Take your musical dreams to the next level with the Arts Council

Take it away makes interest free loans available to anyone in Northern Ireland who wants to buy the musical instrument of their choice and is an extension of the popular Arts Council England scheme. It works by letting you spread the cost of your new musical instrument over 10 months, making it more affordable to get playing. A 10% deposit is required up front with the remainder to be paid back in 9 monthly instalments – completely interest free.

Speaking about the introduction of the scheme to Northern Ireland, Rosa Solinas, Head of Music at the Arts Council says;

“The Take it away loan scheme is designed to make musicianship more affordable for all and, in doing so, we hope it will help foster our next generation of home-grown musicians, across all genres. The scheme has been hugely successful in England and we are now delighted to be able to make it available to everyone in Northern Ireland.

“In the first year of the scheme in England, just over a quarter (27 per cent) of instruments were bought for young people, while almost half (46 per cent) of sales were to beginners or re-starters. I think these stats make for a very positive message in support of our view that playing music can have a positive impact on people’s lives, especially young people, and it is a great way to help build confidence and develop creativity, whether purely for pleasure or as part of a career.”

To find out more on the Take it away scheme, visit the Arts Council of Northern Ireland website at www.artscouncil-ni.org/Takeitaway.