THE Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium (CHRC) has used a generous grant from the CommBank Staff Foundation to purchase equipment to allow them to reach out to students and a wider audience via streamed internet sessions.

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The Community Grant of $10,000 has been used to equip the CHRC performance space with new high definition cameras and top end microphones as well as software to allow live performances to be streamed to external audiences through YouTube.

The performance space normally holds an audience of up to 150 people, but with current restrictions is reduced to only 38, which has limited the ability to deliver high quality music performances to the community.

CHRC was nominated for the grant by local CommBank employee Mr. Ian Hartcher.

CHRC Artistic Director Pat Brearley said, “We are blown away by the ongoing support we have received from the local Commonwealth Bank team and Ian in particular.

“Thanks to Ian’s selfless volunteer work we are able to continue sharing and teaching the joy, entertainment and value of music to more students and larger audiences than we could have hoped for.”

The new equipment will allow CHRC to live stream performances to the vulnerable and socially isolated, such as the elderly living in aged care facilities.

Now in its 102nd year, the CommBank Staff Foundation is a $2 million dollar program made up of fortnightly contributions by CBA staff, which are matched by the bank, and has distributed grants to more than 170 recipients across Australia.

By David TUNE