Strategic Plan

2019 - 2023 Contents

Purpose & mission Pg. 4

Our values Pg. 5

At a glance Pg. 6

Our artistic vision Pg. 8

Continue to grow as a world-class opera & ballet orchestra Pg. 9

Increase access to classical music for Victorians Pg. 10

Work with stakeholders to develop permanent facilities in the arts precinct Pg. 11

Secure a strong, sustainable financial future Pg. 12

Invest in the wellbeing of our people and their environment Pg. 13

Raise our profile as a specialist live performance partner Pg. 14

Grow our ensemble strength Pg. 15

Document photography by James Geer

Pg. 2 | ORCHESTRA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Orchestra Victoria The quintessential collaborator

As a specialist accompanist of opera and major performing arts companies. It now partner companies , Arts ballet, Orchestra Victoria is the quintessential has the benefit of working under a broader, Centre , NGV, MRC and ABC, and collaborator. Through the orchestra’s expertise highly successful flagship company, as well as creative industries beyond the precinct. the music adds life and emotion to the the opportunity to reimagine itself within an story on the stage. This requires lightning exciting time for the arts precinct in Victoria. The Orchestra of Victoria responsiveness, individually and collectively, Founded on its history as the state’s orchestra, Orchestra Victoria is driven by artistic as every performance is unique. It requires Orchestra Victoria has a long commitment to excellence, a culture of collaboration and an professional stamina and an exceptional regional Victoria to present accessible concerts ambition to innovate. Decades of working with flexibility of style. and education workshops in regional and the national companies, a variety of national outer metropolitan centres across the state in Orchestra Victoria is celebrating 50 years and international conductors and world partnership with those communities. A multi- in 2019. As one of only two specialist pit class artists of many kinds has developed disciplinary collaborator at heart, Orchestra orchestras in , the Company has the orchestra’s ability to adapt to different Victoria will continue to work with Victorian national significance as an expert of ballet and styles and artforms with incredible speed and communities, companies, and stakeholders to opera repertoire. Importantly, the Company’s expertise. Orchestra Victoria will continue to sustain a visionary and vibrant arts community. artistic excellence supports the success of its grow through combining depth of wisdom and key partnerships. experience with new, incoming expertise and a As part of the artistic fabric of Victoria for 50 focus on unceasing evaluation and appraisal. years, it is looking forward to a dynamic future. A new era After a period of transience, the organisation In 2014, Orchestra Victoria became a wholly is now geographically well located within the owned subsidiary of The Australian Ballet after arts precinct, offering exciting opportunities for 44 years of performing together, strengthening new collaborations, alongside the existing well- its future as one of Australia’s most dynamic established partnerships, with neighbouring

Pg. 3 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Purpose & mission

Our purpose To provide excellent orchestral performances for opera and ballet companies.

Our mission To inspire our opera and ballet companies to sing and dance and enthral our audiences with world-class performances.

We realise this through: • Pursuing excellence in all our endeavours; • Being an expert collaborator and performance partner; • Innovating to extend the interdisciplinary artforms in which we work; • Making a difference to the lives of Victorian people and all our audiences; • Growing the understanding of communities with whom we engage; • Sharing our expertise and developing musicians of the future.

Pg. 4 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Our values

Inspiration Custodianship Collaboration Teamwork Social & & & & responsibility quality innovation partnership respect

We are passionately We are expert custodians Our work epitomises We value each other’s We are accountable to committed to our work, of our centuries-old crafts true collaboration and contributions and support our communities and each to excellence and to whilst being committed to partnership. We are each other’s success. other, both now and in the offering inspirational fostering exciting future supportive, reliable, We work respectfully as long term. We engage with performances to our developments in our collegiate, empathetic, a team, as performance and serve our communities fellow artists, the artforms. versatile, responsive partners and as a diligently and responsively. companies who are our and creative. Company. We encourage performance partners inclusion and diversity. and to our audiences.

Pg. 5 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 At a glance

Mission To inspire our opera and ballet companies to sing and dance and enthral audiences with world-class performances.

To be renowned for being a brilliant, inspirational, and collegial performance partner, prodigious expertise in Vision the opera and ballet repertoire, versatility and flexibility, and paradigmatic, accessible outreach programmes.

