With financial challenges pushing the possible shutdown of the Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO), the organization received one-time emergency funding of $200,000 from the Government of Saskatchewan.
RSO Board Chair Ian Yeates said the funding comes at a crucial time for the organization.
“These funds will allow the RSO to successfully complete this season and focus on exciting music and educational programs for planning for the fall,” he said. “Without this contribution, the RSO would have had significant cash shortfalls in the April-May period, with a very uncertain ability to start the next season.”
Yeates said the organization has struggled due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The return to normal has not yet been experienced by the RSO and the Canadian orchestral world in general. Many orchestras are struggling across the country, with one shocking closure in Ontario that closed with a couple of days’ notice last year,” he explained. “It is understood a number of others in other provinces are close to the same outcome, so we have to redefine normal, and that is what we’ve been busy doing over the past six months.”
With the ongoing struggles, he said that the RSO has done everything to cut costs.
“More than 80 per cent of our costs are people and facility costs, 12 full-time musicians, plus a part-time staff of 50 part-time musicians, as well as six administrative folks that run the organization. Major savings are very difficult in this circumstance,” he stated. “The province’s grant will allow our wonderful programming to continue to allow the RSO to maintain the process of renewal.”
Over the next few months, the organization will work to modernize its business model, launch new fundraising initiatives, and reach out to the community to help people rediscover the symphony and all it has to offer.
Parks, Culture, and Sports Minister Laura Ross said it was an easy decision for the province to step up and help.
“The RSO has entertained and educated us for more than a century, but now their future is at risk. Without emergency financial support, this could have been Regina Symphony’s last season,” she said. “Funding that will see the RSO through another year and give them time to become sustainable again through ongoing community support. And we are asking the community to step up. Now, the RSO is part of our history, and we hope that they are going to be here to share their gift for future generations.”
Yeates added that the funding will cover their operations.
“It will be largely to pay the musicians and to pay for facilities like Conexus, where we hold our events. This will get us through the very difficult cash flow that we had forecast for the sort of April-May time frame. I think we’re going to be able to launch the new year, and hopefully, we’ll do well with subscription sales and things like that so that we can start off in reasonable shape in the fall.”
