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Ed Sheeran wrote an open letter to the British government to ask for urgent and lasting investments in musical education. The proposal: a 250 million pound package to finance schools, teachers, spaces and music programs in the United Kingdom.
To sign with him there are Elton John, Coldplay, Central Cee, Stormzy, Harry Styles, Robert Plant and hundreds of names from the music industry, from the world of education and civil society. The request is clear: to create a transversal task force, because musical education does not end “between the cracks of the system”.
The letter – addressed to the Prime Minister, the Labor leader Keir Starmer – starts from a data: music generates 7.6 billion pounds for the UK economy every year, but “the next generation is not ready to collect the witness”. The numbers show it: “In 2023, for the first time in over twenty years, no UK artist entered the global top 10 of individuals or albums”. And in public schools (where he studied 93% of British children), the teaching of music has dropped by 21%.
Among the objectives of the proposed plan: more funds for schools, training for teachers, support for small venues, apprenticeship programs and a more inclusive curriculum. The project is promoted by the Ed Sheeran Foundation, born in January with the mission of making musical education accessible, especially in the territories where it is completely missing today. According to a BPI 2019 survey – the association that represents the main record labels of the United Kingdom and organizes the Brit Awards – one in four schools in disadvantaged contexts does not even offer an hour of music per week.
Sheeran's appeal comes after some positions on the Brit Awards 2025. Myles Smith, awarded as Rising Starhe said from the stage: «I grew up in a state school, the son of a single mother, and I had access to musical instruments only thanks to public funds. If we celebrate British music, we must also protect its foundations ». Even the Ezra Collective – awarded as the best British band – thanked “teachers and youth centers who allow the boys to play”.
