What is TAC?

Toronto Arts Council is run by a volunteer board, volunteer committees and a small complement of professional staff. An advisory panel of distinguished artists and managers further assist with this work.

Toronto Arts Council is an arm's length body that supports the development, accessibility and excellence of the arts in Toronto.

Toronto Arts Council offers grants programs to the city's arts organizations and professional artists.

These programs, funded through the City of Toronto invest in a broad range of activities from individual creation and small start-up projects to some of Canada's largest and most renowned arts institutions.

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TAC's Operating Structure

Toronto Arts Council’s volunteer board and committees are made up of artists, other arts professionals and arts supporters. To guarantee accountability, City Council appoints five of its members to Toronto Arts Council’s 29 member Board of Directors.

Toronto Cultural Advisory Corporation, the body that elects Toronto Arts Council's Board of Directors, includes all City Councillors as well as all members of TAC's board and committees. Toronto Arts Council reports to City Council through the City’s Economic Development Committee. Committees and juries review applications for funding and make grant recommendations to the Board of Directors. The board and committees are aided by a small, professional staff. Toronto Arts Council programs are funded through an annual appropriation from the City of Toronto.

Toronto Arts Council's two key operating principles - arm's length funding and peer review - are applied to ensure the City of Toronto vigorously pursues artistic excellence and innovation and steadfastly protects freedom of expression.

What does it mean that TAC is an arm's length arts funding agency?

TAC is not a city department but a non-profit organization under contract to the City. The terms of its Grant Agreement outline how TAC has to be accessible and accountable to Council and the community and how and when it must report to City Council.

Because of its arm's length, volunteer board, TAC is able to draw on 10,000 volunteer hours annually from twenty-nine members, five of whom are City Councillors and fifty-four committee members who advise on grants for theatre, dance, visual arts/film & video, music, literature, festivals and community arts.

Once TAC's board has approved the grants under the terms of its contract with City Council, TAC awards the funds eliminating the need for Council to debate and approve each grant.