ArtsVote Toronto Report Card Now Available Online

The ArtsVote Toronto Report Card has been a key part of arts advocacy at the City since 1994.

Candidates were sent a comprehensive survey that helped evaluate their awareness of the needs of the arts community, their interest in engaging with artists in their Wards, and their willingness to act as advocates for the arts and culture sector. Candidates were also graded on their support for and participation in arts activities in their community.

During the 2022 municipal election campaign, ArtsVote is focusing on three key themes:

• City Vision

• Space Solutions

• Arts and Culture Champions

"ArtsVote is pleased to provide the ArtsVote Toronto Report Card for the upcoming municipal election. Among the city's 25 Wards there are 7 Wards where there are no incumbents, and many of the individuals appearing on the candidate slates are relatively unknown. It's a critical year to provide information in a timely fashion to voters who want to understand how candidates will engage in a new culture plan for the city that tackles space, affordability and equity issues," says ArtsVote Chair Jacoba Knaapen.

The ArtsVote Report Card will help 200,000 artists and arts workers living in Toronto to make their presence felt by electing candidates who wholeheartedly support the arts, who promote the contribution of arts & culture to public life, and who encourage partnerships between government, art, education and the workforce in the interests of a shared future.

Arts and culture are significant economic drivers of this city and are a part of what makes Toronto a desirable place to live, work and play. The coalition of ArtsVote volunteers hopes that the Report Card information proves useful to the community at large and, more importantly, that everyone gets out and votes on October 24th.

ArtsVote endeavored to contact all candidates listed on the City of Toronto's election website, either by email or phone, and the survey was sent via email. A group of assessors independently evaluated all the completed surveys. ArtsVote also examined the incumbents' track records of arts-related projects in their ward, as well as the indication of an arts and culture platform on candidate websites, and factored these results into final grades.

Read the ArtsVote Toronto Report Card here.