Intelligent site for Swan orchestra

Stratford chamber ensemble Orchestra of the Swan this week launches a revamped website, www.orchestraoftheswan.org, designed by Intelligent Design Solutions.

The work comes as the nine-year-old orchestra seeks to bolster its standing within the national arena, and follows its entry into a lucrative, three-year partnership with Birmingham International Airport, worth £45 000 in funding.

‘The orchestra has just entered into its first long-term partnership deal, with cash support matched in full over three years by Arts and Business,’ explains orchestra artistic director David Curtis. ‘It seemed like a good time to relaunch [the website],’ he adds.

According to IDS director Chris Wheeler, the refreshed site features an on-line booking facility, a concert diary, regularly updated programme notes and ‘more in-depth information about the orchestra, what it’s doing, and its education and outreach programmes’.

He adds that IDS has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Swan since 1999, ‘evolving’ a two-stranded, typographical corporate identity that reflects both its classical, romantic music programme and its more contemporary offering, Music of Our Time.

The Orchestra of the Swan performs more than 40 concerts a year and has residencies in Stratford-upon-Avon, Cheltenham, Telford and Bedworth.

As part of its partnership deal, the orchestra will also take up residency at Birmingham International Airport.

IDS, itself an orchestra sponsor, has designed and will maintain the website free of charge until the 2006/ 2007 season.