Toronto – The City of Toronto introduced a new staff report, entitled Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto, which outlines a 10-year vision to strengthen and transform the city’s cultural landscape. The plan proposes significant new investments in culture to benefit artists, cultural organizations and audiences alike.
Mayor Olivia Chow introduced the Action Plan alongside Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), who co-chaired an Advisory Panel of 20 cultural community leaders. They were joined by Advisory Panel members, as well as Kelly Langgard, Director and CEO of the Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation.
Developed through extensive community engagement with residents, artists, cultural organizations and interested parties, Culture Connects sets an ambitious roadmap to invest in artists, cultural organizations and creative industries, expand cultural spaces, improve experiences for audiences and elevate Toronto as a global cultural hub.
Key initiatives include connecting residents with local cultural experiences year-round and enhancing promotion to make it easier for everyone to discover and engage with Toronto’s vibrant cultural offerings.
The plan includes actions to address pressing challenges such as the loss of cultural space, rising operational costs and the urgent need for programming that reflects the diverse communities of Toronto, including Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups.
Key themes and commitments of the action plan include:
- Culture everywhere – supporting the development of one million square feet of new cultural space across Toronto over the next ten years
- Culture for all – ensuring every resident has access to at least one free cultural experience in their neighborhood each month
- Culture for the future – increasing the City’s investment in culture by $35 million over the next decade to support diverse cultural initiatives
- Culture beyond our borders – enabling 1,000 new creative export and artist exchange projects.
Culture Connects reflects the City’s commitment to advancing cultural equity and fostering community engagement through accessible cultural offerings. It aligns with broader city-building goals, including Reconciliation, the creation of livable communities and contributions to environmental sustainability.
Recommendations in the staff report and the accompanying action plan will be considered by the Economic and Community Development Committee at its meeting on Wednesday, October 23, before being referred to November’s City Council meeting. The staff report and action plan called Culture Connects can be found at https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2024.EC16.1
“Our culture is what defines us and brings us together. Culture Connects is a bold vision for a future where all Torontonians, from all corners of the city, can engage with the arts. By expanding cultural spaces and programming, we are ensuring that Toronto’s rich cultural diversity continues to thrive. I would like to thank the advisory panel, residents, cultural organizations, artists and others for their input in guiding this exciting new plan for culture in our city.” – Mayor Olivia Chow