D'Art 8: Musical instrument banks: online materials

Co-hosted by UNESCO,
01 July 2003, International

D'Art Report: Musical Instrument Banks: online materials

D'Art Topics in Arts Policy no. 8, July 2003

IFACCA and the UNESCO Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, France

This report was initiated by a request from UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity, which was searching for materials to help it formulate a project to develop instrument donation schemes in Africa. The report surveys programs that lend musical instruments such as instrument banks, libraries and loan schemes. The report distinguishes between two types of ‘banks’
- community access, where instruments are supplied to people who are unable to access instruments in order to encourage musical creation; and
- professional development, where good quality instruments are supplied to people with some musical experience to encourage improved playing.

The report provides links to key online materials for existing schemes and describes some common elements of musical instrument banks. The resources will be of interest to anyone looking to develop such a scheme, or anyone who is looking to review or improve the policies and guidelines for an existing scheme.