Project title
Description of initiative
The Accessible Orchestras project coordinated in Finland by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in collaboration with the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras aims to
develop the work of orchestras with older people in Finland and Great Britain. In the UK, the project is coordinated by Orchestras Live in collaboration with the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland. The two-year project supports equal accessibility to culture and the arts by seeking ways of bringing orchestra activities closer to those among the older population who are unable to attend concerts in person. The aim is to promote a sense of community and the active inclusion of older people through art. In addition to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, other Finnish orchestras participating in the Accessible Orchestras project include the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta ‒ the orchestra of the City of Espoo, and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. The producers of these orchestras have convened during the 2020–21 season to pilot new ideas and share ideas with each other. Participating orchestras in the Accessible Orchestras project from the UK include the City of London Sinfonia and Manchester Camerata.
Further information on the initiative
Themes: Culture and...
Keywords
Target group
Cultural field
Timeframe
Sources of funding
Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
This learning exchange program for orchestra producers has strengthened the understanding of and skills for active engagement with older people. The organizers have included the use of innovative practices, such as digital platforms, to enable better accessibility and improve health and well-being outcomes. This has been crucial for
the project since it has been delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic. Each participating orchestra in Finland has received peer-to-peer support from the Producers’ meetings, which strengthened the pilots they ran in Spring 2021. Alongside these meetings, most of the producers have also been able to get support from their city’s representatives in the AILI Network. AILI is a network of experts from culture and social and health services for older people in 13 cities in Finland. Without the support of these experts or
other key workers in the field of creative aging, it would have been much harder for the producers to carry out the practical initiatives that enabled them try new formats of work in their orchestras. These initiatives took place in 24-hour care (Helsinki and Turku), day activities (Kuopio), home care (Lapland) and hospital (Espoo). The orchestras developed digital content (Helsinki, Kuopio and Espoo), creative artwork (Turku) and possibilities for voluntary work (Lapland).