As the City of Toronto’s arms-length arts funding agency, it’s our role to advise our colleagues at the City and advocate for the needs and opportunities of Toronto’s arts communities, who contribute to a healthier, more vibrant city.  

In 2024, Toronto City Council approved the City’s brand-new, ambitious, 10-year Culture Plan. As part of our commitment to advocating on behalf of Toronto’s arts community, Toronto Arts was there along the way to guide policy, meet with artists, participate in discussions and ensure the plan was reflective of the needs and ambitions of Toronto’s arts community.  

Here are some of the concerns we heard from artists and audiences: 
“Make the arts available for everyone to enjoy, not just the people who can afford it.” 
“If funding disappears, people not only lose jobs and art can’t be made, but entire communities fall apart.” 
“We need preservation and recognition of our arts and culture. What more do we have to do? The glass ceiling feels concrete for our community here.” 
“How can we thrive when we’re just surviving?” 

In response to this feedback, the 10-year Culture Plan prioritizes:  
– treating Toronto’s creative sector as essential to shared prosperity and community well-being 
– creating new opportunities and eliminating barriers to access for Indigenous, Black, disabled and equity-deserving communities 
– increasing opportunities for everyone to engage in the arts through expanded, free programming across the city 
– encouraging innovation and risk-taking  

Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto was adopted by City Council in late 2024. In anticipation of the release of the Plan, $400K was added to our base budget to address the Plan’s urgent priorities. We immediately invested the funds in programs where need and priorities met: our Black Arts programs, Indigenous Arts Projects, Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship, Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement, as well as Strategic programs for more arts access outside the downtown core. 

This year, City Council approved a $2 million increase to our budget, with planned cumulative increases of $2 million in the following four years. This funding is an important start, allowing us to prioritize the crucial work being done by organizations both large and small in Toronto, while making investments in cutting-edge art being done by artists traditionally left out of funding conversations. This continued investment lays the groundwork for Toronto’s creative revitalization. 

More to do:
Toronto Arts Council receives more strong grant applications than it has funding for. In 2024, Toronto Arts Council peer reviewers identified an additional 740 applications worthy of funding, representing $9,210,911 in projects that could not be funded.