Case Study
Australian Chamber Orchestra
The Dream
From their early days rehearsing above a shop in London, to garnering the world-renowned acclaim it enjoys today, the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) has changed a lot over the decades.
But one thing that hasn’t changed for the popular ensemble is its dream – to build a permanent home. One where music isn’t simply performed, but partaken in. And shared by all.
In Sydney’s Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, ACO has found that home. The venue includes a rehearsal room, plus an intimate, versatile performance space (‘The Neilson’) engineered specifically for classical music.
The dream was alive. Now, ACO had to make it reality.
But to do so, ACO needed to look at fundraising through a fresh lens. To turn donors into owners, and invite its audience to play a vital role in the next exciting chapter of the orchestra’s future.
The Plan
Working collaboratively with the ACO, we designed and built a platform tailored solely to the ensemble’s requirements.
By simply heading to ACO’s dedicated Buy-a-Seat website, its fans can access interactive seating plans. Here, they can make their selection: a fixed seat in The Neilson, or one of 230 loose chairs (visualised on ACO’s Buy-a-Seat site as a large musical note).
Once chosen, ACO’s donors can personalise their seat with an engraved plaque, that features two lines of customisable text. This allows patrons to honour a name in ACO’s inspiring, immersive new home – be it their own, or that of a late loved one. After previewing and paying, the donor’s seat is theirs for the next ten years – letting them leave a lasting legacy.
The Result
Within days of launching its Buy-a-Seat site in June 2021, ACO sold a large number of seats, with many of those disappearing in mere hours.
At the time of writing, only 71 of the The Neilson’s 206 seats are yet to be claimed – meaning two-thirds of the performance room’s capacity has already been spoken for.
The Feedback
Here’s what ACO’s Lillian Armitage had to say:
“We are so thrilled with our Buy-a-Seat dedication site. From a user’s perspective, the site is seamless, simple and easy to navigate. We have all the information we need to manage the process.
The Charidy team was a dream to work with – so patient, accommodating and quick to respond to our needs.”
