We’ve just awarded eight new grants from our annual International Sponsorship Fund to a diverse range of music education organisations around the world. This year’s fund is going to organisations in Australia, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar and South Africa. The variety of activities is enormous. Some are focused on widening musical and educational opportunities: South Africa’s Access Music Project is giving young people opportunities for ensemble learning; the Ensámble de Percusión Costa Rica UNED is delivering valuable outreach projects; Child’s Play India Foundation is running a ‘cello project with disadvantaged children in Goa; and the Mangrove Music Initiative is nurturing community music making in Indonesia. Other projects are more about developing and sharing expertise. In Qatar we’re funding the Qatar Music Academy so they can bring in an internationally recognised conductor to work with their youth orchestra, in Australia we’re supporting Mount Pleasant College’s Early Music masterclasses, and our grant to the Penang Jazz Society is allowing them to run a jazz camp for local musicians. Encouraging and rewarding excellence is another strand, with the BritchamDR Young Musician of the Caribbean Award providing a new opportunity to discover and celebrate the music talent of the region.We’re delighted to be supporting all our International Sponsorship Fund 2019 recipients and look forward to sharing news and updates from them throughout the year. The ABRSM International Sponsorship Fund was created in 2012 and allows us to support a wide range of organisations, outside the UK and Ireland, that are inspiring musical achievement. Find out more here.