HomeNews Toronto Arts Council Announces ‘Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab’ - A New Program in Partnership with Th

Toronto Arts Council Announces ‘Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab’ - A New Program in Partnership with The Banff Centre

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is partnering with The Banff Centre to launch a unique leadership exchange program for Toronto arts and cultural leaders. The pilot program will commence in spring 2015, with applications for up to 15 fully funded TAC Fellowships due in November 2014

TAC is developing the program, in collaboration with the Banff Centre and the arts community, in response to the need for increased opportunities for cross-sector learning and collaboration among Toronto’s arts and cultural leaders. TAC and The Banff Centre will work together to design a hands-on program that provides current and future leaders with inspiration and tools to manage and create the kind of change needed to realise Toronto’s creative potential.

“We hope that the Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab will inspire Toronto’s arts leadership and serve as a think tank in developing new approaches to issues facing artists and arts organizations in Toronto,” noted Claire Hopkinson, TAC’s Director and CEO. “We are truly delighted to have found a like-minded and innovative partner in The Banff Centre.”

The Cultural Leaders Lab will build a network of diverse, innovative leaders from across the City, from organizations of all sizes. Each TAC Fellow chosen to participate in the Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab will be involved in an innovative learning process that will span three years.

"The Banff Centre is very excited to be working with the Toronto Arts Council on the Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab. By crafting solutions to complex issues, we aim to inspire arts and cultural leaders and contribute to stronger communities and a more resilient creative and cultural sector," says Dan Buchner, Vice President, Leadership Development, The Banff Centre.

The program will create the space for a deep examination of Toronto’s arts ecology, and the refinement of the skill sets needed to support a vibrant future for the arts. The key goals of the program are to:

  • Invigorate and inspire exceptional arts and cultural leaders, and propel their thinking and activities to the next level;
  • Provide an opportunity for professional development, learning and networking from peers across disciplines;
  • Develop collaborative solutions to some of the complex challenges facing Toronto’s unique arts and cultural sectors
  • Redefine leadership and its role in building the creative city.

The program will kick off in April 2015 with an intensive one-week retreat at The Banff Centre, followed by bi-monthly events in Toronto in 2016 and 2017.

A full release, with application form and guidelines, will be available here from September 15th, with a program deadline of November 10th.

Contact: Kerry Swanson, Partnerships and Evaluation Officer, Toronto Arts Council: 416 392 6802 x209