arts and culture : In The News

Toronto is the most youthful city in the world, according to a new report that compares cities globally and ranks them according to the potential for work and play.

 

The Youthful Cities Index rates cities on an annual basis and looks at economic status (high minimum wage, good annual income, affordable housing), political participation (voting age, youth voter turnout, volunteer opportunities), diversity (openness to LGBT communities, immigrants, different religions), employment (youth employment rates, employment rates post-graduation and student debt levels), encouragement of entrepreneurship (startup loans, age to register a business) and dozens more categories, as well as 112 indicators.  

 

In an article that appeared on Global News, Robert Barnard, the co-founder of Youthful Cities, said Toronto is "a city that’s amongst the most diverse in the world. It’s got a great film and music scene and it’s on the leading edge of things like digital access. On an economic standpoint, it’s a pretty good place even up against its American competition."

 

Berlin, New York City, Dallas and Paris followed Toronto in that order. Although Toronto's youth unemployment rate is at a high, when it comes to other aspects of the city Toronto is an international leader. 
 

"The excitement comes from the diversity and the playful aspects of Toronto. And there’s balance to it – overall it seemed to do pretty well in everything," Barnard said.
 

Read full story here. 

Original Source: Global News

Tom Ryaboi must not be afraid of heights. 

"It's in my blood. When I was a child one day, my dad came home from work and found me sitting on top of the fridge. They had no idea how I had got there, but obviously I just liked climbing things," explains the thrill-seeking photographer.

 

The Toronto-based photographer has caught the attention of the Daily Mail and with one glance at the images it's easy to see why. Ryaboi is part of a photography movement known as rooftopping, which involves, as the Daily Mail describes it, "daredevils climbing to the top of city skyscrapers, hanging off the edge and taking pictures of the spectacular views around them." 

 

Ryaboi's photos feature other members of the rooftopping movement dangling their feet off the edges of some of the city's tallest buildings and standing on the ledges while peering over the vast Toronto skyline. These photos are not for those faint of heart—nor are they for those with a fear of heights. The images capture the height well, encapsulating the daredevils in time, thousands of feet in the air.

 

To reach such great heights involves a little creativity. Ryaboi tells the Daily Mail that he often dresses the part, describing himself as a businessman or construction worker in order to get up to the tops of the buildings. 

 

"I've been on the top three tallest buildings in Toronto. But I often tell people it's not really the height the matters," he says. "The coolest views are often from lower buildings nestled in between the tall ones."

 

Read the full story and view the gallery here.  

Original source: Daily Mail

Nuit Blanche, the annual city-wide art exhibition that ran from sunset to sunrise on October 6, received international attention in part due to one major exhibition: Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei's Forever Bicycles.

 

Located at Nathan Phillips Square, the installation features thousands of stainless steel bicycles shipped over the Pacific via special containers, according to an article that ran in Gizmodo. The installation is one of six Scotiabank Nuit Blanche projects that will be extended in Toronto until the end of October.  

 

"As the centerpiece of this year's Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, the all-night contemporary art event that takes over city streets, 3,144 bicycles, the most Weiwei has used of this work to date, were stacked 100 feet in length and 30 feet in height and depth in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square. This was the first time the installation has been displayed in an open air, public space. Since this was a night-time festival, it was spectacularly lit up with pink and blue lights," the article reports.

 

But, as Wall Street Journal points out, Forever Bicycles has additional meaning for the city of Toronto in the form of tourist dollars. "The Nuit Blanche has become a big money maker for Canada’s largest city. Last year, it drew 38 million Canadian dollars ($36.9 million) to the city’s coffers, with over 1 million people checking out its exhibits," the article reports. "This year is expected to top that, thanks largely to Mr. Ai."

 

Justine Palinska, a spokeswoman with Toronto's economic development and culture department, told the Wall Street Journal that, "It's definitely the most important festival we’ve done, thanks to the Ai Weiwei exhibit."

