We’re delighted to announce that, as part of our National Conference in Ottawa this June, we will be running a full-day small-budget orchestra session on Thursday, June 13th.
Date & Time: Thursday, June 13, 9am-5:30
Location: Canada’s National Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON
Cost: $100 + HST
Registration is now closed as we are at capacity
Program
9am-10am: Coffee, check-in
10am-12pm: Peer group meeting with invited guests. Topics on the agenda include:
- Perspectives on accessing funding for smaller budget orchestras: What makes a funding request successful? How do we find likely prospects?
- Doing great work on a shoestring: Identifying, attracting and retaining great board members and volunteers
- Building and maintaining a strong community orchestra: How do we attract skilled volunteer musicians, and keep them happy? What role does programming play? How do we balance “curb appeal” for the audience with the interests of the players? What role do we want and need our music director to play? How do we find the right music director?
- Growing audiences: How can we broaden, deepen, diversify our audiences? What’s working? What role does programming play?
12pm-1pm: Group lunch
1pm-2pm: Peer group meeting continues
2pm-4pm: Choice of conference breakout sessions, focusing on ways that orchestras can engage with increasingly diverse populations, however they define diversity in their communities. Choose one of four options:
- The Creative Case for Social Inclusion: what orchestras are doing to engage more community members
- Orchestral training and career paths: short term “hacks” and long-term changes to diversify orchestras
- Fundraising (panel discussion)
- Resilience and Business models, a workshop with Patrick Towell of Golant Media Ventures, co-author of What is Resilience Anyway?
4pm-4:30pm: Coffee break with other conference delegates
4:30pm-5:30pm: Panel presentation: arts data you can use! Canada Council’s recent research on orchestras, on the demographics of institutions funded through the Engage and Sustain, and on intrinsic arts impact.
5:30pm: Full day program is done. Those wanting to continue the experience can participate in the following evening activities at their own expense. Please register here your interest here, by June 1st.
- Indigenous Walking Tour of Parliament Hill (cost is $15-20 per person depending on the size of the group)
- OrKidstra’s season closing concert (tickets are free but will need to be booked in advance)
- Prix fixe dinner at Le Café ($50 plus tax, tip, and any beverages)
Full Conference
Should any smaller budget groups wish to join us for the full three-day conference, you’d be more than welcome. Information on this can be found in the National Conference area of our website.
