Plans for new South Yorkshire music education hub get go-ahead

Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys are one of the South Yorkshire music scene's biggest success stories

A new music hub aimed at supporting young people to develop skills is set to be established in South Yorkshire.

An application to Arts Council England for funding for the project is to be submitted by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA).

The proposals would bring together the region's existing music hubs into a "strategic collaborative partnership", the SYMCA said.

Its board approved plans to apply for the funding at a meeting on Thursday.

A paper drawn up by officials said the new hub would build upon South Yorkshire's "rich, diverse and growing music ecosystem" and "enhance music education delivery across the region", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Music hubs were created in 2012 to enable access to education for young people, allowing them to learn instruments and to develop their talents.

There are 117 hubs across the country, including one each in Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham.

Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective said earlier this week that music funding needed to diversify to create more opportunities outside London.

The capital dominated this year's nominations as well, making up three quarters of artists in the running for album of the year.