To celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, Woodside joined with the WA Youth Orchestra in taking a 56-member youth orchestra to the centre of Woodside’s Pilbara operations, an event that won the mining giant this year’s award for outstanding commitment
To celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, Woodside joined with the WA Youth Orchestra in taking a 56-member youth orchestra to the centre of Woodside’s Pilbara operations, an event that won the mining giant this year’s award for outstanding commitment to regional arts and culture.
Woodside and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra have worked together for the past nine years, starting with an educational program for regional communities in 2002.
Woodside corporate affairs coordinator community partnerships, Sandra Jamieson, said Woodside had moved its focus to making a difference for disadvantaged young Australians.
“Woodside did lots of research with community groups and government into disadvantaged children and suicide rates are high and disturbing, especially in country areas,” she said.
“The regional educational program exposes children to music and things they would not otherwise see.
“It is confidence building for children from these remote communities, and opens their eyes to new experiences.
“We want to help provide children with something that makes a difference in the long term.”
Ms Jamieson said Woodside had received a number of messages from teachers thanking the company and acknowledging the impact of the program in schools.
“We try to involve our staff in all our partnerships and promote the partnerships throughout the company,” she told WA Business News.
The education program targets all levels of children, from two to 18 years old, according to WASO education manager Paula Osan.
“The tour was co-ordinated with Woodside Perth and Karratha, Roebourne Shire, Karratha Senior High School and the Roebourne Aboriginal community,” Ms Osan said.
“Concerts were presented to the whole community, including Babies Proms, a primary schools concert, a formal evening concert, a concert for Aboriginal students at Roebourne, and a workshop with music students from Karratha Senior High School.
“It is WASO’s intention to target the broader community rather than just an exclusive group – the school program is very interactive and targeted to the age of the children.
“There needs to be participation and involvement to keep children interested, and they get to meet the players, touch the instruments, and interact while they are playing as well, for example, by voting for musical animals in a musical circus.”
Orchestra members stayed with Woodside families while on tour, maximising community integration. And Woodside, through naming rights, took music directly into a key community in which it operates.
WASO executive manager corporate development James Boyd said Woodside’s relationships with community groups, including that with with WASO, were important in a cultural context.
“There is a barrier or perception that a lot of people have about classical music, and the education program is about braking down that barrier and introducing young people to classical music in a way they can relate to,” he told WA Business News.