 

Although Nuit Blanche originated in Paris, it continues to be a profitable event for Toronto. The article continues, "Last year, 170,000 people came from out of town alone, with many arriving in Toronto from the U.S. Mr. Ai’s international renown means this year’s event is expected to bring in yet more visitors from outside of the city."

 

A photo of the installation, taken by managing photographer Tanja-Tiziana, can be seen in this week's masthead image slider. 

 

Read the full story here.

Original source: Wall Street Journal

Have you seen the Lovebots? These child-sized concrete robots have been popping up around the city in areas where people and companies have done good deeds. You can see them at Nadège Patisserie, Atomic Toybot, and various other locations. By the time the invasion is complete, 100 Lovebots will be spread around the city and surrounding area.

 

“The whole idea was that we’re not just faceless robots who don’t talk to each other on the bus. We all have big hearts. I wanted to make a symbol that represented the people in this city," creator Matthew Del Degan told Samaritan Magazine. 

 

Del Degan is in his fifth and final year of industrial design studies at OCAD and originally created a toy version of the Lovebot for a class project. He loved it so much, and the response was so positive, he decided to make it something bigger.

 

People submit "love letters" via Lovebot.com, an interactive map-based platform that not only displays the locations of current Lovebots, but also encourages others to do good deeds in the name of kindness and love. These love letters are used to decide where to place the Lovebots, in places where people have done charitable deeds or simply been good people. 

 

Del Degan has big plans. In another article, he talks about wanting to take the Lovebot invasion global, but in Samaritan Magazine he discusses his desire to make the Lovebots more of a permanent fixture in Toronto.

 

“There’s this giant robot I want to make. I can make it a monument in Toronto,” he says. “If you had a giant robot in your city, it would be a cool thing to come and see. I want the project at the core to be from Toronto because the cement robots sprung out of the city, the ‘cement jungle."

 

Read the full story here. 

Original source: Samaritan Mag

The fifth annual TEDxToronto conference took place October 26 at the Royal Conservatory of Music. It's one of the largest independently organized TEDx events in the world and, according to a highlight report that ran in BlogTO, approximately 1,000 hand-chosen delegates attended. 

 

Among the highlights listed, a flash mob ukulele performance by the Ukulele Gangsters, which took place at the beginning of the conference.

 

Highlights that would be of particular interest to Yonge Street readers included Darrell Bricker, the former Director of Research for the Prime Ministers office. "Bricker has always tried to use numbers to tell the story behind the scenes. He spoke at length about the manner in which power is shifting from the 416 to the 905, which is redefining both our city and the GTA as a whole," BlogTO wrote. "Another key subject he discussed was the shrinking Canadian birth rate, which is going to make it extremely tough to support the aging population."

 

Also, Joel MacCharles, who has "been helping to foster the farmer's market movement in Toronto. By teaching people the benefits of preserving food and eating locally, Joel has altered kitchens around Toronto with some of his 1,700 articles on food-related topics," the article says. 

 

Also Steve Mann, considered the "father of wearable computers" for his Google Glass-like inventions dating back to the 1970s. "Mann is a believer in wearing personal cameras to ensure his own safety in what he calls sousveillance," BlogTO summarizes. "Mann combined his discussion on safety with the shooting of Sammy Yatim, stating that videos taken by people outside the streetcar were a strong factor leading to the officer being charged. He also believes everyone should be able to record their entire life, because if buildings and businesses are allowed to record us at all times, why aren't we allowed to record them in return?"

 

Not mentioned in the highlight reel was Gabrielle Scrimshaw's talk about how now, more than ever, is the time to pay attention to Aboriginal issues as more than half the Aboriginal population is under 25 and gearing up to enter the workforce. Background on Scrimshaw and her work can be found in this feature Yonge Street ran in Decemebr of last year.

 

The talks will be made available in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the introductory video explaining Toronto's history is a must watch.

