Hive of ponds
Ontario Arts Council – Year 2
This Space: Brainstorm community responses to Artscape receivership
September 18, 2023, 3 to 4 pm Eastern
Via Zoom | Register
English language only with auto captions, ASL and CART upon request
Can’t make this meeting? Join our mailing list for future updates.
Are you an emerging, small, mid-sized or established building or community operator, tinkerer, owner, consultant, caregiver, creator, or changemaker in arts and culture? Do you have an interest to gather informally as a cohort with other like-minded individuals and organisations to discuss challenges, opportunities, and potential solutions that may help tackle the impacts of Artscape’s receivership particularly on gig workers in Toronto?
In an hour-long preliminary meeting hosted by Jessa Agilo of ArtsPond, we will begin by introducing ourselves to other participants followed by an open discussion. The event takes place via Zoom on September 18, 2023 at 3 to 4 pm Eastern. The event includes auto-captions provided by Zoom. Future meetings may be planned on a schedule chosen by the participants. While not yet confirmed, we are attempting to book ASL and/or CART for this meeting. Future sessions will have ASL and CART on request.
Perhaps choose any two of the following prompts to start to ponder and be prepared to share at the meeting:
- What are some of our desired goals for this cohort?
- What questions are we seeking to better understand or resolve?
- How do we prefer to work together?
- What timelines are we wanting to work towards?
- In what ways do we want to resist, heal, grow, rejuvenate, innovate?
- What do you think some of the risks and pitfalls of community action might be?
- What would appropriate, accessible, affordable, sustainable, impactful responses look like to you, either individually or collectively?
- What projects do you have in the pipeline or are aware of that might help with the situation? What is needed for them to succeed?
- Who else should be in the room?
- Who are our leaders and changemakers that can help guide us toward a path of collective heart and joy and not solitary fear and precarity?
- Who can best address the immediate short-term crisis?
- Who can really rethink the future?
- Who can help bring different stakeholders together, such as government, foundations, impact investors, and community members?
- What questions do we need to be asking?
- What do we know and not know?
Background
On August 28, 2023, Artscape announced in a business update that it was entering into receivership after it failed to reduce debt costs and streamline operations including the targeted sale of its Artscape Daniels Launchpad property in downtown Toronto.
Providing time for the community to rally together, on September 2, Mayor Olivia Chow announced that the receivership will be delayed for at least 30 days.
Artscape provides access to affordable rental and co-ownership studios and live-work spaces for arts workers and organisations across 14 properties in Toronto. Since 2010, Artscape’s Triangle Lofts has served as home base for both ArtsPond and our Founder, Jessa Agilo. Both Jessa and ArtsPond would have been forced out of Toronto long ago if it was not for the affordable spaces provided by Artscape.
