Protecting and Preserving Independent Live Performance Venues and Drag Bars - by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Joe Cressy

These live performances venues include drag bars, community cultural hubs, and safe performance spaces for the LGBTQ2S+ community. Drag performers are a critical component of queer culture, and their performance venues often double as bars, cafes, restaurants, and even book stores. Independent "indie" theatre and other performance spaces are unconventional, ideal for experimenting, performing, and challenging the status quo of what might otherwise be considered "mainstream" livestream entertainment. Since the pandemic, we have seen more and more independent live performance venues shutter, most recently being the Lower Ossington Theatre. These "indie" venues are the home of young performers just starting out, but also provide opportunities where creative storytellers can elevate marginalized voices, telling stories otherwise left unsaid. These businesses are unique as they're often operated by arts workers, many who are already employed in the gig economy or doing other low-wage work. As we have all seen, the gig economy workers have been most precariously employed through each stage of the pandemic. These individuals are creative thinkers and cultural producers. They document and interpret contemporary thought, values, and social commentaries and give language and meaning to our collective cultural tapestry. Additionally, many have also fallen through the cracks not adequately covered by the Federal and Provincial COVID-emergency financial support, in the form of rent and wage subsidies. As the City of Toronto looks to recover from the global pandemic, we would be remiss to neglect these important cultural spaces. In order to protect our cultural identity and purposes, City Council must take urgent action to support cultural hubs and live performance venues for artists, performers storytellers and others alike.

Aki Studio Theatre; b. The Assembly Theatre; c. Red Sand Castle Theatre; d. Crews and Tangos; e. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre; f. Woody's and Sailors; g. Glad Day Book Store; h. Space Space Revolution; and i. Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. 3. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the Toronto Arts Council to explore expanding granting opportunities and granting reform to emerging artists, including the experience required to apply for operational funding and to report back to the Executive Committee in fourth quarter of 2021. 4. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in collaboration with the Toronto Arts Council, and in consultation with independent live performance venue operators and artist stakeholders, to develop an appropriate pilot strategy for the purpose of providing support and referrals to relevant services, and informing and educating artists and cultural workers on opportunities for financial literacy and grants, and to report back to the first quarter of 2022. 5. City Council request the Provincial or Federal Governments to urgently consider creating new or expanding existing programs to support live performance venues, including drag bars through grants and other COVID-emergency relief funding to preserve the arts.