Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has penned an open letter to UK government officials, calling for both immediate and long-term funding into music education.

The letter, co-signed by music icons including Fred Again, Elton John, Coldplay, Central Cee, Harry Styles, Stormzy, and Robert Plant, urges British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to commit £250 million towards music education “to repair decades of dismantling music”.

• READ MORE: Brian Eno: “The biggest problem about AI is not intrinsic to AI. It’s to do with the fact that it’s owned by the same few people”

This follows the launch of the Ed Sheeran Foundation in January, a nationwide initiative aimed at providing inclusive, high quality music education.

“As an industry, we bring in £7.6bn into the UK economy, yet the next generation is not there to take the reins,” the letter states. “Last year was the first in over 20 years without a UK global top 10 single or album in the charts.”

“The time to act is now. State schools – which educate 93% of the country’s children – have seen a 21% decrease in music provision.”

“Artists and industry can’t deliver on the world stage for the UK without schools, youth clubs and stages at home,” it continues. “We collectively ask for a £250m UK music education package this Spring to repair decades of dismantling music. Music education is cross-departmental: Culture, Education, Foreign Office, Health & Social Care and Business & Trade.”

“We understand that there are many pressures,” the letter concludes. “As artists, civil society and industry, we want to be part of the solution.”

The call for action follows high-profile speeches at the BRIT Awards earlier this month, including from Rising Star winner Myles Smith, who has also endorsed the letter.

While accepting his award, Smith urged the government, venue conglomerates, and music executives to do more to support emerging artists.

“I was a kid raised by a single mum on free school meals in a state school that only had instruments because of government-backed schemes. And I’m somehow here, a four time BRIT nominee, a graduate from a Russell Group university and having the biggest hit single of 2024,” Smith said [via NME].

“But tonight, whilst I have the attention of the nation, and this award which gives me this really cool speaking power, I want to ask three questions. My first is to the government – if British music is one of the most powerful cultural exports we have, why have we treated it like an afterthought for so many years?”

“How many more venues need to close, how many music programs need to be cut before we realise that we can’t just celebrate success, we have to protect the foundations that make it.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

The post Ed Sheeran pens open letter urging UK government to invest £250 million in music education “to repair decades of dismantling music” appeared first on MusicTech.