UrbanArts Announced as Recipient of the 2018 TD Community Arts Award
The $10,000 award celebrates a community-engaged arts organization that is making a significant contribution in Toronto by working collaboratively in, with and for communities.
TORONTO, November 26, 2018 - Toronto Arts Foundation is pleased to announce that Local Arts Service Organization UrbanArts is the recipient of the 2018 TD Community Arts Award. The $10,000 award celebrates a community-engaged arts organization that is making a significant contribution in Toronto by working collaboratively in, with and for communities. The award is sponsored by TD Bank Group and is aligned with its Connected Communities driver under The Ready Commitment, TD's global corporate citizenship platform aimed at opening doors to a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. The award is administered by Toronto Arts Foundation’s Neighbourhood Arts Network.
UrbanArts was announced as the recipient of the TD Community Arts Award on Friday November 23, 2018, at Junction Craft Brewing to a packed room of community and socially-engaged artists and arts professionals. The award presentation capped off Emergence Week 2018, a dynamic forum organized by Neighbourhood Arts Network that convened over 200 artists, cultural workers, community leaders, academics, youth and policy makers to explore emerging trends, community innovation and creative leadership in the field of arts and equity.
Headquartered in York South-Weston, UrbanArts engages artists, lay practitioners, youth and the community through arts, culture and heritage programs, services and resources. The award jury commended UrbanArts for creating locally relevant, free, accessible and culturally conscious multi-disciplinary arts programming. UrbanArts is a “critical resource for the neighbourhood” the jury noted.
“For thirty years, UrbanArts has been a welcoming presence in the York South-Weston area,” said Claire Hopkinson, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Foundation. “Through a range of engaging arts programming in music, photography, dance, spoken word and more, UrbanArts serves as a much needed community hub in the neighbourhoods it serves. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this ambitious and socially relevant organization.”
"Engaging the community in arts programming can act as a catalyst for positive social change. That's why we're proud to sponsor the TD Community Arts Award with Toronto Arts Foundation through The Ready Commitment, TD's global corporate citizenship platform. Congratulations UrbanArts on receiving the 2018 TD Community Arts Award for your significant contribution to fostering a sense of belonging through the arts, working collaboratively in and with communities." said Andrea Barrack, Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group.
Previously named the TD Arts Diversity Award, Toronto Arts Foundation created the TD Community Arts Award to recognize and encourage those who use the arts as a tool for positive social change. The finalists for the award were Jumblies Theatre and Art Starts.
The finalists and recipient were selected by a peer jury consisting of Tamam McCallum, founding Executive Director of Turtle House Art/Play Centre, Renata Mohamed, Deputy Director of Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), Kevin A. Ormsby, Artistic Director of KasheDance, Flora Shum, Co-Director of Paperhouse Studio and Paperhouse Outreach Collective and Dot Valledor, Executive Director of Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture.
About UrbanArts
UrbanArts is a progressive not-for-profit local arts service organization (LASO) linking the needs of those who create/make art, those who engage the artist as an essential element of their own development, and those who support UrbanArts because it adds value (sense of identity, lifestyle, prosperity) to the neighbourhood. UrbanArts is committed to the goal of building inclusive, engaged communities by enriching people’s lives through the arts, culture and heritage, with programs, services and resources delivered within the former City of York boundaries, with a focus on York South-Weston.
Learn more about the TD Community Arts Award by visiting the Neighbourhood Arts Network WEBSITE.
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About Toronto Arts Foundation
|Toronto Arts Foundation is a charitable organization that sparks creative connections, spotlights artistic excellence, and supports vibrant cultural growth throughout our diverse city through private sector investment. To learn more or to make a donation, visit torontoartsfoundation.org.
About Neighbourhood Arts Network
Neighbourhood Arts Network enriches Toronto by fostering excellence in community engaged art making. This city wide network encourages the exchange of ideas, resources and expertise between artists who work in, with and for Toronto’s diverse communities. Neighbourhood Arts Network is an initiative of Toronto Arts Foundation.
About TD Bank Group Global Corporate Citizenship
TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. In March 2018, TD launched The Ready Commitment, a new multi-year program to help individuals and communities prosper. As part of The Ready Commitment, TD targets CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for an inclusive tomorrow – Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through The Ready Commitment, TD's aspiration is to link business, products, services, and community giving to help people feel more confident - not just about their finances, but about their future and their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/thereadycommitment
Contact information:
For more information about the TD Community Arts Award, please contact: Sarah Gladki, Communications Manager, Toronto Arts Foundation at sarah@torontoarts.org or at 416-392-6802 x 217.