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.
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).
“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.
A recent report by the Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) highlighted a 56% decline in music teacher recruitment since 2011.
One of the grassroots organisations visited by Sheeran was Sound Progression in Cardiff, which offers weekend music lessons and mentoring to young people with the foundation’s support.
Paul Lyons, Sound Progression’s founder, and a DJ and music producer, said: “Our young people come from diverse backgrounds across Cardiff and enjoy creating music in various genres from afrobeats to indie.
“Our weekend workshops serve as safe, inclusive spaces that unite communities — but without additional investment, we risk losing this and the incredible talent they nurture.”
Coventry Alternative Provision Academy and Coventry Music have also partnered with the organisation to acquire studio space for young people without a school place through exclusion or in need of a mainstream education.
Glenn Mellor, the academy’s head teacher, said: “Music is so important for our young people.
“Having this studio reaches them in a way that will inspire them to believe they can go further with their ambitions and future careers.”
Born in Halifax, Sheeran, who began his career in 2004, has had 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, and has become known in recent years for his support of relegation-threatened Premier League football club Ipswich Town, which he sponsors.
