LONDON, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Department for Education (DfE) announced new funding Friday of 80 million pounds (105 million U.S. dollars) for music hubs to enable thousands of children to learn musical instruments.

Alongside the investment, charities that help young people learn about different styles of music are also set to receive a further 1.31 million dollars to support the next generation of musicians. Minister for School Standards Nick Gibb announced the multi-million-dollar package on Friday.

"Music, arts and culture play an essential role in enriching students' education, and we want to give as many young people as possible the opportunity to learn an instrument or perform in a choir or a band," Gibb said.

"Our continued investment will play an important role in helping young people widen their horizons and access all the opportunities that learning a musical instrument can provide -- whether that be playing for pleasure or performing," said the minister.

"We're delighted this funding from the Department for Education has been confirmed. These programs support a creative, diverse and inclusive music education for children and young people across England," said Hannah Fouracre, director of music education at Arts Council England.

Meanwhile, further investment will be made in film, dance, theater and design for young people. The DfE said an additional 5.25 million dollars in funding will be put aside for a series of cultural education programs, which will enable more students to put their film-making skills to the test, explore museums or take to the stage.