Soulpepper Theatre Company invites audiences to join its largest ever annual fundraising event, Signature Soulpepper: It Starts with a Spark.

This hugely entertaining, celebratory party aims to raise $450,000 in support of Soulpepper’s free Education and Community Engagement Programs. The event is taking place November 8, 2023 at the historic Winter Garden Theatre, hosted by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience and The Mandalorian) and directed by Frank Cox-O’Connell. For the first time ever, Soulpepper is putting tickets for this fundraiser on public sale.

Young people are still experiencing significant mental health impacts from the massive upheaval experienced during the pandemic, where over 400,000 elementary and high school students in Toronto experienced a shift to remote learning. This disruption removed outlets for creativity and interrupted all opportunities for positive in-person social connection. In conjunction with the prevalence of social media as the primary form of social connection, young people are experiencing a mental health crisis, with rates of anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness having doubled from pre-pandemic levels.

With funds raised from the event, Soulpepper will bring thousands of young people together to spark their creativity, rebuild peer networks of support, unlock their confidence, and ignite a lifelong passion for the arts.

“It Starts With a Spark is our rallying cry to make sure that we can serve as many young people as possible in these complicated times. Art has proven, time and again, to be one of the best ways to improve well-being, using creativity to help young people realize their abilities, learn and work well. We are so grateful for our community’s support in helping us support more young people through theatre,” says Soulpepper Executive Director Gideon Arthurs.

Signature Soulpepper Programming

The event begins with an exclusive pre-show reception for VIP guests with food, drinks, and entertainment.

The signature performance showcases Soulpepper talent, including songs and scenes from upcoming productions, behind-the-scenes stories, youth performances, and surprise guests. Confirmed performers include Mike Ross, Raha Javanfar, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, with many more exciting performances to be announced.

Director, Frank Cox-O’Connell said about the event, “Soulpepper’s gala has been a great way to show our supporters what we have on stage, and in the pipeline. This year’s event, It Starts With a Spark, is going to be a blast: exciting theatre, killer music, good people, a party vibe, all raising some funds for youth programs that are so vital to all the work we do",

The evening will finish with a celebratory party featuring music, food, drinks, and special surprises for guests.

Tickets for the event start at $50 for Community Members and Arts Workers with most tickets ranging from $100-130, making it our most accessible gala event yet.