TMAC

A community arts hub for video, film, games, music & digital culture. Galleries, cinema and workspace for artists. Closed 2021, but we’ll be back!

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

City Hall asked us to "dream" about 32 Lisgar while erasing decades of community work. The truth? TMAC was promised OWNERSHIP of this arts space in 2014, not just a lease. Time to honour the original deal for the future operator. Full story: https://t.co/LRUzLs8zZB

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

@r0cketRoc @TorontoBiennial “Precarity”.

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

Just to be clear: the City chose to eject TMAC from the arts & culture space at 32 Lisgar. The City reneged on their community deal and chose to benefit the developer.

The developer went bankrupt before completing the space. And now it is being used to showcase “precarity”.

[Julie Dzerowicz @JulieDzerowicz]

It was an incredible experience to attend the public opening of the @TorontoBiennial of Art at @TOMediaArts.

This year’s theme, #PrecariousJoys, brings together over 35 artists from across Canada and the world, happening at 11 venues across Toronto.

[Henry Faber @henryfaber]

The @GammaSpaceTO community released TWO games this month as a direct result of working with impact investors @weird_ghosts.

Not only are @RocketAdrift's Psychroma and @daffodildil's @StreetUniX fantastic games, but they have such a positive effect on their communities.

[Henry Faber @henryfaber]

Feels ghoulish: The City is allowing the Toronto Biennial to use 32 Lisgar as its central venue— the space they evicted @TOMediaArts from.

The theme? Precarious Joys, the "vulnerability and grief" around the loss of workers and space in the arts.

https://t.co/hHWXVCttfq

[Henry Faber @henryfaber]

Another venue cancelled Toronto’s Palestinian fundraiser.

You know which venue wouldn’t have? TMAC. We hosted the Palestinian film festival.

Meanwhile, the City continues to embarrass itself after forcing us out and revising “calls for operators”. It has been empty for years.

[Henry Faber @henryfaber]

A colleague forwarded me this letter from Artscape and, frankly, nothing about it is shocking.

But it *really* illustrates the City's short sightedness and lack of working directly with community groups for community arts spaces.

[Henry Faber @henryfaber]

Fun fact: on rainy days like this, 32 Lisgar floods on the main floor and on the third floor due to Ana Bailão rushing the certification of the community so the developer could collect their money.

The developer then went bankrupt. The benefit unfinished. And now it sits empty.

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

@henryfaber Here's TMAC's record of the event:

https://t.co/Nm6OIGod2c

[Henry Faber @henryfaber]

I met with City staff as they solicited bids for a new operator of the arts space at 32 Lisgar. As a former operator of the space, we wondered why they were rushing the process without addressing the myriad of deficiencies.

Ana was pushing for it before she left council.

[Chris Kennedy @secretflix]

My film, “lay claim to an island”, is showing tomorrow @BAMPFA as part of their Undoing Time: Cinema and Histories of Incarceration series: https://t.co/qjtgWR0ixg

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

This is just one issue revealed by our persistent questions among many.

A City-owned space should require rigorous detail and assurances arounc cost and conditions before asking for community-driven, not-for-profit stewardship.

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

This past month, the City:

- Had no info about the geothermal costs.
- Said they'd determine if geothermal is available.
- Determined operators should expect to add ~$180,000/yr to the projected $250,000/yr operating costs.

This affects even the first stage of its REOI process.

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

TMAC believes this process is exclusionary and not community minded and does not believe the City is fully acknowledging how it is undermining its desired outcome.

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

You can find the City's last response to TMAC, along with a summary of issues we believe significantly impacting the possibility of a high quality, community-minded proposal here:

https://t.co/AL6trNXflL

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

UPDATE: As we continue to consult with partners and community stakeholders, it's clear that the City's lack of detail about the costs and conditions of 32 Lisgar is a significant barrier to working with TMAC to develop a credible business plan and budget.

[TMAC @TOMediaArts]

If you, as an artist, organization, or neighbour feel that your community deserves to receive its media arts hub as a true benefit and *not* a burden, email the REOI's administrator at [email protected] and let them know!