Strategic goals

Continue to grow as Increase access to Work with stakeholders Secure a strong, Invest in the wellbeing Raise our profile Grow our ensemble a world-class opera classical music for to develop permanent sustainable financial of our people and their as a specialist live strength & ballet orchestra all Victorians facilities in the future environment performance partner arts precinct

By continuing to perform Orchestra Victoria will Orchestra Victoria Looking forward, The wellness of all Orchestra Victoria will With unapologetic at the highest artistic proactively engage will work closely with Orchestra Victoria will members is of the creatively invest in a standards of artistic standards, Orchestra diverse & regional stakeholders towards a prioritise diligence & utmost importance, greater understanding excellence in world- Victoria will be the communities in long-term, sustainable sustainability, work & by leading cultural & appreciation of class orchestral music, performance partner & Victoria to continue home, & use interim with stakeholders for change through best pit orchestras & the combined with stability collaborator of choice to develop tailored & facilities in the arts sustainable funding, practice both in and out artforms its supports & and an appetite for for state, national & sustainable education, precinct to collaborate, & focus upon building of the pit we will invest use digital innovation growth, we are in an international companies. & access to high-calibre increase engagement & key relationships & wholeheartedly in our to build relationships & excellent position to performance. align activities with the partnerships. players & people. secure our future. strategically develop our broader precinct vision. ensemble strength.

Values Inspiration & quality | Custodianship & innovation | Collaboration & partnership Teamwork & respect | Social responsibility

Pg. 6 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Our artistic vision 2019 - 2023

Orchestra Victoria will be renowned for being a brilliant, inspirational, and collegial performance partner, for prodigious expertise in the opera and ballet repertoire, for versatility and flexibility, and for paradigmatic, accessible outreach programmes. The vision for the Company is to be recognised nationally and internationally as an exemplar of excellence in the field of opera and ballet, essential to the artistic health of our national companies, The Australian Ballet and , and to the artistic fabric of Victoria. We will continue to stabilise and strengthen the ensemble, to maintain and grow an orchestra of the highest calibre. As one of only two pit orchestras in the country, Orchestra Victoria has an important role in promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of the music it performs, and the highly-skilled work involved. Such a depth of understanding assists ballet and opera audiences to attain more powerful experiences in the theatre. Acknowledgement and validation of the expertise requisite to first-rate work in the pit will assist the orchestra to become an ensemble of aspiration for developing and experienced musicians alike seeking a collaborative and enriching workplace. Orchestra Victoria will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2019. Loved and supported by constituents across its home State, Orchestra Victoria will spend the anniversary year celebrating the breadth and depth of its work, in the pit and beyond, over the last 50 years. Highlighting the orchestra’s contribution to the development of

Pg. 7 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Australian artists (composers, conductors, soloists, choreographers, singers, orchestral musicians), the program for the year will be designed to underscore the power of music to unify people, across generational, economic and cultural divides, and to effect positive change in communities, be they remote, regional or urban. Establishing fit-for-purpose rehearsal and practice spaces (a ‘home’) for the company is essential for the orchestra to realise its full performance potential. Realising this space forms a vital part of the artistic vision for the coming years. We will work with stakeholders to connect our vision for this space with the development of the broader arts precinct, and collaborate to connect our activities with the creative industry community. In addition, we will further develop community outreach activities for 2020-23, working with strategic partners to continue growing a suite of diverse and sustainable education and outreach programs. These programs will focus on assisting young musicians with career pathways, while meaningfully meeting the diverse needs of communities across Victoria. Alongside, we will continue to work with funding partners and supporters to increase our revenue, so we may grow the ensemble strength to support our artistic excellence and future as a world-class pit orchestra.

Pg. 8 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Continue to grow as a world-class opera & ballet orchestra

Strategic goal 1

Live orchestral music is the indispensable From 2019 to 2023 this means we will partner to ballet and opera. Our musicians • Offer orchestral pit services of an are experts in a specialised field. They must exemplary professional standard; deliver at the highest standard in order for our partner companies to achieve their • Be the first-choice pit performance best possible artistic outcomes. partner for all high-level presenters in By continuing to perform at Victoria; This requires the attraction and retention the highest artistic standards, of highly-skilled players to hone • Have grown our artistic and ensemble skills together over many years. organisational strengths through Orchestra Victoria will be Organisationally, the investment required attraction and retention of high-calibre the performance partner & to achieve excellence needs to be diligently musicians and management; aligned with our core business needs. • Demonstrate systematic investment in collaborator of choice for state, the development national & international ballet of our current and future pit musicians; • Explore and extend our artforms & opera companies. through innovative partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborative work.

Page 9 | Orchestra Victoria Draft Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 Increase access to classical music for Victorians

Strategic goal 2

Orchestra Victoria will pro-actively engage diverse & regional communities in Victoria to continue to develop tailored & sustainable education, and access to high-calibre performance.

