Category Archives: Facilities

by Jini Stolk Dear Kelly Nestruck:  I’m still worried about Toronto’s mid-sized theatres. There are, indeed, an amazing number of organizations taking the reins and creatively working around the lack of core support for arts facilities to get the space they (and we, as Torontonians) need.  Artscape’s Daniel’s Spectrum  now provides homes to Native Earth […]

This is not a post on the spectacular new Daniels Spectrum (formerly the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre) but rather on the astonishing multiplicity of repurposed factory complexes I visited during my recent trip to Poland. The city of Łódź, in particular, is home to 27 (27!) former industrial sites now containing museums, cultural […]

by Jini Stolk Some of the more explosive hazards and tensions that can surround a major building project have been brought to the fore by Factory Theatre’s situation. But there are perils in any proposed capital project in the arts. The special challenges facing small and mid-sized companies were pointed out in Kate Taylor’s thoughtful […]

by Jini Stolk Meanwhile, Alan Brown raised crucial new questions about arts space in his new study All the World’s a Stage, specifically about the pivotal role that venues and settings play in performing arts experiences. “All else being equal, why will some people attend programs in one setting, but not another?  What will artists […]

by Jini Stolk It’s always wonderful to hear capital project success stories from Creative Trust members. Check out 80 Winchester Street! It’s looking beautiful. Toronto Dance Theatre and the School of TDT have been working with heritage architect Philip Goldsmith to restore their historic Cabbagetown home. Phase one of this project is now complete, and […]

by Jini Stolk With the opening of The Citadel, the coming launch of the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre, and the Theatre Centre’s projected September groundbreaking, we have to think seriously about the need to guard the ongoing health of each newly-housed company – as diligently as we’ve supported their construction projects. Andrew Taylor […]

by Jini Stolk Artscape’s New Online Do-It-Yourself Resource for Creative Placemaking and City-Building Through The Arts, Artscape DIY features extensive case studies, tools and resources, including easy-to-use downloadable templates and examples, informational videos, guides and articles designed to help users develop sustainable, affordable space for culture and creativity. Among the most valuable sections are detailed […]

Anthony Marshall, who is in the thick of doing energy audits for Creative Trust’s Toronto’s Green Theatres program, had us hanging on the edge of our seats as he told us  about his recent visit backstage (and back-backstage) at Factory Theatre. I think I am not exaggerating in saying that Anthony will never again think that […]