 

 

Read the full story here. 

Source: BlogTO

Speaker applications are now open for women interested in channeling "the bootstrap spirit of Silicon Valley to celebrate invention in all its forms." The event is the first of its kind, designed to "provide a platform or women to share ideas, inspired new modes of understanding and be a catalyst of change," the website says.

 

The conference will focus not just on technology and objects, but "also solutions to poverty; approaches to peacemaking; expressions of art, and, at times, our own lives." More then 150 independently organized TEDx events will take place simultaneously exploring the theme of "Invented Here." 

 

"The result: A truly global conversation—from San Francisco to São Paulo to Toronto's Distillery District—celebrating inventors and designers; thinkers and makers; local problem-solvers and global leaders."

 

The event will be held on December 5th, 2013 and the deadline to apply to be a speakers is October 15th, 2013.

 

For more information, click here. 

Source: TEDxDistilleryDistrictWomen

 

The latest tour guide we've come across advocating Toronto mentions some fresh reasons tourists should visit the city. The National, a publication based out of Abu Dhabi, notes that Toronto "regularly appears near the top of global indexes for livable and competitive cities" and mentions how we ranked eight "out of 20 entrepreneurial hotspots worldwide, according to Startup Genome's Startup Ecosystems Report 2012."

 

The National mentions traditional attractions such as the Toronto International Film Fest, but what caught our eye was its attention to details and emphasis on nature and culture. 
 

"This week is Canada’s National Forestry Week so go for a stroll," the article says. "Rouge Park has nature, farms and trails. Set to become Canada’s first national urban park, Rouge Park lies within an hour’s drive for 7 million people. Alternatively visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (hockey and lacrosse are the national sports of Canada) and follow that up with a visit to Tim Hortons, a coffee and doughnut chain founded by a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player of the same name."
 

It also draws attention to our key industries. "The region is the No 3 financial services centre in North America, after New York and Chicago. The World Economic Forum has ranked Canada's banking system as the most sound in the world, six years in a row. The food and beverage industry also does well with the sector having $17 billion of sales in 2010. Designers, retailers and cost-efficient manufacturers in Toronto’s fast-moving fashion hub have helped increase Canadian apparel exports to the US more than fivefold since 1994."

 

Now, how about a game of ball? "Baseball fans might be interested to know that the Toronto Blue Jays are the only team in Major League Baseball to be located outside the United States. The Blue Jays won the World Series twice in their history - again the only team outside the US to do so."??

Read the full guide here. 

Original source: The National

The Toronto International Film Festival wrapped almost two weeks ago now, but the reviews and accounts continue to poor in. Buried among them, this story from the BBC that examines why TIFF matters.

 

"Since it was first held in 1976 the festival has grown exponentially, aided in part by its apposite positioning at what is widely considered the onset of the annual film awards season," BBC writes. 
 

The article states TIFF's position in September makes it a jumping point for film season. It continues, "A positive response in Toronto in September can get the ball rolling on an awards campaign that could result in that most coveted of accolades - an Academy Award - at the end of the following February."

"Toronto has become this extraordinary platform for many of the most serious films by some of the greatest film-makers in the world," says British actor Tom Hiddleston, who stars as Loki in the Avengers and Thor: the Dark World. 
 

That TIFF asks its "passionate," "intelligent," and "literate" audience to determine the top selection of films—and not, as is in other festivals, a jury—shows that this is a city dedicated to film, the article reports, and not the glamour and fashion of other film fests.

The "behemoth" size of the film festival both draws and dissuades its attendees. The challenge comes in making sure each film gets the proper promotion—and ensuring viewers arrive early enough to catch a screening. 

Read the full story here. 
Original Source: BBC

"Some people collect baseball cards and others collect coins. Martin Howard, however, collects century-old typewriters," writes Gizmodo Australia, which ran a story on the Torontonian's extensive collection. It features typewriters that look like "navigation instruments" and others that "look like scales."

