Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada

Archives: Resources

What is Indigenous Song?

In this panel discussion, Dylan Robinson, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, and Rasentonkwa Tarbell explore Indigenous song through a range of perspectives and topics. They discuss Indigenous song as history; the importance of context for Indigenous song; rights to songs among nations, communities, families, and individuals; as well as practices and protocols related to the learning and sharing of Indigenous song. The panelists also consider the challenges and opportunities of collaboration between Indigenous artists and orchestras.

Recording available here.

Perspectives on Louis Riel

Harry Somers’ opera Louis Riel first premiered at the Canadian Opera Company (COC) in 1967, marking the centennial of Canadian confederation. Fifty years later, in 2017, the COC and National Arts Centre (NAC) revived this Canadian opera for the sesquicentennial “Canada 150.” The opera’s third act originally opens with an aria, “Kuyas,” adapted by Somers from the Nisga’a peoples’ “Song of Skateen” without consent and in violation of Nisga’a law. This uncredited aria and the conversation surrounding it between Indigenous artists, scholars, leaders, the COC, and the NAC leading up to the opera’s 2017 production are the subject of this panel discussion.

Moderated by Dylan Robinson, Stó:lō scholar and Queen’s University’s Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts, with panelists Alexander Neef, General Director, Canadian Opera Company; Jani Lauzon, multidisciplinary artist and performer in 2017’s Louis Riel; Ian Cusson, Carrefour Composer, National Arts Centre Orchestra; and Simone Osborne, Soprano and Marguerite Riel in 2017’s Louis Riel.

An audio recording of this panel discussion can be found here.

Digital Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for the Cultural Sector

From OC’s National Conference 2019: 

John White Fiona MorrisFacebook, and Twitter, and Youtube, oh my! The arts and culture sector operates in an increasingly digital landscape. How do orchestras keep up with the pressures and opportunities of going digital, and where do we strike a balance between online offerings and our live programming? Fiona Morris and John White of The Space lead this workshop on developing and executing an effective digital strategy for your organization. They draw on research and case studies to examine issues like content creation, rights management, and how to really reach audiences online.

The accompanying slide deck can be found here:

Social Prescribing and Orchestras

Social prescribing is a way of referring people from clinical care to a range of local, non-clinical services.  In this lunch & learn, we discuss what social prescribing is, why it is important, and how orchestras might engage with its practitioners. Learn about the history of social prescribing, hear how it’s being scaled up,  and meet leaders in this emerging field.

Hosted by Aaron Mcfarlane, Toronto Symphony Orchestra with special guests Sonia Hsiung, Social Prescribing Pilot Lead, Alliance for Healthier Communities; Janis Dahl, Health Promoter, Centretown Community Health Centre; Surkhab Peerzada, Regional Manager for Chronic Disease, South Riverdale Community Health Centre.

The accompanying slide deck can be found here:

An audio recording of the presentation can be found here.

Transcending Differences Through the Arts

From OC’s National Conference 2019: 

“I firmly believe that the arts are the only pure vehicle we have in today’s society that cross cultural and ethnic barriers and allow people to transcend their differences.” – Donna Walker-Kuhne

Donna Walker-Kuhne, of Walker International Communications Group and New Jersey Performing Arts Centre (NJPAC), delivers this keynote presentation on welcoming diverse audiences to arts spaces. She discusses what community and diversity mean in different contexts; how the arts connect us across differences; and key tactics for inviting, retaining, and truly making space for arts audiences that “look like the subway station.”

The accompanying slide deck can be found here:

An audio recording of the presentation can be found here

What is Resilience Anyway?

From OC’s National Conference 2019: 

What does the word “resilience” mean? What does it mean across sectors? To your organization? To you? Patrick Towell of The Audience Agency and Golant Media Ventures takes up these questions in his lively and interactive workshop. Drawing from original research, Patrick explores how arts organizations (and the people working within them) view themselves in terms of resilience and how to incorporate more resilient practices into our orchestras.

The accompanying slide deck can be found here:

Inclusive Leadership in Governance

Tools for Fostering a Culture of Inclusion at the Board Level

Cathy WinterFrom OC’s National Conference 2019:

Gender, race, class, sexuality, age, ability – we hear much about how Canada is diverse, but how do we create a culture of inclusion and embrace diversity at the board level? Cathy Winter of OnBoard Canada led this workshop for board members and staff on strategizing for, and practicing, inclusive leadership and governance in the non-profit sector.

A guidebook developed from Cathy’s presentation can be found here:

Making Orchestras OF/BY/FOR ALL

From OC’s National Conference 2019:

Nina Simon“What are we willing to change to welcome new people? What are we willing to change to help new people belong?”

Many would agree that orchestras offer programming FOR our communities, but is our programming truly OF and BY our communities? In her keynote presentation, Nina Simon focuses on the risks and rewards of engaging our communities more closely with our institutions, introducing OF/BY/FOR ALL: a new “global movement and a set of tools to help your organization become of, by, and for your community.” She explores the communities you currently serve and those you wish to involve — she gives take-home tools you can use to talk with your board and colleagues about new opportunities for community involvement that can empower communities and strengthen your organization’s impact.

The accompanying slide deck can be found here:

An audio recording of the presentation can be found here.

Re-sounding the Orchestra

Relationships between Canadian orchestras, Indigenous peoples, and people of colour

  

This report, authored by Soraya Peerbaye and Dr. Parmela Attariwala, was commissioned by Orchestras Canada with support from the Canada Council for the Arts, and OC’s donors. It is the product of over twelve months’ research, and presents perspectives gathered through interviews and roundtable discussions with close to forty administrators, artistic directors, Indigenous musicians, and musicians of colour.

The report is composed of three chapters:

  1. Placing relationships at the heart presents perspectives gathered through these interviews and roundtables.
  2. Defining the terms underlying the IDEA(s) presents a historical and critical overview of issues related to equity and diversity, including systemic inequity and coloniality in Canadian orchestras.
  3. Re-visioning Western classical musical training for the 21st century addresses the changes needed in music education and training, as well as in professional associations, to generate socio-cultural and musical change in Canadian orchestras.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations to Orchestras Canada that include actions, conversations and questions to help advance diversity and equity in Canadian orchestras. In an addendum to the report, Orchestras Canada presents our initial responses to these recommendations.

By commissioning this report, Orchestras Canada has taken a first step to re-defining our role as an arts service organization. We are proud to have started this journey, grateful for the learnings so far, and excited to continue. We humbly acknowledge that we have much more to do.

Re-sounding the Orchestra presents many challenges to ingrained ways of working, but we believe OC’s ability, and in the collective ability of Canadian orchestras (musicians, artistic leaders, board members, direct service volunteers, staff, and audiences) to respond to these new challenges.

Contact

Katherine Carleton
Executive Director
Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada
[email protected] | 705-243-6640 | 1-877-809-7288 x 1

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts

Logo, Canada Council for the Arts