TORONTO’S INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
Paradisicial Rites. Photo by Mark ONeil
TORONTO’S INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
“LUMINATO… THE ONLY INSTITUTION IN TORONTO TO HAVE CONSISTENTLY OFFERED A PLACE IN ITS PROGRAMMING FOR PRACTICED, INTERNATIONALLY PRAISED PERFORMANCES”
Fire Sculptures. Photo by Bruce Smith.
– Toronto Star
EACH JUNE IN TORONTO,
As the festival moves through its second decade, we are committed to reimagining Luminato’s place in the city Luminato presents a multitude of transformative artistic and the city’s place in the world. It’s no coincidence that experiences that provoke, delight and inspire a wide range Luminato thrives in Toronto, an open and welcoming city of audiences. Presenting artistic work that connects and that is growing at a rapid pace. The city’s long-admired responds to the world around us, Luminato sparks an standing as a leader in celebrating difference, makes Toronto infectious energy that marks the beginning of summertime a global destination for the best artists and thinkers to in Toronto. present their work and ideas to receptive and engaged audiences. As Luminato’s reputation grows, so does our Luminato is driven by high-calibre, adventurous programming: from the most exciting and culturally-diverse global impact: more international creators and producers talent to the most provocative and compelling international are eager to travel to Toronto to present their work at the festival and an increasing number of works first staged at work, all for the largest-possible audiences. Providing a Luminato are appearing on festival stages worldwide. platform for artists and audiences to discuss, debate and engage through art and ideas is at the heart of Luminato’s Luminato will always be a Toronto-centric festival, mandate, which is why we always program free and often but in an increasingly complex world, it serves as an large-scale participatory events, to connect the public international creative sanctuary that reveals truths, directly with the artists. prompts discussion, facilitates understanding and gives The energy and excitement that the festival brings to the city each year is palpable: 78% of Luminato attendees believe the festival provides a unique cultural experience*, while 71% say the festival is one of the most important cultural events in Toronto*. The most common words audiences use to describe Luminato are: celebratory, innovative, diverse and fun*. * based on cumulative 2007-2018 audience survey results
art a real world context. We are proud stewards of Toronto, Ontario and Canada on the world stage, helping to build each area’s reputation as a reason to visit, live, work and invest. Our growing global stature and impact on the cultural sector, both in Canada and abroad, amplifies the power of the artists we work with and lends to Luminato’s mission of presenting international work in Canada and promoting Canadian artistic creations and ideas beyond our borders.
LUMINATO PARTNERS Launched in 2007, Luminato is Toronto’s international festival of arts and ideas. The festival commissions and presents innovative cultural works and develops accessible public programming in both traditional and emerging art forms.
James II. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
Over the last 13 years, we’ve been proud to have worked with some of the best and brightest from Canada and around the world. A few partners that we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with include: CORPORATE PARTNERS
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING PARTNERS Adelaide Festival
Goethe-Institut
Rimini Protokoll
BMO
Red Bull Canada
CIBC
Scotiabank
Akram Khan Company
Hay Festival
Sadler’s Wells
Kia Canada
Sephora
Arts Council of England
Holland Festival
Spoleto Festival
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
L’Oréal Canada
Slaight Music
Belarus Free Theatre
Manulife Financial
Sun Life Financial
Brighton Festival
National Bank
TD
British Council
The New York Times
TELUS
Brooklyn Academy of Music
OLG Loblaw
The Globe and Mail
Bush Theatre
Volvo Cars of Canada
Center for the Arts of Performance at UCLA
RBC
Cincinnati Opera donaufestival (Austria)
La Batie-Festival de Geneve
Stanford Live Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch
les Ballets C de La B
Teaċ Damsa
Manchester International Festival
The Amsterdam Music Theatre
MASS MoCA Melbourne International Arts Festival
The Barbican Centre TO Live
Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County
CANADIAN PROGRAMMING PARTNERS Art Gallery of Ontario
Pride Toronto
Canadian Opera Company
PuSh Festival
Canadian Stage
Royal Ontario Museum
Cirque du Soleil
Soundstreams
Civic Theatres Toronto
Tapestry Opera
Ex Machina
The Cultch
Harbourfront Centre
The National Ballet of Canada
Hot Docs
The Theatre Centre
Lemieux Pilon 4dArts
Waterfront T.O
National Arts Centre
Why Not Theatre
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS Government of Ontario Government of Canada City of Toronto Bureau du Québec à Toronto Canada Council for the Arts Consulate General of Israel Consulate General of Italy
Consulate General of the Republic of Poland Istituto Italiano di Cultura Ontario Arts Council Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Ontario Trillium Foundation Tourism Toronto
LU M I N ATO I M PAC T In addition to presenting work to the public, Luminato nurtures artistic talent, champions emerging artists and art forms and promotes the work of local and Canadian culture to the world.
Luminato 2014. Photo by Stephanie Berger.