 

The article selects a few from the collection that it deems the most beautiful. Of them is the Crandall – New Model from 1887, which resembles a sewing machine. It features decorative flower designs with gold accents, detailed by 28 keys that support 84 characters.

 

Another, the Lambert 1 from 1902, resembles a rotary dial phone. It's "ideal for the one-finger typist," the article writes. 

 

"The Martin Howard Collection includes dozens of rare and historically significant typewriters. It’s the largest of its kind in Canada and continues to grow as its owner comes across new pieces. While the typewriters sometimes travel for exhibitions, you can always see the whole collection on Howard’s website, and if you really want to you can probably buy them," Gizmodo reports.

 

Read the full story and check out Gizmodo's favourites here. Or, if you desire, view the entire Martin Howard collection on his website here. 

Original source: Gizmodo 

The final numbers of TIFF's economic impact on the City of Toronto for 2013 have yet to be released, but a news report that aired on CityTV reports that the festival generates anywhere from $130- to $170-million in revenue each year.

 

"It's one of the busiest times of the year," says Raffaele Bettalico, the owner of Zaza Espresso Bar in Yorkville, in the video. His business triples during TIFF, which wrapped its 11-day stint on Sunday. 

 

When you think of the impact, Peter Finestone, the film commissioner for the City of Toronto, says in the video, you need to think of its reach. This includes the restaurants rented for after parties, the limousine services, the increase in restaurant and bar traffic, money to buskers, hairdressers, bartenders, and so much more. 

 

"It's not just the stars spending money, out of town visitors alone spend $27-million," the report says.

 

Not mentioned in the report is the amount of press TIFF generates, making it tough to track down stories for this week's In The News section that weren't about the glitz and glamour of the world's largest open to the general public film festival. 

 

Watch the report here. 

Original source: CityTV

 

In an article that ran in Troy Media detailing examples of regimes that sacrifice artistic freedom (think the imprisonment of two members of Pussy Riot, the "punk feminist protest collective that performs songs criticizing the oil economy, the Roman Catholic Church, and President Vladimir Putin himself"), Toronto received accolades for its place on the Bohemian Index.

 

The Bohemian Index is a ranking system designed by Richard Florida – a current professor at the University of Toronto and the head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management – back in 1957. 

 

The system looks at The Rise of the Creative Class (one of his many books exploring creative class and urban development) and ranks cities based on what he calls "high bohemians," people who work in the arts and technology, as well as LGBT people, and their role in economic development. 

 

"Clearly the freedom of artists to be openly critical of the state is an indicator of broader freedoms in society," writes Mike Robinson in the Troy Media piece. 

 

"Canadian academic Richard Florida has argued that high densities of creative class individuals correlate well with urban economic success. His Bohemian Index measures creative class concentrations among North American cities. A high Bohemian Index is associated with economic vibrancy and quality of life. Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal lead the country in this respect."

 

Read the full story here. 

Original Source: Troy Media

Toronto's population has grown more than 100,000 in the past year "equivalent of a new city on its own," says an article that ran in Daily Commercial News exploring Canada's six largest cities, the home of one in every two Canadians. 

 

"Toronto has the highest population, 5.9 million, followed by Montreal (4.0 million), Vancouver (2.5 million), Calgary and Ottawa-Gatineau (each 1.3 million) and Edmonton (1.2 million)," the article says. 

 

The two-part series based their findings on population figures from Statistics Canada's census metropolitan areas (CMAS) which including downtown cores and "surrounding highly-integrated suburbs."

 

The findings reveal some interesting trends. "One in six Canadians lives in the Toronto CMA. Toronto is a 'behemoth' on the national scene," the article says. "Toronto has a strong financial sector, excellent academic institutions, vibrant broadcasting, communications and entertainment companies and ongoing manufacturing activity, with a solid base of auto assembly plants."

