Everything we do is geared towards fulfilling our mandates and the desires identified through community engagement and feedback, using a multi-disciplinary approach including arts and music workshops, professional development programs, art exhibitions, filmmaking, concerts… whatever’s clever. Without a doubt though, our focus is the annual Manifesto Festival, and our point of origin lies in hip hop culture – in its spirit of ingenuity, raw creativity, and people power. We strive to stay out of boxes though, to create a platform with the potential to act as a catalyst for cross-pollination, collaboration, and the growth of new forms in this city of wildly talented people.

“each one – teach one”

The first ever Manifesto Festival in September of 2007 was a huge success and went down as one of the largest and most unique hip hop festivals in Canadian history. The festival brought together over 100 artists and thousands of spectators for 4 days of art and music, culminating in a massive free outdoor event at Toronto’s civic heart, Nathan Phillips Square, where many of Canada’s revered hip hop pioneers shared the stage with some new blood in a celebration of our nation’s hip hop legacy and future

http://themanifesto.ca

National and International Touring program supports artists and arts organizations who have touring, exhibition, or distribution opportunities outside of Ontario.

National and International Residencies program supports Ontario artists who have opportunities for creative residencies in Canada or abroad.

The Aboriginal Curatorial Projects program assists independent Aboriginal curators or presenting organizations, working with Aboriginal curators, to undertake a visual, media arts or craft exhibition project that presents and documents the work of professional artists.

Ontario Arts Presenters program supports presenters of live arts series and events which contribute to the development of appreciative and knowledgeable audiences for the arts in Ontario.

Visit the official Ontario Arts Council website here