The Toronto Arts Foundation recently conducted a study of the arts community in Toronto. The results were troubling. Toronto is a magnet for artists across the country, but it’s also a city where it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a living as an artist. While nearly 70% of the city’s artists moved here from somewhere else), 73% of Toronto artists have thought about leaving the city.
Here are some of the reasons why:
- 80% of artists do not believe they can make a living wage
- 50% of artists make less than $30,000 per year
- Nearly 1 in 5 artists have been renovicted
When the report came out, City News asked “Is Toronto actually a music city?” and the Toronto Star said “Time for Toronto to decide whether it wants to keep its artists.”
CSI member Street Voices is asking a different question: Are you an artist with a desire to learn about business to sell your art? They are collaborating with another CSI member — Business In The Streets — to deliver an 9 week program called Monetize Your Art. The aim of the program is to teach aspiring artists the business side of their craft alongside pairing them with mentors that have experience in the creative industry. Applications are now open for both participants and mentors.
Street Voices is a media platform for street-involved and at-risk youth to share their stories, artwork, and opinions with the masses. Via their weekly workshops, live performance events, and publishing opportunities, Street Voices is empowering racialized and marginalized youth throughout the city of Toronto.
Business in the Streets is a Toronto not-for-profit organization providing youth facing barriers access to top-tier business training, peer mentorship, micro-financing, and ongoing business supports. The organization was created to help young people from disadvantaged, marginalized and underserved communities access quality entrepreneurial programs, mentorship and networking opportunities.
