The Sun reported that Grammy-winning singer Ed Sheeran is spending the year to help young people have better access to quality music education in the United Kingdom.
To kick things off, Sheeran reportedly built a recording studio at his former school, Thomas Mills High, in Framlington, Suffolk. He also reportedly spent hundreds of pounds on musical instruments for its students after his music teacher informed him in 2018 about the government's funding cuts on music education.
"I started doing that in the county I'm from, and we've just now changed to doing it nationwide," Sheeran told the outlet. "I'm now visiting more high schools that really need music funding and you can see what a difference it makes."
Sheeran admitted that he is not "an academic person," saying he would be viewed as "stupid" in the real world.
"But I excelled at music and therefore people think I'm good at something," the "Shape Of You" singer pointed out. "I found it massively helpful to be at a state-funded school that really encouraged that. They've basically cut funding for that in England so I'm doing what I can to get funding for it. The new government will be better at it, I think."
After the recently concluded UK General Elections, the Labor party ended a 14-year Conservative party rule in the country - British politician Sir Keir Starmer was reported to be the incoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Following the news, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) expressed its anticipation for the United Kingdom government to enact necessary changes concerning musicians and artists in the country.
"It's especially important that we can pick up on unfinished business from the previous Parliament, and quickly deliver the much-anticipated reforms to music streaming alongside greater support for the live music ecosystem," FAC chief executive officer David Martin said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. "Music and culture should play a key role in the UK's future success, so it's vital that the foundations of our business are reset on a sound and artist-friendly footing."
Meanwhile, UK Music Chief Tom Kiehl expressed his support for the "music loving PM" Starmer. He urged the incoming Prime Minister to use his "resounding mandate for change" to boost the sector's jobs, growth, and opportunity.
"The incoming Labour Government has been elected on a platform to implement a plan for the creative sector as part of its industrial strategy. The potential of the UK music industry to contribute to growth must be at the heart of this plan," Kiehl said, as quoted by The Independent.
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