Protect essential funding for the arts at the City of Toronto’s 2024 Budget Consultations

The City of Toronto is seeking input on residents’ priorities for the City’s 2024 budget. As part of this process, virtual and in-person public consultations are taking place over the month of November, and an online survey has been launched. We’re seeking your help – please participate and voice your support for increased funding for arts and culture. Our political leaders need to hear from voters that funding for arts and culture is important, now more than ever. 

This is a challenging time. The City is facing a projected $1.5 billon operating budget shortfall for 2024 and a $46.5 billion budget shortfall over the course of the next ten years. With affordable housing and essential city services at the forefront of conversation, we need to be loud and clear that public funding for the arts matters.  

The City and its residents depend on artists and arts organizations immensely. You can ensure this continues by participating in the City of Toronto’s 2024 budget consultations with a clear ask:  

• Increase Toronto Arts Council funding by $2M annually for 5 years 
• Increase Local Arts Service Organizations’ funding by $1.8M 
• Increase accessible, affordable and sustainable spaces for artists to live and work 

 
THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO PARTICIPATE – Please share widely!  

#1: Online via the survey - Submit your answers by November 30th, 2023. 
 
Step 1: Visit this page and click “Share your Ideas.” 
 
Step 2: For question #1, “I think City Council should consider increasing the budget for the following service (select one),” select “Arts, culture, entertainment and attractions.”  

There are ten questions in total. It may take approximately 10 minutes to complete.   

Step 3: Submit by November 30th.  

 
#2: At a virtual public consultation  
Register here 

Thursday, November 23 
noon to 1:30 p.m. 
or 
1:30 to 3:00 p.m. 

Tuesday, November 28  
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 
or 
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.  

Thursday, November 30 
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.  
or  
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.  
 

#3: At an in-person public consultation  

Monday, November 20
Scarborough Town Centre, 150 Borough Drive 
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 
or 
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.  

Tuesday, November 21  
Etobicoke Olympium, 590 Rathburn Road  
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 
or 
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.   

Saturday, November 25 
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street  
noon to 1:30 p.m. 
or 
1:30 to 3:00 p.m.   

Monday, November 27
North York Memorial Hall, 5110 Yonge Street  
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 
or 
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.  

Wednesday, November 29 
Rexdale Community Hub, 21 Panorama Court  
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 
or 
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.  

 

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is the City of Toronto’s funding body for artists and arts organizations. With a budget of nearly $25M, we support roughly 900 artists and arts organizations. Of that, there are 247 organizations that depend on TAC for sustained funding so that they can continue to operate, pay staff and artists and be beacons in the city for inspiration and connection. Yet with inflation, this funding is stretched thin. 

TAC awards an average of $8K in grants per individual artist, yet we know that this is not enough to cover costs and materials. Added to this, it’s important to remember that half of Toronto’s artists make under $30K per year. It’s clear that the arts need to be subsidized, yet TAC is not meeting current needs. Our arts organizations and artists require more. 

Arts and culture must be acknowledged as essential to a healthy, well-functioning city. Artists, arts workers and arts audiences live and work in every corner of the city. Please let your elected officials know that you support the arts, and the city should too. The moment is now to advocate for increased funding for arts and culture in our city.  

To learn more about the City’s budget consultation process or to register for one of the virtual or in person meetings, please visit the City of Toronto website here.