Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035) sets an ambitious 10-year vision for Toronto as a city for culture and creativity, where everyone, everywhere, can discover, experience, and create culture. This vision positions Toronto as an undeniable global cultural capital, celebrated for its exciting and expansive cultural and creative industry offerings as well as its accomplished talent. Culture is engrained in this city, making Toronto a better place to live, work, and visit. It drives economic growth, strengthens community bonds, and promotes social well-being, helping to create thriving, healthy communities. It has been over a decade since the City’s last culture plan, Creative Capital Gains, was introduced in 2011. Since then, there have been significant economic, cultural, and societal shifts – and a devastating global pandemic. Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, Toronto’s culture sector is at an inflection point and faces great instability. Challenges include access to space, affordability, equity, changing audience habits, and sponsor supports. As emphasized in public consultations, the Action Plan also has a significant focus on ensuring culture becomes more available to people across the city, wherever they live, close to their homes, and embedded in their communities. A new Action Plan is needed to address the current obstacles and seize the opportunities of the next 10 years. Inaction would threaten Toronto’s vibrancy, liveability, and prosperity. Now is the moment to invest in culture, chart a forward path, and reinforce and reimagine culture in Toronto. Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035) , included as Attachment 1, has been shaped and guided by community input. The Action Plan includes 28 actions grouped into four priority areas: 1) Culture Everywhere — 2) Culture for All — 3) Culture for the Future — and 4) Culture Beyond our Borders. These priorities are based on input shared by more than 4,000 residents throughout the Action Plan’s community engagement process, comprehensive research conducted by the University of Toronto, and best practices from leading cities from around the world. This report outlines the need for an action plan, detailing the engagement process and key results as well as the Action Plan’s vision, priorities, and core components. This includes the Year One focus, the framework for ongoing engagement, and accountability measures, such as regular progress reporting. The Action Plan includes both urgent actions to immediately address critical challenges, and long-term actions to drive systemic change. The urgent need to invest and connect will be the focus of Year One of the Action Plan, including increased support for the Toronto Arts Council — funds to support stabilization and transformation for cultural organizations — and hosting the inaugural Mayor’s Culture Summit. Throughout its implementation, the Action Plan will focus on impacts and outcomes, continued engagement, transparency, and accountability. With Culture Connects, the City presents a bold strategy to transform current realities and seize opportunities to create a vibrant and prosperous future for culture in Toronto.
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