Peter and Philippa Gould Bursary

What is the purpose of the bursary?

The bursary will be awarded for 12-months to promote the development of gifted young musicians who have the aspiration, commitment, potential and talent to follow a career in music. The bursary will seek to help young musicians and their families overcome hurdles that may otherwise prevent them from achieving that goal. At the end of the 12-month period, recipients may re-apply for further support.

How can the funding be used?

Eligible use of the bursary may include:

• Funding towards the cost of high-quality professional tuition, and travel to and from those sessions.
• Funding towards the cost of attending one off masterclasses or special activities/events/courses that will significantly enhance the development of a young musician.
• Funding to help with the purchase of a better musical instrument.
• Funding towards the purchase of other musical materials and resources.

Who is eligible to receive the bursary?

The bursary is available to young instrumentalists and composers who are 16 years of age or under whose home address is within the boundaries of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, or who are being educated within those three counties

How to apply for the bursary?

Those wishing to be considered for the bursary, should submit a written application letter to ymmdyfed@gmail.com outlining:

 – the difference the bursary would make given their personal circumstances

–  how the money would be used for the benefit of the young musician

Alongside this, bursary applicants should commit to participating either in the YMMD November masterclasses for instrumentalists or our annual young composer programme. This will allow us to have feedback from the professional musicians leading those activities.

How will the bursary be assessed?

They will be assessed by the YMMD Board of Trustees who will consider the written application alongside feedback from the professional musicians we employ.

How many bursaries and how much money will be awarded each year?

This will be at the discretion of the YMMD Board of Trustees. There may be some years when no bursary is awarded, but there may be others when several are awarded. What is of critical importance is that the bursary is targeted at the most deserving young people and at the right time in their development.

How does this link in with the Rhosygilwen Music Bursary, which is also facilitated by YMMD?

The two bursaries have discrete functions and complement one other. The Rhosygilwen Music Bursary provides a young musician with £3,000 of funding each year for the first two years of study at a university or conservatoire. The Peter and Philippa Gould Music Bursary will be targeted at younger musicians, and aims to develop a pipeline of young talent, some of whom may well be future recipients of the Rhosygilwen Bursary.