Toronto Arts Council to Launch Animating Toronto Streets Pilot Program
Toronto Arts Council, in partnership with the City of Toronto, is launching a pilot program to support temporary art projects taking place in the public right of way during Nuit Blanche Toronto 2019.
TORONTO, December 18, 2018 – Toronto Arts Council (TAC), in partnership with the City of Toronto, is launching a pilot program to support temporary art projects taking place in the public right of way during Nuit Blanche Toronto 2019. The multidisciplinary program, titled Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche, supports artistic participation during Toronto's premier public art celebration, Nuit Blanche, which draws more than a million art lovers into the streets each year.
Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche will provide up to $20,000 in funding to a maximum of 10 projects per year. It is open to Nuit Blanche Independent Projects Program applicants, including Toronto-based organizations, collectives and professional artists. The program is backed by City fees applied to construction hoarding, the funds of which are used for art installations that take place in the public right of way. This program will help support the continued expansion of Nuit Blanche outside the city core, following the successful entry of Nuit Blanche into Scarborough in 2018.
The creation of Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche builds on Toronto Arts Council’s strategic priority to extend its reach throughout the city by strengthening access to arts-making opportunities for artists and audiences. Through this program, TAC is actively brokering opportunities for artistic creation and participation at one of the city’s annual major events: Nuit Blanche. Free, open to the public, with many attractions located in the public right of way, including Toronto streets, laneways and sidewalks, Nuit Blanche encourages new artistic creation, arts appreciation, and civic engagement. TAC's investment will support Nuit Blanche's mission to bring the artistic vision of Toronto's artists to a broad and diverse audience.
“Every year, Nuit Blanche attracts hundreds of thousands of Torontonians to engage with art. It also employs hundreds of artists and arts organizations,” said Claire Hopkinson, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council. “By partnering with this wonderful City event, TAC will leverage our funding expertise to bring more high-calibre arts projects created by more Toronto artists to the public.”
"The City of Toronto is excited to partner with Toronto Arts Council to provide new opportunities for local artists and producers," said Sally Han, Acting Director, Arts and Culture Services, City of Toronto. "This investment, added to that of the City and our many corporate partners, will help support the expansion of Nuit Blanche beyond the downtown core, building on the phenomenal success of Nuit Blanche Scarborough in 2018.”
Projects involving any artistic discipline(s), including Community Arts, Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual/Media Arts are eligible for consideration. Proposals should have a strong visual component and a durational element that reflects the spirit of Nuit Blanche as a contemporary art event.
Applications, submitted through the City of Toronto's Nuit Blanche Independent Projects Program TAC Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche stream, will be forwarded to a Toronto Arts Council Grant Program Manager to review and confirm eligibility. Eligible projects are then adjudicated by the Independent Projects Selection Committee, which is made up of members of the Nuit Blanche Toronto External Advisory, representatives from Toronto’s contemporary arts community and a TAC Grant Program Manager. Final approval of the Committee’s recommended applications will be made by TAC’s Board of Directors. TAC will administer the grants to the recipients.
The City of Toronto will be accepting applications to the TAC Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche Pilot Program in December, with the application deadline set for February 14, 2019.
Nuit Blanche Toronto 2019 will take place on Saturday October 5.
For more information about Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche, visit Toronto Arts Council's WEBSITE.
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About Toronto Arts Council
Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is the City of Toronto’s funding body for artists and arts organizations. Since 1974, TAC has played a major role in the city’s cultural industries by supporting a very broad range of artistic activity. From the emerging artist to the most established, from celebrated institutions to arts that challenge convention, TAC is typically the first funder to offer support. Today, TAC grants lead to exhibitions, performances, readings and workshops seen annually by over 9.5 million people. Through its ongoing funding of over $18 million annually, TAC cultivates a rich engagement between artists and audiences. It is proud to reflect Toronto’s vibrancy through the diversity of the artists, arts communities and audiences that it serves. For more about Toronto Arts Council, visit www.torontoartscouncil.org
About Nuit Blanche Toronto
Nuit Blanche Toronto is the city's annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community and funded by the Government of Ontario and Tourism Toronto. Since 2006, this award-winning event has featured almost 1,570 art installations by approximately 5,600 artists and has generated nearly $400 million in economic impact for Toronto. Information and updates are available at http://www.nbto.com.
Contact Information
For questions about the TAC Animating Toronto Streets – Nuit Blanche Pilot Program and the Independent Projects Program of Nuit Blanche Toronto, contact Shannon Linde, Program Coordinator at Shannon.linde@toronto.ca.