As part of our ongoing commitment to organisational development, we regularly gather insights and feedback from our partners.

Every two years, we conduct a Needs Analysis to understand the current challenges and opportunities faced by our partners and the wider sector. In the years between, we run a focused Partner Survey to check in on perceptions of working with us and how our initiatives are being received. We conducted our most recent partner survey at the end of 2024 and are now pleased to share some key findings and how we plan to act on this feedback.

What our partners told us

When we asked respondents to describe Orchestras Live in three words, the most frequent response was “collaborative”. As collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, it’s gratifying to see this recognised so strongly. From co-producing projects to delivering events, our partnerships are the cornerstone of our work.

Other descriptors that were shared included ‘ambitious’, ‘progressive’, ‘inspiring’, ‘strategic’, ‘creative’, and ‘inclusive’ — affirmations of the values we strive to uphold in all aspects of our work.

Responses also highlighted strong recognition of our leadership role in the sector. A remarkable 97% of respondents valued Orchestras Live as a thought leader (up from 77% in 2023), while 94% agreed that we are a changemaker (up from 83% in 2023).

We've also made notable progress in how we use and share data:

• 94% agreed that we bring evidence-based knowledge and experience that enhances collaboration impact (up from 79% in 2023).

• 93% agreed that we help partners use data to evidence and communicate their work's value (up from 69% in 2023).

Progress on Diversity and Inclusion

We were particularly pleased to see that 74% of our partners reported a positive impact on their diversity and inclusion practices over the past two years as a result of working in partnership with us, a significant increase from 54% in 2022.

Environmental Responsibility and Social Value Measurement

Our commitment to environmental sustainability continues to grow. Over the past year, we've shared insights from our carbon footprint calculations, including a pilot project with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in King’s Lynn.

This work supports more environmentally conscious planning across co-productions. Encouragingly, 29% of our partners reported engaging in planning conversations about reducing the environmental impact of our projects (up from 3% in 2023). Additionally, 9% engaged with our blog posts on digital sustainability and our organisational carbon footprint.

Another key area of development is our recently launched Impact and Evaluation Services, which focus on measuring social value. Many of our partners highlighted the benefits of social value measurement:

• Advocating for the value of cultural work

• Improving funding success

• Enhancing strategic programming

• Maximising social impact for audiences and participants

What Happens Next

While we are pleased with the positive feedback and progress highlighted in the survey, we also recognise areas for improvement. Over the coming months, we will:

• Expand carbon calculation exercises to more projects.
• Continue refining our data-driven evaluation and insight-sharing practices.
• Support partners in measuring and demonstrating social value.
• Continue the rollout of our new Impact & Evaluation Services to enable the sector to access deeper insight and learning about their work.

We are currently reviewing all responses in detail and will share relevant strategic takeaways with our board of trustees. This feedback will guide our plans as we continue to work collaboratively to create innovative, impactful, and inclusive projects that resonate with audiences and communities across the country.

Thank you once again to everyone who contributed to the survey. Your collaboration and insights are vital to the ongoing success of Orchestras Live and the wider orchestral music sector.