David calls for a rethink on rushed YLI Music and Drama Service closure plans (Bradford Liberal Democrats)

Bradford Liberal Democrats <info@bradfordlibdems.org.uk>

David calls for a rethink on rushed YLI Music and Drama Service closure plans

January 25, 2012 5:12 PM
Originally published by David Ward MP

Bradford MP David Ward has called for the closure of the Music and Drama Service in Wakefield to be delayed to allow time to find a way of keeping the service open.

The Wakefield based collection holds more than 500,000 items of music and 90,000 copies of plays, making it one of the largest collections of performing sets anywhere in the UK. It is available not only to individual users, schools and music and drama groups in the Yorkshire and Humber area but also to organisations and groups outside of the region on a pay per use basis.

The 12 local authorities that use the service have agreed in principle to end the service in March 2012 and are due to consider their decision at their next meeting on the 26^th January. In a letter to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt David wrote that the closure of the service would be a huge blow to community music and drama groups in Bradford and across the country and urged him to intervene to delay the closure until a sustainable solution can be found.

Commenting David said:

"This is a unique collection, and I know from my postbag that the service it provides is hugely valued by the many local music and drama groups who use it. A number of local choirs and orchestras have contracted me that they simply would not be able to continue to performing without the access to the affordable music that the collection provides

"Suggestions have been put forward to make the service more affordable for local authorities, but we need time to work these through. The 12 local authorities involved need to listen to the concerns of local groups and realise how hugely damaging the rushed closure of this service could be."

The text of David Ward's letter is as follows:

Dear Jeremy

You may be aware that the Yorkshire Libraries & Information (YLI) Music and Drama Service is under threat. Unless a solution can be found soon, we risk losing this service for good, which would be a huge blow for amateur community music and drama groups in Bradford and across the country.

The service makes 500,000 items of music and 90,000 plays available to individual users, schools, music and drama groups throughout the UK. It is funded by modest contributions from 12 Yorkshire local authorities in combination with user fees. This funding makes it possible for thousands of people to enjoy music in their communities, supports young musicians and helps foster careers in the arts. However, the future of the service has been thrown into doubt as some of the participating authorities have recently expressed a reluctance to continue their support.

It is imperative that the collection be kept together and in the public domain. If this service was lost the costs of amateur music and drama would be significantly increased, as groups are forced to look elsewhere for sources of music. Numerous local music groups and choirs have told me that this could make their activities unaffordable.

There have been a number of proposals make more sustainable, by relocating it to another local authority library, undertaking efficiency savings and increasing user fees. However, without continued local authority support it seems likely that we will lose this unique service for good.

I urge you to intervene in this matter, and to bring pressure to bear on all 12 local authorities to delay taking any decision on the future of the service until all of the options can be fully considered and sustainable way of preserving this invaluable service can be found.

With best wishes

David Ward MP