building society accounts, has just dished out grants to 23 projects across the country.

Each project, such as the Scottish Music Centre’s Hit the Road which was awarded £40,000, tries to support young people aged eight to 24 to reach their full artistic potential.

The youngsters involved in Hit the Road will now be able to take part in five music tours and workshops each themed with a different genre of music.

Scott Kirkwood, the project’s manager, said “We are delighted that the Young Start grant from Big Lottery Fund will continue to support the project in 2015.

Today’s funding will help to unlock the talents of thousands of young Scots

"As a national project, it enables emerging artists to experience their first professionally managed tours whilst offering career opportunities for non-musicians who shadow our team throughout the tour and across a range of creative and technical roles including; tour/stage management, sound engineering, music video and photography.”

Announcing today’s funding totalling £1,108,853, Big Lottery Fund Scotland chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “Today’s funding will help to unlock the talents of thousands of young Scots. Creative projects, such as music and film production, can really inspire young people to follow their dreams while building skills and confidence for the future.

“The Young Start programme creates opportunities for children and young people to help them be all they can be and these projects reflect that aim.”