Toronto, ON – November 22, 2024 – ArtsBuild Ontario is thrilled to announce the launch of our innovative project, Social Purpose Real Estate (SPRE) for Arts Spaces. This initiative, guided by 21 partners across Toronto, aims to develop vital resources centred on social purpose real estate for arts and heritage organizations in Toronto and across Ontario.
In recent years, many cultural organizations have faced displacement from their neighbourhoods due to rising property costs and rental rates. As the arts sector grapples with these challenges, the SPRE for Arts Spaces project is poised to play a crucial role in ensuring the future viability of cultural spaces. By focusing on the availability, accessibility, and affordability of real estate for nonprofits, the project will facilitate community development, enhance the social fabric of communities, and support economic revitalization.
SPRE for Arts Spaces is a three-year project that emphasizes building the capacity of cultural organizations to respond to the pressing issue of space precarity. Through industry expertise, peer-to-peer learning, and collaborative problem-solving, the project will create a knowledge base that includes online training modules, case studies, and discussions reflecting the real-time space needs of arts organizations.
Led by ArtsBuild Ontario, SPRE for Arts Spaces is guided by a Leadership Committee that represents diverse perspectives and artistic disciplines:
- City of Toronto, Economic Development & Culture
- Toronto Arts Council
- Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Creative School
- OCAD U’s Cultural Policy Hub
- Infrastructure Institute through the University of Toronto’s School of Cities
Activities planned for the SPRE initiative include:
- Training Modules: Virtual sessions featuring industry experts to provide a foundational understanding of social purpose real estate. Topics include SPRE 101: Understanding Social Purpose Real Estate for Arts Spaces, Alternative Models, Indigenous Community Relationships and the Land, and Real Estate Development & Financing Models.
- Case Studies: In-depth analyses of past and current SPRE projects involving organizations in Ontario and across Canada, such as Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre and St. Jax Centre in Montreal.
- Panel Discussions: Featuring cultural organizations engaged in SPRE initiatives, focusing on Toronto while appealing to a broader Ontario and Canada-wide audience.
- SPRE Lab with The Creative School at TMU: An in-person program designed as an incubator for Toronto-based arts and heritage organizations, facilitating collective problem-solving for cultural space challenges.
Join us for an online project launch and first training module, SPRE 101: Understanding Social Purpose Real Estate for Arts Spaces with the Infrastructure Institute and Kendra Fry of Creative Collisions on Wednesday, December 11 from 12 PM-1:30 PM EST. The module will provide foundational knowledge on key SPRE concepts, including visioning, planning approvals, financial modelling, and site acquisition. We will also share more about the SPRE for Arts Spaces initiative and its potential impact on the arts landscape in Ontario.
For more information about the SPRE project and ArtsBuild Ontario’s ongoing initiatives, please visit https://www.artsbuildontario.ca/spre.
Quotes
“The City of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Division is proud to be a partner on Social Purpose Real Estate for Arts Spaces in Toronto. Social purpose real estate is an innovative, forward-looking approach to address the crisis facing cultural spaces in the city. This program will help to achieve the goals set out in Culture Connects: an Action Plan for Culture In Toronto (2025-2035) to preserve and expand arts and cultural spaces, and deliver on the City’s target to create one million new square feet of cultural space over the next decade.”
Patrick Tobin, General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, City of Toronto
“Toronto-based artists and arts organizations are grappling with a significant lack of affordable creative space that is safe, accessible, and meets their artistic needs. Initiatives like ArtsBuild’s Social Purpose Real Estate for Arts Spaces project will enhance local organizations’ capacity to engage with social purpose real estate and leverage innovative solutions. Toronto Arts Council is pleased to partner with ArtsBuild and others on strategic initiatives that respond to major sector challenges and opportunities.”
Kelly Langgard, Director and CEO, Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation
“ArtsBuild Ontario’s SPRE initiatives are happening at a critical moment of post-pandemic recovery: as artists and cultural organizations continue to be displaced while municipalities face the ongoing challenge of vitalizing their neighbourhoods amidst vacated buildings, there is an opportunity for developers and the arts sector to work collaboratively together to re-envision mutually beneficial and innovative approaches to urban spaces. The Creative School is thrilled to partner with the Space Lab to provide a site for these discussions and to empower artists and cultural organizations with the tools to advocate effectively both for their needs and for the creation of thriving communities.”
Dr. Natalie Álvarez, Associate Dean, Scholarly, Research and Creative Activities Professor, Theatre and Performance Studies, The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University
“In today’s landscape of uncertainty for arts spaces, social purpose real estate (SPRE) has emerged as a transformative strategy for cultural organizations. By addressing the intersections of zoning, urban planning, and collaboration with developers, landowners, and municipalities, we can create sustainable environments for the arts to thrive. Through knowledge mobilization—encompassing training modules, case studies, panel discussions and the Space Lab through TMU’s Creative School—we can empower cultural organizations to pioneer innovative solutions that not only respond to current challenges but also lay the groundwork for enduring success in our communities.”
Alex Glass, Executive Director of ArtsBuild Ontario
About Us
ArtsBuild Ontario (ABO) is a provincial arts service organization that provides small and medium-sized organizations with tools, training, and advice to successfully manage physical and digital creative spaces. ABO works to reimagine the future of creative spaces through dedicated research projects and an engaged network of supportive partners. Learn more at www.artsbuildontario.ca.
Media Contact
Helena Ciuciura
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
ArtsBuild Ontario
helena@artsbuildontario.ca
519.880.3670 ext 101
-30-
