REVOLUTION Programming Update: "Citizen Engagement" with Franco Boni

Over the weeks leading up to the Alliance's 2017 annual conference, REVOLUTION: Engaging Human Creativity, we'll be sharing some of the exciting programming and engaging speakers conference attendees have to look forward to at The Annex and VSO School of Music's Pyatt Hall in Vancouver on Thursday, June 8.

Today we spotlight Franco Boni, who will facilitate a workshop on citizen engagement.

Click here for more information on REVOLUTION, and to register at an early bird rate today!

CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

The Theatre Centre has been serving artists and the community of West Queen West in Toronto for over 25 years, but it wasn’t until March 2014, when the company assumed a permanent new home in a former Carnegie Library, that a transformation took hold.

By asking the question, “What can theatre be?”, the Theatre Centre grew beyond its function as an arts venue. It changed its hours, offered inexpensive lunches cooked by artists and opened to the public, hosted a scientist in residence from a local university, showcases the artwork of living artists in its lobby, and brought onboard Syrian newcomers to fill roles at the theatre. By embracing its new role as a cultural hub, the theatre has become a place where a city building and the arts intersect.

As leaders in the cultural community, we are responsible for reminding the general public why the arts matter. In today’s complex world, artists must make art that encourages us to imagine new ways of living together as a community. By engaging our communities, we can harness the power of the arts for change.

ABOUT FRANCO BONI

Since 2003, Franco Boni has served as artistic director of The Theatre Centre.

Franco is one of the founders and sits on the Steering Committee of Active 18, a local West Queen West community association, instrumental in advocating for good design and retaining the cultural fabric of the West Queen West neighbourhood.

He is the inaugural recipient of the Ken McDougall Award for emerging directors, and was awarded the Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award, recognizing his outstanding leadership in the development of arts and culture in the City of Toronto. In 2013, Franco received the George Luscombe Award for Mentorship.

This session is sponsored in part by: