The Stakeholder Working Group Sessions were completed on August 12, 2021.
Public shared vision for an inclusive and accessible St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
TO Live and CreateTO launched a public consultation process for the reimagining of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. The project, dubbed STLC NEXT, is a City of Toronto initiative to engage the community in a vision for the future of the 50-year-old performing arts centre. As our City emerges from the pandemic, a new vision for the St. Lawrence Centre has the potential to become a galvanizing force for the community and cultural sector by delivering an inclusive and accessible community hub.
Residents and stakeholders were asked to provide their aspirations for how the Centre could be reimagined to provide an accessible, flexible civic hub that will serve traditionally under-represented voices, the cultural sector, the neighbourhood and the broader civic community.
The consultation process included an extensive series of town hall meetings and specific engagement sessions with local arts and community groups. The consultation was specifically designed to prioritize an equity lens to place-making opportunities, access to equity seeking groups, and the use of state-of-the-art technology to support the next generation of creative talent in Toronto.
Letter from Councillor Wong-Tam
Public consultation on the redevelopment of the St. Lawrence Centre of the Arts will enable us to re-imagine an important city-owned cultural asset. Improving accessibility and expanding flexible performance space will extend critical support to the public and performing arts companies. There’s an opportunity to rethink the entire public realm strategy and to connect the centre with the beautifully redesigned Berczy Park across the street. I look forward to hearing the public’s feedback on their transformational vision for the St Lawrence Centre and neighbourhood.
Kristyn Wong-Tam
Councillor, Ward 13, TO Live Board Member