New independent chair for Board of South Coast Music Partnership

South Coast Music Partnership is pleased to announce the appointment of Jane Bryant as the new independent chair.

South Coast Music Partnership is a Consortium appointed by Arts Council England to lead the Music Hub covering Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton, as part of a national programme to provide high-quality music education for all children and young people. The consortium comprises SoundStorm (on behalf of the current BCP Music Hub), Portsmouth Music Service (on behalf of Portsmouth City Council) and Southampton & Isle of Wight Music (on behalf of Southampton City Council and Isle of Wight Council).

The Music Hub, and their networks of partners including music and arts organisations and schools, are all working together under a joint framework to bring more musical opportunities to more children and young people across the south coast area both in schools and in the wider community. Representing the Consortium with Arts Council England as Hub Lead Organisation (HLO) is Southampton & Isle of Wight Music (on behalf of Southampton City Council and Isle of Wight Council).

Executive Manager, Kath Page, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Jane to the South Coast Music Partnership Board and look forward to drawing from her experience of working in the arts and the creative education and music sectors.”

Jane brings a wealth of experience from a number of different roles including, most recently, as former Chief Executive of Artswork, a post which she held from 2010 to 2020. Jane’s previous roles also include work with Coda Music Trust, with Arts Council England, with Southern Arts, and with the Scottish Arts Council. She started her career as a teacher of music in the Orkney Islands, subsequently taking up a post as Head of Music in an international school. She is currently a trustee of Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy and is also Chair of Winchester Poetry Festival. With a degree in music from the University of Leeds and a postgraduate teaching certificate from Edinburgh, Jane currently conducts two choirs in Hampshire and is also studying part time for an MA in Music Education from University College London.

Jane commented:

“I am delighted to be appointed as the new Chair of the South Coast Music Partnership, working alongside the Music Hub Consortium to ensure the effective delivery of the new National Plan for Music Education (NPME) both in and out of school settings. I have always been committed to the value of music and the arts as an integral and vital part of the education of children and young people and in reaching those with least current opportunities, and have a profound belief in their power to transform lives. It will be a privilege to work with the South Coast Music Partnership and their partners to ensure that all children and young people can access high quality music education opportunities that meet their needs.”

The appointment of the independent chair will ensure strong governance for the Partnership and strategic oversight for the delivery of the National Plan for Music Education. South Coast Music Partnership will receive £1.6m investment from the Department for Education. This includes £1.2m to coordinate music education activities, as well as £400,000 to invest in new musical instruments, equipment and technology to meet the needs and ambitions of children and young people in the region, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.