Driven by a sense of urgency and optimism, Art and the World After This makes the case for grounding the arts firmly in action as a powerful force for creating a better world. The report explores four distinct but interrelated disruptions which have shaken our world — the disruption of activity (pandemic), society (social unrest), industry (digital revolution), and the world (climate crisis) — as well as the unique value art brings to society. In this timely report, David Maggs explores how the arts can serve a more applied and accountable role in society as a catalyst for meeting the profound challenges we face.

With the traditional reliance upon grants and earned revenue under strain, the possibility of unlocking new pools of funds is both compelling and enticing. This report breaks new ground in exploring how the non-profit arts sector in Canada could harness the power of social finance to strengthen its financial footing by surveying national and international examples.

This report highlights two initiatives designed to allow Toronto’s independent theatre to flourish. Generator originated out of the Small Theatre Administrative Facility (STAF) and Why Not Theatre developed The RISER Project in 2014. Both projects address issues of scarcity that are endemic to the sector.

Grounded in both theory and practice, this paper offers insight into how the arts industry could inspire and support a new, exciting era of arts development in Canada. It provides a lens through which to view arts development that brings into focus what professional artists need in order to create innovative content, to connect meaningfully with audiences, and to develop effective resourcing strategies. It invites practitioners and funders alike to embrace change with courage, curiosity, and imagination.

The arts sector has experienced explosive growth and as a result, the public arts  funding system lacks sufficient resources. This report focuses on the concept of shared platforms as a potential response, one that could make a significant impact on improving the health of the sector. Three possible models for shared platforms are compared, hoping to stimulate sectoral dialogue around the idea and to galvanize the community to develop and implement models that will work for them.

This report is both a call to funders to consider the extraordinary potential of supporting internship opportunities and a celebration of what Metcalf has accomplished in over a decade of focused arts internship programming. It includes a background to the Metcalf program, a summary of lessons we have learned, and personal stories from both interns and mentors.

In 2001, the Metcalf Foundation launched a new and innovative Performing Arts Program. Five years later, we undertook a review of this program. This paper describes the context for the arts program and the review process that we undertook. It also includes a brief summary of the evaluators’ report and recommendations, and what we learned about the Foundation’s work in the performing arts sector.