We are an orchestra for the people of Victoria, collaborations, big and small, with the support • Engage with communities from diverse and we are committed to offering performance, of government and community partners, artists, backgrounds with limited access to live education and outreach opportunities as widely venues, presenters, schools and teachers, classical music; as possible. As activities must run on a cost- across the state. • Provide learning opportunities for people neutral basis, we will increase our focus upon A key challenge is to run these programs from diverse backgrounds through tailored using our resources effectively and continue to with annually-secured funding. To address education programs; collaborate with community partners to ensure this, we will develop a community access and our regional programs are reaching audiences • Contribute to the development of thriving education plan, and continue to improve our that may not otherwise access live, world-class regional arts communities in Victoria; evaluation tools and data, to support funding classical music. In the next five years we will also initiatives and work towards multi-year and • Use our metropolitan activities and interim identify ways to increase access to a broader sustainable funding. facilities in the arts precinct to increase access range of diverse communities through our and inclusion to orchestral music for people From 2019 to 2023 this means we will metropolitan activities. from diverse backgrounds. We will also increase the understanding of our • Continue to provide free or affordable access artform by providing opportunities to hear and to classical music experiences to people from learn about music and our musicians through regional areas in Victoria;

Page 10 | Orchestra Victoria Draft Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 Work with stakeholders to develop permanent facilities in the arts precinct

Strategic goal 3

Orchestra Victoria will work closely with stakeholders towards a long-term, sustainable home, & use interim facilities in the arts precinct to collaborate, increase engagement & align activities with the broader precinct vision.

Having a permanent home has a direct impact such as composition workshops, and tertiary purpose facility and affordable long-term on our performance potential, our operational masterclasses. A development of a location ‘home’ at the new ACM building at 1 City efficiency, our capacity to plan and develop plan that integrates with the broader precinct Road; in the long term, and indeed our overall developments will enable us to align our • Establish our interim facilities at 77 Southbank financial security and sustainability. A suitable activities with the overarching vision. Boulevard, centralising our administration professional facility in Melbourne’s Southbank From 2019 to 2023 this means we will headquarters and orchestra rehearsal space arts precinct will enable us to connect and under one roof; collaborate with our vibrant arts community, • Develop a location plan with two key look beyond our operational status quo, and phases, including optimal use of the current • Implement staged capital works for our develop key relationships to support our interim facilities at 77 Southbank Boulevard, current facilities in the Southbank arts financial sustainability. Southbank, and collaboration to work toward precinct to maximise its benefit and use; our longer-term ‘home’ in the context of the Facilities in the arts precinct will also enable • Use our interim facilities assiduously to arts precinct development; us to connect creatively, including cross-genre maximise their use, including facility use collaborations and emerging artist incubators, • Work closely with the Victorian government, and hire by other creative industries. such as Bodytorque. It will support us to (ACM) and undertake broader sector-capacity activities, stakeholders towards realisation of a fit-for-

Page 11 | Orchestra Victoria Draft Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 Secure a strong, sustainable financial future

Strategic goal 4 A key financial risk for the organisation is will continue to seek government, and trust the growing gap between the indexation and foundation, funding to support its of funding and the annual increase of education and community access activities, operating costs. Our current funding and to develop key strategic initiatives, base and its indexation will not meet our such as a fellowship program to contribute base annual expenditure unless effective to the broader sector capacity. A solid Looking forward, Orchestra strategies are enacted, given our point foundation through secure facilities will of difference as a service organisation also aid the relationship-building activities Victoria will prioritise that supports opera and ballet company we require to develop our philanthropic diligence & sustainability, productions. To manage this proactively, support. we will align our growth with progress From 2019 to 2023 this means we will work with stakeholders for towards our revenue targets and continue to be efficient in our administration, • Continuing to manage our budgets, sustainable funding, and including the use of shared corporate expenditure and growth assiduously services with our parent company, The with a focus on ongoing sustainability, focus upon building key Australian Ballet. and tailor our business model meritoriously for our principal role as a relationships & partnerships. We will work closely with our government partnering pit orchestra; funding partners and stakeholders to develop our growth through sustainable • Prioritise ongoing collaborations and funding, considering factors such as partnerships, and work with stakeholders access to venues, and the support of to seek multi-year funding agreements, earlier planning through multi-year funding to enable long-term planning and initiatives. Also, Victorian government confidence in decision-making; investment in the development of the • Consolidate key relationships and Southbank arts precinct offers an excellent diversify our funding base for longer- opportunity to collaborate with creative term security; industries effectively to foster further • Govern responsibly by implementing efficiencies and integrate our planning into reviews for continuous improvement the broader vision. across all aspects of our operational A new strategy we will introduce is a chair performance to support our sponsorship campaign, which will underpin accountability. our growth targets. Further, the company Page 12 | Orchestra Victoria Draft Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023 Invest in the wellbeing of our people & their environment

