On June 2nd, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), and Artists for Real Climate Action (ARCA) hosted “The Green Sessions: A Day of Learning”. OC staff attended and were blown away! As we explore and contextualize the implications of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for Canadian orchestras under OC’s 2021-2024 strategic […]
Trigger Warning: Mentions of residential schools, abuse, and violence. Earlier this month, the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Confirmation of the number of indigenous children killed by the residential school system grows with each passing day. More and more people are becoming aware of what […]
The staff and board at Orchestras Canada mourn the lives of the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were found at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Tḱemlúps te Secwepemc First Nation since this conversation took place, the long-unacknowledged pain of their families, and the searches ongoing at residential school sites across Canada. Our hearts go out […]
On June 4th, 2021, OC welcomed Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser (Toronto Symphony/Symphony Nova Scotia), Bob Fraser (OCSM), Andrew Bennett (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony), and Robin Whiffen (Against the Grain Theatre) to conclude our three-part series on the Future of the Digital Orchestra. The final forum’s topic: Pride of Work. The conversation began with a summary of research insights from The Arts Firm based […]
On May 28th, 2021, OC welcomed Carol Kehoe (Tafelmusik), Neil Middleton (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), Hugh Donnan (Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra), and Bernard LeBlanc (Canadian Federation of Musicians) to the second forum in our three-part series on the Future of the Digital Orchestra. The topic: Finances. The conversation began with a summary of research insights from The […]
On May 21st, 2021, OC welcomed Janet Bwititi (Director, Marketing & Sales; Calgary Philharmonic), Tanya Derksen (VP of Artistic Production; Philadelphia Orchestra) and Vicki Young (Managing Director; Manitoba Chamber Orchestra) to kick off our three-part series on the Future of the Digital Orchestra. First up: Audiences. The conversation began with a summary of research insights from The […]
Following on the announcement of the Roadmap to Reopen framework announced by Premier Doug Ford on Thursday, OC worked with a group of colleague organizations across the performing arts to frame some specific recommendations to the province on next steps. Those recommendations have now been shared with Premier Ford and colleagues in key cabinet positions. […]
From January 6 – February 24, 2021, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra hosted the Evolution of the Arts in a Digital World Symposium: a free virtual event. Their 8-week Symposium covered a variety of topics including the role digital technology plays in arts organizations, how digital technologies can be used to enhance arts performances, the movement […]
On Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021, OC welcomed members of the Regina Symphony Orchestra Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) for a roundtable discussion. Over the course of a candid 90-minute conversation hosted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Audra Young (IAC chair and RSO board member), Gordon Gerrard (RSO Music Director), Marion Newman (mezzo-soprano), and Christian Robinson (RSO Concertmaster) reflected […]
To mark one year since the pandemic halted the operations of orchestras and arts organizations across Canada, we are diving into some new data about the situation of orchestras. The National Arts and Culture Impact Survey, which was spearheaded by Orchestras Canada and the findings of which were published earlier this year, received responses from 728 […]