The third series of #RegenerateSeries launched on Friday 11 November with an online session on Cultural Policy shift: what next? With the recent changes in Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Arts Council NPO application decisions just announced, the event provided a timely opportunity for people to come together and discuss the implications for both the orchestral and wider culture sectors.

Forty people joined us from a range of organisations including: BBC, Arts Council, Association of British Orchestras, London Symphony Orchestra, Cheltenham Festivals, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Dance East, Sage Gateshead, University of Leeds, National Youth Orchestra and the Ambassadors Theatre Group.

Sarah Derbyshire and Matthew Swann acted as co-chairs and hosted an excellent panel of guests; Carol Leeming MBE FRSA polymath, multi-disciplinary artist, in performing arts, literature & digital media, Artistic Director Dare to Diva company, musician composer, lecturer, consultant, member of Black Lives in Music BLiM in Leicester, John McMahon, Head of Education at the Royal Society of Arts, and Caroline McCormick, Director of cultural sector consultancy Achates and Chair of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation.

New for this series was the introduction of breakout discussions, which allowed attendees time to discuss the key ideas and themes posed by the panellists, and to consider what collective action can be taken. These were facilitated by Orchestras Live staff and trustees.

Some of the key themes and takeaways from the event:

• The sector needs to work together and develop a collective and collegiate communications approach to policymakers; ensuring our work is highly valued and visible
• The wider sector must continue to argue for the economic value of the performing arts but be clearer about how we contribute to the wider UK economy and ecology, in order to make our case understood by policymakers.
• Orchestras are contributing to many wider societal outcomes. This vital work needs to be visible beyond the arts sector and linked to supporting the healthcare and community sectors with achieving their goals.
• The performing arts sector must continue to fight against the damaging hierarchy of school subjects, which currently downgrades arts/creative subjects to secondary subjects. Arts subjects teach children and young people as many lifelong transferable skills as STEM subjects; we need to continue to communicate this beyond the sector.
• “Culture is the soul of the nation”. It brings intrinsic personal and societal benefits beyond the economic. It’s important we recognise the untapped cultural potential and talent within communities, which may not be immediately obvious to us. Recognising that artists and participants are equals in the creation process.
• Orchestras and the wider performing arts sector need to break out of three-year planning cycles and think much longer-term, thinking 5, even 10 years ahead, in order to make the biggest impact and change in society.

KEY RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE SESSION

• Orchestras in Healthcare report
  
• The 8 types of value of arts and culture

Orchestras Live will engage with the panellists and the survey feedback from event attendees to find ways to turn the discussions into collegiate action. We will launch our own Advocacy Strategy in 2023 to advocate and campaign for change on various issues affecting the orchestral sector.

We are holding a strategic networking session in collaboration with the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) and NHS NPAG on the topic of Orchestras in Healthcare on 17 January 2023. Sign up to our enews to receive further details on this event.

The next Regenerate event will be in person in Leeds in February 2023. We anticipate holding a third online event in April 2023.