Calling on Toronto Councillors: Petition to Protect Arts Funding to Keep Toronto Vibrant

Toronto City Council plans to make deep cuts to the city budget, and this puts arts and cultural funding at serious risk. Cutting the arts could be an economic and social catastrophe for Toronto: not only does the city achieve a huge return on a relatively small investment, but our vibrant arts scene is also a big part of what makes Toronto a great place to live, work and visit.

Please send a message to the Mayor and your councillor telling them that arts funding should not be cut. Here’s why:

• Arts and culture are essential to Toronto’s economy, generating $9 billion every year.
• Arts and culture create jobs. 130,000 people work in the sector – and many more depend on related businesses, including those in hospitality and tourism.
• Torontonians care about the arts. In 2010, there were 20 million visits from every corner of Toronto to city-supported arts events.
• Every dollar Toronto invests in arts organizations attracts $17 more from private and public sources. Arts and culture funding has a great return on investment. 
• Great art and artists take years to achieve commercial success; today’s funding enables tomorrow’s art.
• Artists flock to cities that support them – yet Toronto invests less in the arts than other major cities; City Council has been working to change that, and it must stay the course.

• Meet the City's commitments to the Creative Capital Initiative to make Toronto a leader in arts and culture.
• Maintain current City funding to arts and culture: protect investment in Toronto Arts Council, Toronto’s 475 arts organizations and hundreds of local artists

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