2023 sets Orchestras Live on a path of growth – for the organisation, for our audiences and participants, and for the orchestral sector itself.

With networks – local, regional, national and international - reaching across and beyond the orchestral sector, we are uniquely placed to advocate for the role of music in improving the population’s health and wellbeing and championing community co-creation and civic engagement.

The changes we want to help bring about:

Our new three-year advocacy strategy (covering 2023-26) will see our CEO and trustees working to influence key policy and decision makers to bring about the following changes:

• Campaigning for more centralised funding to improve health outcomes for the general population through music-making and in turn the wellbeing of the nation.

• Working to improve the orchestra business model; equally valuing the ‘return’ from professional performance and community creative engagement, in order to create a resilient and sustainable sector, which celebrates all types of music-making.

• Working to support and amplify the leadership and advocacy of sector organisations who want to diversify the talent in the music leader pipeline.

• Better access to music education provision in schools.

How will we do this?

We will continue to showcase the best of what our sector does through our various communications channels including our blog, our Tea break series on YouTube and our Regenerate series of online and in-person debates and events.

We will share data, research and outcomes with specific decision makers in order to build cases for support and influence policy decisions.

We will share best practice at events to develop the sector’s knowledge and its ability to deliver positive change for UK communities.

Our recent advocacy activity includes:

• Chair and CEO meeting with the Music Education Lead at the Department for Education (Mar 2023)
• CEO presentation at Governance NOW conference on relocating to Leeds (Feb 2023)
• In-person Regenerate event on building a virtual touring network at Association of British Orchestras (ABO) Conference (Feb 2023)
• Co-led the Orchestras in Healthcare and National Performance Advisory Group (NPAG) for Arts, Heritage and Design in Hospitals network event (Jan 2023)

We are a co-founder of the Orchestras in Healthcare Network with the ABO, publishing the first report on the extent of orchestras work in healthcare settings in 2021. Now incorporating the NHS National Performance Advisory Group for Art, Design & Heritage, the group will be conducting a new survey to update that report in 2023.

We are a member of Black Lives in Music and Sound and Music's Fair Access Principles and have completed Music Masters I’M IN inclusive music index programme.

If you would like to discuss supporting or collaborating with us on our priority advocacy areas, please contact our Communications Strategist, Alex Marshall.