Today we heard the news that arts landlord Artscape is going into receivership. This will impact all 14 of its arts facilities, including many artists’ residences, offices for arts companies (Luminato, Native Earth, George Brown, SKETCH Arts, and many more) and venues for the performing arts. This is a catastrophic event for the arts scene in Toronto.

For the last 10 years Toronto has been losing key performing arts rehearsal and performance venues, driven by the soaring costs of real estate and rental rates, now compounded by inflation. Ironically, that means that while there are nearly a million more people living in Toronto than there were 10 years ago, there are now fewer avenues for making art, sharing experiences, and cultivating the next generation of artists, greatly damaging the cultural vitality of Canada’s largest city.

Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre's new facility-in-development at 877 Young Street will be even more vital to Toronto given the incredible and devastating news today from Artscape.

Our goal for 877 Young Street has always been that it will be an affordable rental space and performance venue for performing arts organizations and independent artists from all disciplines. In the face of this crisis, we are part of a sustainable solution.

Please consider supporting this exciting performing arts facility. Of the 3 million dollar cost, we still need to raise the final $400,000.

Support at any level is invaluable to creating a venue that is not only beautiful for opera, theater, and dance, but also affordable and sustainable for the independent arts community. We also invite you to write to your government representatives at all levels to express your support for the strategic development of spaces - studios, offices and housing - specifically for artists and especially the performing arts.

To find out more visit tapestryopera.my.