Hey, the Toronto Sun published a great article about our group...
Why funding the arts doesn’t just cater to the black tie set
By RACHEL SA, TORONTO SUN
rachel.sa@sunmedia.ca Twitter: Rachel_Sa
rachel.sa@sunmedia.ca Twitter: Rachel_Sa
Last Updated: October 23, 2010 9:18pm
There has been little talk about nurturing the arts in Toronto lately, especially in the midst of an election that has focused more on cutting costs and tightening belts than it has on the cultural growth of our city.
But, as Torontonians go to the polls Monday, it is important to look at what deserves to be celebrated and maintained in our city — not just what should be slashed and burned.
A new poll from the Ontario Arts Council released this past week revealed 89% of Ontarians believe that, if their community lost its arts activities, people living there would lose something of value.
Too many people think the arts are the exclusive domain of people who attend black tie galas or high-priced theatre openings. But the arts are accessible — and they make a difference on the ground.
Parkdale Street Writers, an arts group, is doing just that. Making a difference.
It’s a series of free writing workshops that run eight months of the year for Toronto youth ages 16 to 25. Meetings are held weekly at the Parkdale Library.
Award-winning Toronto writer Emily Pohl-Weary created the group in 2008. This week, Parkdale Street Writers kicked off their third full season of writing.
“I grew up five blocks from there,” Pohl-Weary explains. “It’s one of those rough neighbourhoods to grow up in, especially for boys. I feel I had it pretty lucky. I was the girl who would go to the corner and read. But a lot of my friends and my own siblings didn’t come out of it unscathed.”
But, as Torontonians go to the polls Monday, it is important to look at what deserves to be celebrated and maintained in our city — not just what should be slashed and burned.
A new poll from the Ontario Arts Council released this past week revealed 89% of Ontarians believe that, if their community lost its arts activities, people living there would lose something of value.
Too many people think the arts are the exclusive domain of people who attend black tie galas or high-priced theatre openings. But the arts are accessible — and they make a difference on the ground.
Parkdale Street Writers, an arts group, is doing just that. Making a difference.
It’s a series of free writing workshops that run eight months of the year for Toronto youth ages 16 to 25. Meetings are held weekly at the Parkdale Library.
Award-winning Toronto writer Emily Pohl-Weary created the group in 2008. This week, Parkdale Street Writers kicked off their third full season of writing.
“I grew up five blocks from there,” Pohl-Weary explains. “It’s one of those rough neighbourhoods to grow up in, especially for boys. I feel I had it pretty lucky. I was the girl who would go to the corner and read. But a lot of my friends and my own siblings didn’t come out of it unscathed.”
