One of the actions outlined in OC’s new Strategic Plan is to “use our newsletter and the blogging capacity on our website to feature in-depth stories about members’ successes and challenges”. It’s time to admit the truth: while we sincerely strive to make Orchestra News as fresh and interesting as possible (46 times per year), the format does not always lend itself to in-depth coverage of the interesting and innovative work going on onstage and behind the scenes at Canadian orchestras – nor does OC’s tiny but mighty staff team know everything that’s going on.

We could moan about this, or we could ask for help. We’ve chosen the latter course: if your organization is working on something you think is interesting, innovative, perhaps even game-changing – write it up! We’ll edit for consistency, ensure that it’s translated, and post it on our website as a Letter from the Field.

We’re inaugurating this new approach with a post from Sophie Galaise, Directrice générale of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, who tells the story of Contact Culture, a remarkable collaboration spearheaded by the OSQ that is providing cultural managers in Québec’s national capital region with real-time information about audiences. You can learn all about it, here.