We recognise that there are barriers that limit access to orchestral music which include (but are not limited to):
- Lack of representation in performers, leadership and programming
- Financial barriers
- Inequitable access to music education
- Unfamiliarity with orchestral music and the places where we experience it
- Perceptions of exclusivity of the orchestral industry
- Physical accessibility of spaces
Our commitment
We are dedicated to breaking down these barriers, ensuring everyone can experience, participate and create orchestral music – whether as a listener, creator, performer or professional in the industry. Our goals are:
- To increase the diversity of our audiences, participants and workforce
- To reflect the communities we serve and be a force for change in increasing representation in the industry
- To uphold equity of opportunities to all
- To ensure welcoming and accessible spaces
- To work collaboratively across the sector in order to reshape perceptions of an orchestra
- To support equitable access to music education
We’re proud of our story so far, which includes a host of pioneers in classical music: spanning from BSO Resound (the first disabled-led ensemble to perform at the BBC Proms) to our founder, Sir Dan Godfrey – a radical Victorian, who set the tone in championing new music from lesser-known voices, Dame Ethel Smyth and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor among them. the world continues to change, we will keep listening, to ensure everyone can access the awe-inspiring benefits of live music.