Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:33 pm on 3 February 2021.
I'll just declare my membership of the Musicians Union interest. The challenge for us, of course, is what the new normal is actually going to be. And I think we're going to have to be very fleet of foot and flexible in the way in which we adapt and encourage live music during the changing environment that David Melding was referring to. It was a very wide-ranging report and the evidence sessions, I think, in many ways were an eye-opener for many of us in certain aspects. I have real concerns about the challenge of getting live music up and running again in venues, and I think there's clearly going to be a need for support.
I also have concerns about the challenge now, after almost 12 months of COVID, for some of the established music events we have as part of our culture. And I think of things like the choirs and brass bands, where having got out of the routine of performing and engagement, whether there is suddenly going to be a gap in the flow of new members and the ability to perform. And this is such a historic and valuable part of our culture that we really do have to look at how we may encourage and support in a different way.
My approach to aspects of the report is really to focus on the grass-roots music, and the issues of equality that emerged, and that is that we've got to start looking at live music and culture in a different way that is far more accessible. So, I was really quite interested in some of the evidence that we had, which actually began to link the issue of music venues and events and travel and transport—the ability to actually access. And the reason why many people from many of the poorer or even working-class communities are unable to access is because of the lack of an interlink between that accessibility. And maybe that is something that we can now look at, particularly now that we own a greater part of the railways and we're looking at greater co-ordination of travel.
The big issue for me though, if I had to really go on one, is the seed corn of our future, and that is music in schools. That is the learning, the consistent financing and the fact that I am convinced we have a major equality gap developing within our schools in terms of who can afford instruments, who has access to music, the promotion of music as a norm of education. It teaches maths, it teaches social engagement, it teaches so many things that are important to other parts of the curriculum. And I really think, if there was one area that we could really make a massive difference for the future, it is the promotion, the support of music in our schools, producing whole new generations who either just get the self-benefit of music that comes with playing an instrument or engaging in musical and cultural activity, as opposed to the various career options that are inevitably there as part of that economy.
And, finally, just to reiterate the point that Bethan made: the role of freelancers. The very nature of this industry, the very nature of the diversity of it, we have to recognise the number of people engaged within that who are vital to it and who will need support for many years to come. Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd.