“The Windsor Symphony Orchestra used a $213,900 government grant to purchase video equipment and hire video technicians, which allowed it to complete two concert seasons that were fully virtual during the pandemic,” writes Julie Kotsis in Friday’s (7/15) Windsor Star (Toronto, Canada). “The Grow grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation was received in June 2020, and provided the means for the WSO to adjust to the forced termination of in-person concert performances due to COVID-19. The grant allowed the symphony to bridge two demographics—a traditional live concert audience that was not necessarily tech-savvy, and a new virtual audience that was comfortable with technology but may not have previously engaged with the WSO or other orchestra…. The WSO also adapted a new digital marketing strategy that it said resulted in a 50-per-cent increase in subscribers.” WSO Executive Director Sheila Wisdom said the grant “came when the WSO needed it most…. In the face of COVID, this grant helped the WSO shift from live concert performances into a new virtual realm that our patrons have really been enjoying.”
Change font size
