Linda Zhang, professor at Ryerson’s School of Interior Design in the Faculty of Community & Design, created this board game to create dialogue about what’s worth preserving and what the city’s Chinatowns should look like in the future. It’s on display now, including a large-scale 3D printed installation of Chinatown East Gate, at Vancouver’s Griffin Art Project as part of an exhibit called Whose Chinatown?, a collection of projects by Chinese Canadian artists about Chinatowns throughout the continent.

27 Toronto households — involving more than 60 people and two family dogs — took part in a new music video simply by standing in the windows of their homes and then doing a little dance.

ShowLoveTO Winter Activation Grant. Business Improvement Associations (BIA), community groups, not-for-profits and charitable organizations are eligible to apply. The program will fund 50 per cent of eligible project costs such as winter lighting, additional marketing and advertising, and supplemental sidewalk snow clearing. Applications are now available and the deadline to apply for the ShowLoveTO Winter Activation Grant Program is Monday, November 30 at 4:30 p.m. Applications are available online.

ShowLoveTO Partnership Program
The ShowLoveTO Partnership Program is intended for community activations in Toronto between January 1 and December 31, 2021. Registered not-for-profit organizations, community groups and charities that serve Toronto residents and promote opportunities for the community to give back are eligible to apply. Activations may be online or in person and may include performing arts, dance, drama, comedy, virtual-online events, music, visual arts, literary arts, interdisciplinary arts, photography, craft, design, as well as expressions of history and heritage. All activations must demonstrate the capacity to follow current provincial and municipal public health guidelines. Applicants can apply for one-time support of up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs. Applications are now available and the deadline to apply for the ShowLoveTO Partnership Program is Friday, December 11 at 5 p.m.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, 20 artists took part in what they called a “street-level demonstration of love” by painting 25 murals on garage doors, utility boxes, front doors, garden walls and mailboxes of homes in Toronto’s west end.

Toronto’s live music venues contribute greatly to the city’s cultural, social and economic fabric. These venues require critical support in the face of ongoing pressures that have been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. City Council expanded the Creative Co-Location Facilities Property Tax Subclass to provide property tax relief for live music venues. As a result of this decision, properties that meet specific criteria are eligible to receive property tax relief of up to 50 per cent for the qualifying areas of the building. Immediately following this expansion in May, the City began accepting applications from live music venue operators. The deadline for applications was June 19. This relief measure will be implemented through the final supplementary property tax notices that will be issued in the fall. City staff will analyze the impact of this cost-saving measure for live music venues and report to Council in 2021. This measure is intended to remain in place beyond this year to support the long-term viability of Toronto’s live music sector.

This project includes a series of outreach activities organized by Ryerson’s School of Creative Industries, the Toronto Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Foundation, with support from the City of Toronto, Mass Culture, TO Live, Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, SOCAN and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts.

To help keep the community engaged and to ensure the Fox Theatre in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood will still be in business once the virus restrictions are lifted, a fundraising campaign was started by the theatre. For $150, plus taxes, community could purchase a plaque with their name on it to be put on seats at the historic theatre. The Fox posted information about the sale on their website and within a short amount of time all 251 seats were “sold”. The theatre later sold naming rights for other parts of the building.

Fieldstone Co-op in Toronto held a community singalong, with members taking part from a safe distance apart on their balconies and in the garden.

Akin is a Toronto-based arts organization that provides creative studio space as well as arts-based programming. The goal of the Fund is to provide short term financial aid in unexpected situations or times of financial instability.

Established by the Toronto Arts Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council, this fund provides up to $1,000 in emergency relief for artists who are self employed and not eligible for EI through any other employer or any other bridge funding. The fund is open to artists who can demonstrate lost income due to cancellation of events, programs, workshops, classes, etc.

The Toronto Public Library just announced that they’re temporarily donating 10 of their Ultimaker 2+ 3D printers to a team at Toronto General Hospital making personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line healthcare workers. Other Ontario libraries, such as those in Kitchener and Stratford, have also agreed to loan their 3D printers to PPE production efforts.

List of (mostly Toronto-based) cultural attractions accessible online while in self-isolation.

Glad Day (Toronto-based LGBTQ bookstore) sets up emergency fund to help LGBTQ2S artists, performers & tip-based workers. The fund is meant to swiftly help LGBTQ2S people who cannot pay for food, medicine, rent, and necessities because most of their income doesn’t come from an employer.