Peterborough Symphony Orchestra looks to the future
Although concerts have been cancelled and the theatre has gone dark, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has been working behind the scenes the keep its audiences, artists, staff and board members connected and together, while apart. The PSO is now inviting members of the public to share their thoughts and ideas for the future of the PSO during online video focus groups.
In particular, the organization is interested in ideas for how to proceed in the weeks and months ahead. How can the PSO continue to connect community members with the artists and the music of the PSO? Most importantly, without being able to offer live orchestral performances in the near future, how could the PSO continue?
To help answer these questions, the PSO is hosting an online video focus group on Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and are looking for input from the public. Additional focus groups were conducted on Friday and Saturday.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Donna Shaw at 705-927-2973 or donna22shaw@gmail.com. A computer and access to the internet is required to join the online video focus group; technical support will be provided. Alternatively, you may also share your thoughts and ideas via phone.
The PSO, a nonprofit charity, has been a cultural cornerstone of the Peterborough community for more than 50 years and has a reputation as one of the finest community-based orchestras in Canada. It consists of a group of approximately 40 regular players, including a core of volunteer musicians and five professional principal string players. For more information on the PSO, please visit thepso.org.
CAMH
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is looking for submissions and nominations for annual awards which honour the contributions and achievements of people who work to improve the mental health of our community including volunteers, community leaders, individuals with lived experience of mental illness and their family members. CMHA also invites applications for the annual Tam Grant Bursary, for students entering postsecondary education with a diagnosed mental illness.
Application and nomination forms are available at cmhahkpr.ca. For more information, contact Jack Veitch at 705-748-6687 ex. 1015 or jveitch@cmhahkpr.ca. All award nominations and bursary applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on May 29.
CAMH also invites the community to celebrate Mental Health Week, which begins Monday and continues until Sunday. The annual event helps shift societal beliefs and perceptions about mental health and promotes behaviours and attitudes that encourage wellbeing, good mental health and create a culture of understanding and acceptance.
This year, the theme of Mental Health Week is social connection, recognizing that connecting with other people does not just feel good, but is also good for our mental health. As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, we need each other now more than ever.
To learn more about mental health week, please visit meantalhealthweek.ca. Information on services and programming available from CAMH is available at cmhahkpr.ca or call 705748-6711. Those struggling with their mental health and in need of someone to talk to urgently can call 705-745-6484 or 1-866995-9933.