Arts for Everyone: Creativity in Toronto’s Neighbourhoods Gets a Major Boost with Creation of Neighbourhood Arts Network
Neighbourhood Arts Network: A partnership between Toronto Arts Foundation, Art Starts Neighbourhood Cultural Centre and Ontario Trillium Foundation created to support arts activities in local neighbourhoods.
Every day, highly gifted Toronto musicians, visual artists, poets, dancers, theatre artists, storytellers, film makers, and crafts people bring their astonishing creative energy to our city. In addition to the high profile work produced in Toronto’s galleries, concert halls and stages, many of these dedicated artists apply their talents locally in neighbourhoods across the city. They engage the creativity of the average citizen; they channel the energies of youth at risk, reclaim parks and street corners for community use and encourage the telling of Toronto’s stories, from youth, seniors and newcomers alike. They connect creativity and community. And mostly, it’s free
“Why do we rarely hear about this exciting work? Generally it falls below the radar. Let’s face it, when you don’t charge admission, you can’t afford to publicize” says Liz Forsberg, Managing Director of Art Starts.
The Neighbourhood Arts Network, to be launched in early 2010, intends to do some-thing about this, by bringing community-engaged work into the foreground. It will support the work of these artists and contribute to the revitalizing of our neighbourhoods.
The Network will map what is currently happening in communities across the city and let the public know about it. It will connect artists with others doing similar work and be a referral for community residents looking to revitalize their neighbourhoods through culture led projects. It will provide access to a broad range of resources, tools, talent, supporters and mentors. It will incubate new initiatives and accelerate the growth of community engaged arts throughout the entire city. It will help to build the capacity of hundreds of organizations.
As one of several initiatives of its Creative City: Block by Block program, Toronto Arts Foundation has been working with community leaders and artists to design the Neighbourhood Arts Network. A principle objective of Toronto Arts Foundation is to promote, support and expand arts activity throughout the city. “We believe that the opportunity to participate in the arts should be available to everyone in Toronto, in every neighbourhood. We know that community-engaged art is a vital element in creative city building” says Claire Hopkinson, TAF’s Executive Director.
The Foundation has been conducting interviews with individuals from a wide array of arts organizations that work directly with communities. A series of meetings open to artists and arts groups working in and with communities has been scheduled in various locations during October and November. The interviews and meetings have been designed to assess challenges, successes and specific needs and to develop guidelines regarding network membership, a directory of community arts activities, an interactive website, and more.
The development and initial stages of the Network are made possible by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Cultural Strategic Investment Fund. Recently announced is a three year commitment of $150,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation towards the implementation of the Network.
For more information about the Block by Block Program, the Neighbourhood Arts Net-work and the upcoming design meetings please visit www.torontoartsfoundation.org, or contact Leslie Francombe at Toronto Arts Foundation leslie@torontoarts.org or 416-392-6802 ext. 204 or Liz Forsberg at Art Starts liz@artstarts.net or (416) 656-9994.
The Toronto Arts Foundation is a sister organization to the Toronto Arts Council. TAF fosters partnerships with the private and public sector in order to grow resources for artists and to build arts access for the public. The relationship between the Foundation and Council ensures that unique knowledge is shared and resources are distributed with efficiency and equitability. For more infor-mation please go to www.torontoartsfoundation.org
Art Starts is an arts-based community development organization operating in the City of Toronto. Art Starts uses the arts as a vehicle to encourage social change in at-risk neighbourhoods. We of-fer high quality, responsive and relevant creative opportunities to those who do not have access – namely people living in underserved and stressed communities. For more information please go to www.artstarts.net.