What role does your facility play in building connection?

That’s the question Jessie Upton and Latoyah Forsyth asked themselves as Melbourne Recital Centre planned to re-open following pandemic closures.

The centre launched in 2009 as a home for classical music. But now the organisation faced an identity crisis. The venue hadn’t changed during Australia’s lengthy lockdown. But the wants and needs of the community had.

“Look forward, rebel, experiment and actively choose to lean in hard to the magic of rediscovering what’s all around you.”

“Now, more than ever, we need to embrace the currency of connection,” Jessie said. “We were guilty of assuming that connection only takes place in our performance spaces. So, we actively challenged that.”

Focusing on incremental change and the power of partnership, the centre’s staff transformed the experience of visiting Melbourne Recital Centre. Today, they complement and cultivate connection in every way. The result is a venue that serves as a living room by day and a live event space by night.

 

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Jessie Upton and Latoyah Forsyth presented this talk live as part of Tessitura’s Innovator Series at the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2023.