Ulster Orchestra

[french frank]

If you feel strongly about regional music-making you might care to sign the petition to save the Ulster Orchestra.

https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheUlsterOrchestra

[amateur51]

Let's hope Hornspieler sees this

Or not!

[pastoralguy]

Oh dear. It's pretty depressing, isn't it?

Duly signed and forwarded to friends.

[Bryn]

Those who, like me, prefer to stay clear of FaceBook membership should access the petition here.

[BBMmk2]

I have signed already! :)

[Zucchini]

The CBSO is also in a fragile situation. It's faced a 24% reduction in public funding in the last 4 years and has a horribly underperforming pension scheme. The latter has ripped about £2.5 million out of the balance sheet in 3 years. With little more than 2 weeks core costs as reserves, the CBSO just qualifies as a going concern but it's close.

[Flosshilde]

Those who, like me, prefer to stay clear of FaceBook membership should access the petition here.

I've signed one of change.org's petitions before, & ended up getting pestered by emails with requests to support all sorts of campaigns - in fact, more than requests - some of which I would support, some I wouldn't. By signing the (a) petition, you automatically agree to their conditions of service, which includes "Change.org is an online service that enables users to connect to others who care about the same social causes, share ideas about how to best address the issues they care about, and engage with organisations working to advance those causes." - hence the emails I received. I'm quite happy to support the orchestra's campaign, but not to sign up to Change.org.

Information about the funding problems here -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-29637894

[french frank]

I've signed one of change.org's petitions before, & ended up getting pestered by emails with requests to support all sorts of campaigns

You can unsubscribe. I had a confirmation email this morning that I'd signed this petition, and the Unsubscribe link is at the bottom.

[Flosshilde]

Yes, I did eventually, but the connection between the emails & the petition I signed wasn't clear. I think others should be wary of the consequences of signing the petition (& shouldn't there be an opt-out at the start?).

[french frank]

(& shouldn't there be an opt-out at the start?).

Probably, if there isn't one. But if I receive any unsolicited email from some firm/organisation I've been in touch with already but don't wish to hear from again I would look straight away for the Unsubscribe link. [I live in hopes that a Pizza Express voucher will arrive just when I'm thinking of visiting them ...]

But, no, don't sign the petition if you don't want to be involved - I was quite surprised that no one had mentioned the news on the forum already. That's all.

[Flosshilde]

I was quite surprised that no one had mentioned the news on the forum already. That's all.

Yes, that is surprising. But it doesn't seem to have had much attention at all. If you search for 'Ulster Orchestra funding' in Google there are only a couple of items - one of which doesn't really relate to the Orchestra.

[Padraig]

This is news to me.
What's more, I can't raise either of those two links.
I'll ask around - surely someone knows about it.
I'll take the old countryman's advice and say no more.

[Flosshilde]

A report in the Guardian (which didn't appear when I searched before) - http://www.theguardian.com/music/tom...ng-cuts-crisis

and the Belfast Telegraph - http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/de...-30685405.html

[french frank]

Plenty of coverage if you just google Ulster Orchestra and hit the News link.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ulster+orchestra+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=MIBOVNyVF-HH8gfuxYLYCw#q=ulster+orchestra&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=nws

[Padraig]

Thank you Flosshilde, and ff. I'm a bit more in the picture now, though I have to admit I knew about the crisis anyway in terms of cuts being inevitable in Arts programmes. The budget shenanigans up at Stormont puts everything in jeopardy and the Ulster Orchestra will be the last stone on the beads of our gallant MLAs ( if I may use such a metaphor without prejudice). It really is depressing to realise how little attitudes have changed here - though you're not allowed to say that for fear of upsetting the new dispensation.