In May 2007, Cultural Services hosted a series of public consultations asking Toronto residents and culture stakeholders for their input on how to build, support and enhance community arts across Toronto.

On November 19 and 20, 2007 Cultural Services submitted a recommendation - to develop a city-wide Community Arts Action Plan - to Council, based on input gathered from the public consultations. The recommendation was adopted by Council with no amendment.

A copy of the Staff Report, pages 34-35, including the appendices, is available for downloading.

In December 2008, Cultural Services presented a Staff Report, Toronto Community Arts Action Plan, to Council and was adopted on December 1, 2008. Pages 74-76, including the appendices is available for downloading.

Highlights of the Staff Report are available here.

Community arts in Toronto
Community arts programs across Toronto are building strong, healthy and vibrant communities by bringing everyone into the life of the city. Community arts does this by bringing people together through the arts. Artists, children, youth, seniors and members of broader community are engaged in arts programs and activities that nurture a sense of belonging and community pride.

Innovative and diverse, community arts programs include: after-school arts programs, community theatre, music and dance performances, festivals, set, prop & costume design, animation, storytelling, poetry, media art, outdoor art creation and installation and other art forms.

Resources

The following documents contain information about the state of community arts in Toronto and identify strategies to make cultural programming and activities in Toronto 's diverse neighbourhoods a part of everyday life.

Culture Plan for the Creative City
In June 2003, Toronto City Council adopted the Culture Plan for the Creative City, a 10-year action plan to guide the city's cultural development. The Plan set out recommendations to develop the community arts sector in order to build vital and vibrant communities, the starting point of any Creative City.

Report on consultation with Culture stakeholders
In January 2006, Cultural Services presented a report to City Council on feedback received from consultations with culture stakeholders. The consultations focused on the state of community arts and the potential for building Toronto's community arts sector. Examples of successful community arts projects are also highlighted.