Singer Ed Sheeran has launched a foundation in his name to support music education in the UK.
The Ed Sheeran Foundation will aim to provide inclusive music education and has already supported 18 grassroots music education organisations and state school music departments across the country.
Introducing the Ed Sheeran Foundation. We offer support and advocate for meaningful music education for every child. pic.twitter.com/S8MGbQXXO2
— Ed Sheeran Foundation (@edsheeranfnd) January 9, 2025
It will aim to improve access to music for more than 12,000 children and young people by providing instruments, creating performance opportunities and opening pathways into the industry.
Speaking about his new project, Sheeran, 33, said: "Music education has shaped who I am. I've always enjoyed playing music, and it’s led to some of the best moments of my life."
In an Instagram post, he said: "I set up @edsheeranfnd because recently there’s been less and less importance being put on music education.
"Even when I was in school it was seen as a 'doss subject’ and not taken seriously.
"There’s a misconception that it’s not a real job - when the music industry accounts for 216,000 jobs in so many different fields and bringing as much as £7.6 billion in a year to the UK economy.
"Not to mention the power our art has worldwide to bring joy to people. It’s something we should be proud of and championing in the UK, not sweeping under the rug and pretending we are just bankers (no offence to bankers obvz).
"It was incredible for my mental health as a kid, feeling a sense of purpose and achievement, even just learning piano or cello at a young age way before songwriting.
"I want kids to be able to learn instruments, learn production and songwriting, performing, and have apprenticeship schemes help them learn different skills to enter the industry.
"I employ 150 people on tour who all have different skill sets, there’s also labels, management, publishing, promoters. Music is such a key part of our society.
"The more I do travelling around and visiting schools and grassroots projects, the more I see there’s passion and inspiring people, who are being undervalued and underserved.
"I’m hoping this foundation is a start to giving them the support they need to keep going and show them they are hugely important to us."
The Thinking Out Loud singer marked the creation of his foundation by visiting young people, teachers and youth workers in Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast.
In addition to providing hands-on support, the foundation will advocate for greater recognition of music’s "transformative power" in young people’s lives and the "essential" role of music teachers.
Source; Press Association
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