Money Matters: Government Policy, Funding and Youth Music

Abstract

Community-based organisations (CBOs) are conceived of as much more than designated creative and cultural ‘safe spaces’ for youth. They are increasingly viewed by policy-makers, and very often by marginalised youth and their youth workers, as pathways to employment. CBOs are increasingly becoming strategically governmentally positioned as significant nodes within a broad socio-cultural, economic and political web of reflexive networks (Hartley, 2005). As outlined in Chapter 1, the CBOs in our project are defined as alternative learning sites that are used by youth voluntarily to meet a range of skills-based needs. They encompass youth clubs and special programs for youth within performing arts, community, detention and church centres.

How do you take the anecdotal evidence of effectiveness of the funded projects to show governments that this is working, important…? (Sally, UK Youth Music program, interview, 13 January 2005)

We want them to participate, to have responsibility in order to help them grow up. That’s a big part of it. (Youth worker, Haus der Jugend, Berlin, interview, 16 April 2004)

The trick for you [funded youth programs] is to justify the programs through hard and fast numbers. I know I am doing a good job, but I don’t know how I am doing it. (Youth worker, Boston, USA, interview, 9 September 2004)