Ed Sheeran has written to UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and UK government officials, calling for long-term funding for UK music education.
It follows on from the launch of the Ed Sheeran Foundation in January. The nationwide initiative is aimed at providing inclusive, high-quality music education.
In an open letter, Sheeran – alongside a host of music industry voices including Harry Styles and Central Cee – has appealed to the UK government to commit £250 million pounds of funding towards music education, which would provide support and focus across the sector.
To protect and grow music education, Sheeran is campaigning for five key areas of growth as part of his newly-launched Ed Sheeran Foundation:
– music funding in schools
– training for music teachers
– funding for grassroots venues/spaces
– music apprenticeships,
– a diverse music curriculum
Addressing the Prime Minister as well as the departments of Culture, Education, Foreign Office, Health & Social Care and Business & Trade, Sheeran and other music industry voices believe a cross-departmental taskforce will provide the required attention, focus and funding for music education.
The letter, which unites voices across the artist community and music industry, has already surpassed 500 signatures. It follows on from two speeches at last month’s BRIT Awards, where Myles Smith and Ezra Collective urged the UK government to address the demise of grassroots venues, music funding, and music education.
Learning an instrument and getting up on stage – whether in school or a community club – is now a luxury not every child can afford
Ed Sheeran
Sheeran recently marked the new foundation’s launch by visiting young people, teachers and youth workers in Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast.
The foundation has already supported 18 grassroots music education organisations and state school music departments, impacting over 12,000 children and young people.
The full letter from Sheeran to the Prime Minister is below.
Dear Sir Keir Starmer
We are writing collectively as artists, civil society and industry, appealing to your personal belief in music and the promise of opportunity for all under Labour.
Learning an instrument and getting up on stage – whether in school or a community club – is now a luxury not every child can afford.
As an industry, we bring in £7.6 billion into the UK economy, yet the next generation is not there to take the reins. Last year was the first in over 20 years without a UK global top 10 single or album in the charts. Myles Smith and Ezra Collective said it best at the 2025 BRIT Awards:
How many more venues need to close, how many music programs need to be cut before we realise that we can’t just celebrate success, we have to protect the foundations that make it? - Myles Smith
This moment right here is because of the great youth clubs, and the great teachers and the great schools that support young people playing music. - Ezra Collective
The time to act is now. State schools – which educate 93% of the country’s children – have seen a 21% decrease in music provision.
We welcome Lisa’s 10-point plan for music raised in the House of Commons on 16th January 2025. Bridget, David, Jonathan and Wes – we also need you standing up for music education. Artists and industry can’t deliver on the world stage for the UK without schools, youth clubs and stages at home.
We collectively ask for a £250m UK music education package this Spring to repair decades of dismantling music. Music education is cross- departmental: Culture, Education, Foreign Office, Health & Social Care and Business & Trade.
Music in and out of school should be for all, not a few. We are up against five fights to protect and grow music education and we need you all:
1. FUND MUSIC IN SCHOOLS, LIKE SPORT.
Deliver a Music & Arts Pupil Premium to schools (the Sports Premium is currently £324m); fund extra £32m for Music Hubs each year.
2. CLOSE THE GAPS, MUSICIANS AS MUSIC TEACHERS.
Urgently train 1,000 music teachers to end the 56% fall in recruitment; stop the closures of university music departments, like Cardiff University.
3. LAUNCH UK-WIDE FUND FOR GRASSROOTS MUSIC COLLABORATION.
1/4 of youth music spaces are considering closing, and over 2/3 are only surviving short-term.
4. LAUNCH FAIR AND INDUSTRY-FIT MUSIC APPRENTICESHIPS.
Only 0.5% of apprenticeships are in the creative sector; launch 500 music apprenticeships UK-wide, with new festival apprenticeships and industry readiness support for youth at-risk.
5. DIVERSIFY THE CURRICULUM, INCLUDE INDUSTRY VOICES.
Establish a teacher and industry special task force for a diverse, industry-informed curriculum; remove the Ebacc, include music in the Ofsted report card in England.
We understand that there are many pressures. As artists, civil society and industry, we want to be part of the solution.
We look forward to hearing your reply soon. Yours faithfully,
Ed Sheeran
BACKED BY:
Annie Lennox OBE
Ben Lovett & Ted Dwane (Mumford & Sons)
Central Cee Coldplay
Dave
David Arnold
Eric Clapton
Fekky
Fred Again
Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol)
Harry Styles
James Bay
Katrina Leskanich
Lucy Rose
Maisie Peters
Myles Smith
Nathan Duvall (DISCIPLES)
Oliver Sykes (Bring Me The Horizon)
Paloma Faith
Robert Plant CBE
Richard Curtis
Sandie Shaw MBE
Sir Elton John CH, CBE, Hon RAM
Sleaford Mods
Stormzy
YolanDa Brown OBE DL
ALONG WITH 612 ARTISTS, MUSIC INDUSTRY LEADERS, EDUCATORS AND MORE
FOLLOW 