 

The article notes a few things that threaten Toronto on an international level, pointing out potential problems with the adoption of Michigan's "right to work" legislation which may threaten our province's auto industry, the article says. It also notes Mayor Rob Ford's media spectacles and the heavy construction activity in the city.

 

"The city is gearing up to host the 2015 PanAm Games, which will see the participation of more athletes than gather in one place during the Olympics."

 

One more interesting thing, according to the Statistics Toronto is a "largely business-oriented" population, compared to the West Coat's chill environmental and "artistic slant on life."

 

Read the full profiles here and here. 

Original source: Daily Commercial News

A new report issued by ArtScape states that its $10-million capital fundraising campaign for Daniels Spectrum helped make 2012 the company's most successful fundraising year in its history. 

 

Daniels Spectrum, located in the Regent Park neighbourhood, was a $38-million development, making it a "major catalyst for the $1+ billion revitalization of Regent Park," the report states. Located at 585 Dundas St. East, the 60,000 sq. ft building opened last year to support seven non-profit arts and social-mission organizations as well as to become a central events space in the neighbourhood. 

 

The building helped Artscape, a non-profit that provides affordable studio and housing for artists and their families, increase revenue to more than $2-million, or 33 per cent in one year. The building is built to LEED silver standards. 

 

Beyond Daniels Spectrum, the report highlights the success of its many creative placemaking initiatives. Yonge Street highlighted some of this recently in a profile on creative placemaking, which is the intentional use of the arts to transform a neighbourhood or city. 

 

The report states that Artscape's 1,348 tenants held 1,720 events in Artscape buildings and around the city in 2012. 

 

"We learned that our spaces help to build Artscape tenants’ profiles and allow them to build their practices. Our research into market rents revealed that our 2012 subsidy to our tenants equalled close to $2.5-million. And with more staff and volunteers than ever before, we are better equipped to deliver greater impacts and to create the conditions in which artists can thrive," the report states.

 

Read the full report here. 

Original Source: Artscape

By Tyler. Chris Tyler from Toronto, Canada [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Toronto opened the 135th edition of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) this past weekend, prompting one Vancouver reporter to compare the festivities to her hometown's annual Pacific National Exhibition. 

 

Though there are differences, reporter Carolyn Ali says the CNE was "pretty cool" and gives accolades to a few features in particular.

Up first, the overhead Sky Ride, which she calls, "a kind of flat gondola that stretches across the fairgrounds, giving a bird's-eye view of the action. And hey, a view of the CN Tower doesn't hurt for us tourists..."

 

Up next, the Cat Show. "I've never seen cats as beautiful as these, and many of the owners were happy to show them off to the public as they waited their turn to be judged," Ali writes. "This totally beat the PNE's Superdogs."

 

Finally: the food. "The CNE has a whole building housing everything from Bacon Nation to waffle and doughnut sandwiches. A whole building, I say! " she says, recalling when the PNE used to have its own food building "many years ago."

 

Read the full story here. 

Original source: Straight

Toronto has climbed the rankings to be named the number one Labour Day destination, according to Hotwire.com's recent announcement. Hotwire gathered information about hotel bookings made between June 15 and August 6 to map out the top 10 Labour Day picks. 

 

Toronto took the lead, beating out Ottawa and New York City. 

 

"What’s also great about the weekend is the quality of the weather – for instance, in the top-booked destination of Toronto, up three spots from last year, September offers a perfect balance between summer heat and winter chill, offering visitors a cool, comfortable climate. Travelers can head to the CN Tower to take in the view of the city or head to the downtown area to watch the annual Labour Day parade," said an article that appeared in Hotel News Resource. 

The full list is as follows:
 

1) Toronto

2) Ottawa

3) New York City

4) Vancouver

5) Montreal

6) Boston

7) Halifax

8) Chicago

9) Victoria

10) Calgary

 

Read the full story here. 

Original source: Hotel News Resource