STORIES FOR A STRONGER CITY

No More Business As Usual 

While the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the arts sector’s precarity in stark terms, the problems we go back further than that.  For over forty years, arts institutions have primarily relied on a small group of supporters for their survival. This loyal group has been asked to donate, subscribe, support and volunteer for arts organizations since the founding of many of our organizations. As our reliance on this group has grown, so too has our inability to connect meaningfully with new audiences, even as our city has changed rapidly around us. The result is that over the past decade, theatre attendance has declined, and theatre companies have become disproportionately dependent on a small group’s diminishing engagement.  

Soulpepper has worked hard to address this challenge.  Through our commitment to Radical Inclusion, a belief that everyone is welcome in our theatre, our organization has become truly representative of Toronto’s rich tapestry. Our staff, artists, leaders and Board Directors now represent a much broader range of perspectives, and our audiences have responded in kind.  Since reopening post-pandemic, 55% of our audience is new to Soulpepper, and the average age of attendees has dropped by over 20 years. These new stakeholders are infusing new energy into the organization. However, with cost pressures and declining revenues from traditional streams, we need more resources to build their sustained engagement and investment.  

Our Social Purpose 

Soulpepper has extraordinary creative assets at its disposal and an unflinching commitment to our social purpose.  Located in the Canary District, we are part of one of the fastest growing urban neighbourhoods in North America.  This area will attract thousands of residents in the coming decade. Toronto is growing incredibly quickly, but unfortunately there has not been commensurate investments in public space and civic infrastructure for communities to come together and thrive.  The result is that Toronto is developing a reputation for being an inhospitable city, with unattainably high housing prices, challenging transportation, and a lack of community cohesion. 

The Toronto Foundation affirms as much in the 2023 Vital Signs Report. Their assessment is that the connective tissue of this city is in decline, and that a lack of community life is driving a mental health crisis that has 50% of adults reporting that they feel depressed at least once a week, and 37% (925,000 people) feeling lonely at least three days a week.   

Our goal is simple: to actively contribute to the health and cohesion of the communities we serve, and in so doing, build a sustainable future for Soulpepper. We will do so by transforming into a buzzing hub of artistic activity that works to combat the loneliness epidemic. 

We are building on our legacy of artistic excellence while also developing new community programs that will enliven our space from morning to night. Over the next three years, we will help artists thrive, produce work that resonates across divides, facilitate deep learning and exchange, and create accessible entry points to the arts for people who never imagined themselves in a theatre.  

PHASE 1: Artistic Ambition 

Beginning in fall 2024, Soulpepper is developing new ways to increase our artistic output and affirm our leadership by building capacity across the sector. We are expanding the scope, scale and variety of our programming through innovative partnerships and by investing in our community of artists.  The core elements of Phase 1 include: 

• Increase annual performances at our venue from 230 to 400 by forging groundbreaking partnerships with five leading theatre companies, including capacity sharing and audience development initiatives.  

• Renewing our investment in bold, high-quality new works, particularly by underrepresented voices, and building a modern canon of stories that resonate with our new audiences.  

• Launching an artistic fellowship program that supports artists to develop their projects, access our audiences, and invites them to help shape the future of the company.   

• Committing to supporting artists who are disproportionately affected by the affordability crisis.   

• Making a splash in our own storytelling by creating a new visual identity and digital strategy for the company, and making our building more discoverable through improved signage, lobby improvements and exterior decoration.  

PHASE 2: An Antidote to Loneliness 

Starting in 2025, Soulpepper will bring people together through the power of theatre to help reduce loneliness in our city.   

Inspired by the Vital Signs Report, we are becoming an internationally recognized hub of creativity and community, buzzing with activity from morning to night. The core elements of Phase 2 include: 

• Convening tens of thousands of Torontonians through artistic activities that are accessible and community-driven. 

• Developing more and larger Community Engagement programs, including but not limited to major activations around the Winter Village, summer arts programming in the Distillery District, and free programming that encourages connection and creativity.   

• Expanding our Education Programs to include more youth, seniors and aspiring artists.   

• Undertaking a major analysis of our stakeholder community to better understand their needs, interests and potential engagement, and measuring our social impact. 

This plan marks a bold step forward for Soulpepper Theatre while building on our long legacy of civic engagement. While shaped by a business imperative to deploy our assets more effectively, the driver of this plan is the desire to make Soulpepper and the live performing arts essential in the work of building a healthier city. In embracing and expanding on the deeply connected experience that is intrinsic to theatre, and by reimagining how people can access that experience, we will help our community feel less lonely and more resilient.