New Year, New Strategic Plan: Here's What We'll Be Up to in 2026

Hello friends,

On behalf of everyone at Toronto Arts, I want to wish you a very happy new year. As we begin 2026, I’m thrilled to share what’s ahead for our organizations.

We have a new strategic plan that kicks in this year to guide our work for the next five years. Here’s what we’ll be up to:

Generating new co-investment in the arts
This year, we continue to work toward increased public and private investment in Toronto’s vibrant creative landscape. In 2025, we received far more grant applications with merit than we had funding for, representing a $16.8M shortfall. As the City enters budget season, this advocacy is more important than ever.

Meeting community needs
Toronto Arts Council is a leader in the peer-assessment funding model, and in 2026 we will continue to refine these processes for better access, equity, learning, and sharing, including strengthening support for Indigenous arts in consultation with Indigenous artists. We are also expanding career development opportunities for creatives from equity-deserving groups and using digital tools to improve how we deliver and measure our work.

Offering opportunities for connection
Last year, we saw a major spike in attendance at our Arts in the Parks events over the summer, with 140,000 Torontonians joining us for free, family-friendly programming in the city’s green spaces (up from 100,000 in previous years). We also collaborated with Mayor Chow to launch TOgether Through Art, an initiative building social connection through the arts that includes a calendar of events happening throughout the year. This year, we plan to expand upon both of these initiatives, making arts experiences available for everyone no matter where you live or what your income is.

Making the case for the arts
In 2026, we will continue to generate research and storytelling that demonstrates the value and impact of the arts, and will share it in dynamic and accessible ways. One of the best ways for all of us to advocate for a creative city is to empower ourselves with great data and stories.

Marking a milestone year for grassroots work
In 2026, Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network celebrates 15 years of supporting artists and arts organizations through its work at the community level across Toronto. While programs initially supported aspiring creative youth in our community with mentorship and career advancement through ArtWorksTO, it now supports other equity-deserving groups, including our first-ever newcomer cohort who will be graduating this year.

Putting arts funding on the public radar
With a mayoral election on the horizon in 2026, we will be working with partners to make arts funding an election issue. The arts are essential to this city in more ways than one: contributing to Toronto’s GDP; improving mental health and community well-being; and putting Toronto on the map as a cultural destination.

Celebrating our community’s efforts
Coming up later this spring is the annual Mayor’s Arts Lunch, when Mayor Olivia Chow and the Toronto Arts Foundation take a moment to honour the hard work and accomplishments of Toronto’s talented artists and arts leaders. Stay tuned in March for our announcement of the 2026 award finalists.

Helping arts leaders lead
We have three workshops at the beginning of 2026 for members of the Creative Champions Network, a Toronto Arts Foundation initiative that brings arts leaders together to learn, connect, and innovate. You can read more about the program and check out our upcoming sessions here.

Our new strategic plan is more than a roadmap — it’s a call for co-investment in Toronto’s creative future. We know that a creative city benefits everyone, something artist Enef Nanjani, a graduate of our ArtWorksTO program, perfectly encapsulates with their piece “A Chance for Everyone to Experience the Arts.”