Strategic goal 5

Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of From 2019 to 2023 this means we will our musicians is essential. The pit, as a • Research and develop proactive workplace, creates distinct challenges, both approaches to health and safety physical and aural. Over the last 10 years practice for pit orchestras, including The wellness of all members significant research has been undertaken research and developments in noise world-wide into the impact of noise on the protection is of the utmost importance, body, and the physiology of instrumental & by leading positive cultural practice. In Australia, the Sound Practice • Collaborate with performance partners Report has recently identified opportunities and stakeholders to promote awareness change both in & out of the pit for improvement and key priorities to of hearing conservation strategies, address across the sector. practical steps to mitigate risk and to we will invest wholeheartedly work together towards environments We are committed to working towards that enable musicians to perform at pit orchestral environments that prioritise in our players & people. their peak proactive acoustic management and to integrate this into a broader goal • Provide regular indications and training that encompasses respectful ways of to support joint approaches to proactive working and a comprehensive approach health and safety practice to mental health and injury prevention in • Prioritise training and ways of working our industry. In addition, we appreciate that promote respect, inclusion and that consideration of career longevity support for diversity and resilience is an important part of our • Review the loss of proficiency process industry, so we will review our processes in the context of career development, to consider cohesive approaches to career longevity and transition transition.

Pg. 13 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Raise our profile as a specialist live performance partner

Strategic goal 6

In Australia, there is a limited From 2019 to 2023 this means we will understanding of the specialist skills of • Further develop ways of engaging pit orchestras, and known limitations to with new and existing audiences to ‘visibility’, which have not been proactively enrich understanding of live orchestral Orchestra Victoria will creatively addressed. There is an opportunity to music, the skills of pit musicians and build greater awareness in Australia how it connects the audience to the invest in a greater understanding of the artistic expertise involved in pit performance on stage; & appreciation of pit orchestras orchestra performance, including the specialist expertise that connects the • Provide more opportunities to engage & the artforms it supports, audience to the performance onstage, with the orchestra in and out of the pit; lightning responsiveness, a story-telling • Use technology and media creatively use digital innovation to build technique, stamina and unique flexibility to assist us to raise awareness of the relationships & secure our future. of style. Building greater awareness and orchestra and its activities; appreciation will support knowledge of • Profile OV’s education and regional the artform, the repertoire and potentially activities to attract sustainable enrich the audience experience. revenue streams; A systematic approach to raising the • Build awareness of OV as an orchestra profile of the artform will also be used of choice, artistically and as a great to support an increased emphasis upon place to work; building collaborations, partnerships, sponsor support and philanthropic revenue. • Review our approach to recording and broadcast to respond to digital innovation in the broader sector.

Pg. 14 | ORCHESTRA VICTORIA STRATEGIC PLAN 2019 - 2023 Grow our ensemble strength

Strategic goal 7

Strengthened by the subsidiary relationship in a new Arts Centre Melbourne building with The Australian Ballet, we now have adjacent to The Australian Ballet as part of the benefit of working within a broader, the exciting new vision for the arts precinct highly successful flagship company. As an in Victoria. orchestra with 50 years’ experience, we From 2019 to 2023 this means we will also have the advantage of both continuity With unapologetic standards of artistic expertise and new incoming • Implement a chair sponsorship strategy expertise. Additionally, we have established to build additional revenue, which will of artistic excellence in world- a strong foundation to assess and manage be supported by increased relationship- class orchestral music, combined artistic standards, as we continue to strive building activities; for excellence in world-class orchestral • Work closely with government funding with stability and an appetite for music. Increasing the current levels of partners to secure additional funding to growth, we are in an excellent fulltime musicians to reach our ensemble match our philanthropic support to meet strength is vital to achieving the best target recruitment activity; outcomes position to strategically develop • Seek to engage additional sponsorship This is an excellent opportunity to work support, bolstered by targeted profile- our ensemble strength. with government, stakeholders, and raising activity; supporters to align our growth with • Align recruitment growth with revenue increased revenue through philanthropic targets and securing additional funds. support and government funding. A key new revenue initiative during the next • Continue to develop and implement five years is the establishment of a effective communication strategies chair sponsorship funding program. The to engage our supporters; growth of revenue will enable us to build • Implement evaluation mechanisms the ensemble strength that will support to ensure we are agile and responsive the achievement of exemplary artistic to feedback. outcomes. A focus on increasing additional revenue to do this comes at an excellent time given the plans for our future ‘home’

Page 15 | Orchestra Victoria Draft Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023