Music students benefit from bursary

Monday 21 February 2022

The Guernsey Music Bursary has been created for students leaving the island to study music.

Students will up awarded up to £2,500 per academic year, funded entirely by donations to the bursary scheme.

Tim Wright, Head of the Music Service, said the demand for financial support for music students was evident.

“Every year, I receive enquiries from music students asking whether there is any funding available to support their studies and I had to tell them there weren’t any options,” said Mr Wright.

“There are a lot of bursaries available on the island for professions such as accountancy and law. We wanted the same opportunity to be available for anyone seeking to build a career as a professional instrumentalist or singer.”

Pictured: Orchestra performing at St. James. 

In addition to financial support, students awarded the bursary will also benefit from mentoring during and after their studies. 

Mr Wright said musical studies were particularly important following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I think young people have really struggled over the pandemic with their mental health and wellbeing.

"It’s important for young people to be able to pursue the arts and Guernsey has a wealth of talent in this area who deserve opportunities.”

Although the States offer financial support to students below certain income thresholds, many students with only modest private financial support do not qualify for States’ help.

Recipients of the Guernsey Music Bursary will benefit from financial assistance and mentoring.

The Directors of the new scheme - Mr Wright, Stephen Ainsworth and Susan Lloyd - said: "The Guernsey Music Bursary has been formed to fill [a] gap. As is well known, Guernsey punches well above its weight in developing young musicians and this first step onto the professional ladder is a crucial one.

"In addition to offering some financial support, to assist with the purchase of instruments, scores, and other essentials for their courses, the bursary will provide support in the form of mentoring while they are studying and making appropriate introductions that will assist them in furthering their careers once they have graduated."

Initial capital has been raised from a number of generous donors. This is allowing applications for support from students who have been provisionally accepted on courses starting in September or October 2022 as well as from students who are already in the course of their studies.

Applicants will be assessed on a number of criteria, including their musical experience, aspirations and their contribution to the music scene in Guernsey. The number of bursaries awarded will depend on both the quality of the applications and the level of donations received. As most courses last for four years, the potential commitment to each recipient could amount to up to £10,000.

“We are seeking further donations to meet the initial bursary payments and to build up the charity’s reserves to cover the commitment being made for payments in future years,” said Mr Wright. 

Individuals, corporations and trusts who are interested in making donations to the Guernsey Music Bursary are asked to email Guernsey Arts Commission Chairman and St James’ President Stephen Ainsworth at prevert@cwgsy.net         

Application forms for the bursary are also available by emailing prevert@cwgsy.net

Picture credit: Images in St. James courtesy of Chris George.