Toronto Arts Council Impact

Toronto Arts Council funding helps keep Toronto’s creative sector thriving. TAC grants stimulate greater opportunities for young and emerging artists, build capacity for small and medium-sized arts organizations and promote arts activity outside the downtown core.  

To learn more about the impact of Toronto Arts Council, visit our Impact page. 

the many benefits of the arts

THE ARTS FOSTER WELL-BEING ¹

• Mental health and well-being
  The arts contribute to improving mental health and overall wellness.
  
• Job creation and skills development
  The arts create meaningful jobs and opportunities to develop transferable skills.
  
• Economic growth and tourism
  The arts drive economic growth and tourism.
  
• Belonging and connection
  The arts creates a sense of belonging and community.
  
• Accessible and affordable
  Making and experiencing art is something that everyone can and should have access to.

THE ARTS FOSTER COMMUNITY ²

Arts engagement can help address the collective traumas of racism and other forms of systematized oppression.

• 87% of Ontarians agree that the arts build a sense of community.
  
• 79% agree that the arts support community identity.
  
• 96% agree that the arts are important for children’s overall development.

THE ARTS ARE A GOOD INVESTMENT ³

• A study on the economic impact of the arts in the province, commissioned by the Ontario Arts Council, shows that in 2022  arts and culture generated 100,217 jobs and accounted for $11.4B of Toronto’s GDP representing 43% of Ontario’s Culture GDP.  

• The same study shows that organizations funded by Toronto Arts Council generated a total of $288M in GDP, 5345 jobs, and $76M in taxes in 2022.  

artists live here

• 32,000 artists and arts workers live in Toronto. That’s 40% of the Canadian total and twice as many as other Canadian city. ⁴

artists need more

• 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.

• In 2023, over half (56%) of TAC funded organizations faced revenue losses totalling more than $15 million. This marks a 50% rise in financial precarity, with a combined deficit over five times higher than in 2019. ⁵

• In Toronto, 74% of individual artists and arts groups and 53% of arts organizations reported unstable financial situations. ⁶

recent gains

Late in 2024, the City of Toronto adopted ‘Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto‘, a 10-year plan that reaffirms the City’s commitment to arts and culture. Toronto Arts Council was present during the creation of the plan to ensure that the needs of Toronto’s arts communities were addressed. Among many recommendations, the plan includes:

• That the City increase its investment in culture by $35 million over the next ten years
  
• Included in the $35 million increase is a $10 million increase to Toronto Arts Council’s budget over five years.
  
• That the City supports the development of one million square feet of new cultural space in Toronto.

Recommendations in the plan are already being set in motion; the 2025 City of Toronto Budget included much-needed funding increases to arts and culture, including increases to Toronto Arts Council’s budget. These increases are thanks to City Council’s commitment to arts and culture in our city, as well as concerted efforts by Toronto arts communities to demonstrate a widening shortfall. Included in the 2025 budget is:

• A $2M increase to Toronto Arts Council
  
• An annual inflationary increase to cultural grants (2.5% in 2025)

Past TAC advocacy

As an advisor to the City of Toronto about the needs of artists and arts organizations, including opportunities for future support, we regularly communicate about the value of the arts for people and the city. The documents below outline just some of our past public messaging and asks to Toronto City Council.

2025 Toronto City Budget

2024 Toronto City Budget

2024 message to residents and Toronto City Council

2023 By-Election for Mayor

2022 support for a Federal Basic Income Guarantee