$213,900 OTF Digital Grant Helps WSO Keep The Music Coming
In June 2020, the Windsor Symphony Society received a $213,900 Grow grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to help the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) produce an all-digital video season.
The forced termination of in-person concert performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have shut down the orchestra and laid off musicians and most staff. This grant, which concludes this summer, has allowed the WSO to purchase new video equipment and hire qualified video technicians to complete two fully virtual concert seasons.
“I am delighted to congratulate the Windsor Symphony Orchestra on the award of this Ontario Trillium Foundation Grow grant,” states Lisa Gretzky MPP Windsor West. “This timely award allowed the orchestra to continue performing during difficult times and to create new and exciting ways of maintaining its place at the heart of the cultural life in our community.”
With the support of this grant, the WSO was able 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 had not engaged with the WSO or an orchestra before.
In addition to the video equipment and technicians, this grant allowed the WSO to adapt a new digital marketing strategy, which resulted in a 50% increase in subscribers and pushed the WSO over the revenue threshold for success.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant came when the WSO needed it most,” comments Sheila Wisdom, WSO Executive Director. “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! The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s support has given the WSO a new way of connecting people with music.”
The WSO is committed to connecting the people of Windsor and Essex County through the power and passion of music. If you wish to enquire about their 2022/2023 Season concerts, WSO news, and education/community outreach programs, please visit: www.windsorsymphony.com
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund.
Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
