GUILDHALL Young Artists Taunton is joining the Guildhall Young Artists national network of centres, which provide training, teaching and support for children and young people wanting to experience performing arts.

Michael Eavis, creator of The Glastonbury Festival, said: “This centre is vital if we are to develop the next generation of talent from every background.

"Young people living in a rural area like Somerset have sometimes had to relocate or travel long distances to obtain high-quality performing arts opportunities, but with Guildhall Young Artists Taunton, I am pleased to say that this is no longer the case."

Charles Hazlewood, conductor and artistic director of Paraorchestra, said: "Having a place like Guildhall Young Artists Taunton is a real asset for all children and young people in Somerset.

"To have a centre with this breadth of imagination and acumen is a vital resource, to fuel the potential of future generations of music makers and performers.

"This unique performing arts centre, which my daughter has been a member of, where she felt included and inspired, ensures that children and young people from all backgrounds in Somerset can access high-quality training."

Guildhall Young Artists Taunton is run and overseen by Guildhall School, in partnership with Richard Huish College, where the centre is based, and Sound Foundation Somerset, the Music Education Hub for Somerset.

More than 100 students take part in Guildhall Young Artists Taunton activities, including weekly Saturday courses and summer schools. Bursaries and financial support are offered to almost 30 per cent of students, with 82 per cent educated at state schools in Somerset.

Across the Guildhall Young Artists network, more than 1,500 students are involved in centre activities, with students from over 700 schools and 23 counties attending courses each week.

Saba, age 14, a student at Guildhall Young Artists Taunton, said: “Coming from a small school where I am one of a handful of musicians means that any kind of orchestra is out of the question. At GYA Taunton I get to regularly play in a group and gain skills that I wouldn’t get playing on my own.”