The festival’s impact since its launch is dramatic: 9.1 Million+ total attendance 15,000+ artists from over 40 countries* 100 original Luminato commissions* 66 world premieres and 50 Canadian premieres* 3,600 performances and events* 80% percentage of budget dedicated to
supporting and presenting Canadian works*
800 Emerging artists supported 12 Dora Mavor Moore Awards $1 Billion + contribution to Ontario’s GDP
5,300+ Volunteers contributing over
51 000 hours to the festival
* Figures based on 2007– 2018 stats and 2019 forecast
A little bit about our audiences… 73% of attendees live in Toronto 85% of attendees are proud that Toronto can
host an event like Luminato
71% of attendees indicated that Luminato has become one of the most important cultural events in Toronto
91% of attendees rate their overall Luminato experience as good, very good or excellent
78% of attendees agree that Luminato gave
them a unique cultural experience
All figures based on cumulative audience survey results from 2007-2018
Words our audiences use to describe the festival
INNOVATIVE DIVERSE FUN CELEBRATORY
Commissioning and presenting exceptional new works
CREATION
Bringing Canada to the World
DISCOVERY
Bringing the World to Canada
INTERNATIONAL WORK
Celebrating shared experiences between artists and audiences
CELEBRATION + PARTICIPATION
LUMINATO PROGRAMMING PILLARS
LUMINATO COMMITMENTS ACCESSIBLITY
Building a fully accessible festival
INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING Supporting emerging and established Indigenous artists
PROGRAMMING CANADIAN WORK Collaborating with Canadian artists and organizations
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Reducing the festival’s environmental impact
Luminato 2013. Photo by Taku Kumabe.
CELEBRATION +PARTICIPATION
Celebrating shared experiences between artists and audiences Luminato 2008. Photo by Kar Wai Ng.
Luminato delivers adventurous programming that provokes, delights and inspires. The festival is dedicated to creating shared experiences that unite audiences and artists because we believe that amazing things happen when we gather and engage as a community.
As a festival, we make celebration and participation a priority by producing large-scale free events and presenting artists and thinkers who create experiences that encourage community participation. Luminato embraces art’s impact on civic discourse, and plays an important role in reimagining how cultural
institutions can support a more open and inclusive society. We strive to eliminate barriers to participation – physical, financial and social – and welcome all of our audiences to share memorable experiences that can help us imagine what can be accomplished when we work together.
Swan Lake/Loch na hEala. Photo by Colm Hogan.
INTERNATIONAL WORK Bringing the World to Canada
Until the Lions. Photo by Jean Louis Fernandez.
Luminato is an international arts festival that brings the world’s most exciting emerging and established artists to Toronto. Part of the festival’s brand promise is to commission, develop and present large-scale productions that challenge perspectives, deliver new points of view and support new artistic forms from all over the world.
Each year, the festival presents a program that includes international work that spans across all art forms and draws inspiration from timely global conversations. The exceptional international work that the festival brings to Toronto leaves its own lasting legacy, gives audiences the opportunity to see
things they couldn’t otherwise see without leaving the city, and inspires local artists to push their own artistic boundaries.
Monumental. Photo by Yannick Grandmont.
DISCOVERY Bringing Canada to the World
Le Grand Continental®. Photo by Robert Torres
Luminato’s ability to support artists, encourage creative risk and build the city’s cultural capacity extends throughout the year and across the world’s stages.
commissioning and developing some co-production, future presentation of the most adventurous and exciting and potential export. new works from across the country. As an international festival that Illuminating works, now in its second presents the best work from Canada year, invites Artistic Directors and and around the world, Luminato is an The festival supports the most Programmers from around the world ideal platform for strengthening the distinctive, local and Canadian artists to Luminato to meet a varied and capacity and increasing the visibility to collaborate and create new works exciting line-up of Canadian artists of Canada’s dynamic cultural for future presentation. With public and companies. The goal of the community. funding sources on the decline, program is to present new work Luminato plays an essential part in to international collaborators for
Out the Window. Photo by Kyle Purcell.
CREATION
Commissioning and presenting exceptional new works
Luminato 2014. Photo by Stephanie Berger.
Luminato nurtures Canadian artists and facilitates the creation of new work for presentation on the world’s stages. For artists today, the opportunities to make ambitious projects of scale are limited and dependent on overcoming many obstacles. The process is long and difficult, even for established artists, and often impossible for younger and emerging artists.
That’s why Luminato launched the Creation Fund, to provide funding to commission, create and produce new works by artists with exceptional potential. These efforts continue Luminato’s tradition of identifying and nurturing artists by commissioning and presenting intriguing and innovative new works.
The festival’s mandate to be a champion for the city of Toronto also extends to Toronto’s artists, which is why we focus on supporting creators whose work has traditionally been underresourced, including Indigenous artists.
COMMITMENTS Luminato’s open and collaborative culture is built on four shared commitments that form the foundation for all of our stakeholder relationships.
Luminato 2014. Photo by Stephanie Berger.
The festival is committed to:
ACCESSIBILITY
INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING
Building a fully accessible festival, working to remove physical barriers at festival sites as well as enhancing the audience experience for people of all abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.
Supporting emerging and established Indigenous artists and ensuring that Indigenous work is always central to the festival’s program.
PROGRAMMING AND SHOWCASING CANADIAN WORK
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Collaborating with artists and organizations from Toronto and across Canada, to commission, support, develop, present, showcase and champion Canadian work to local, national and international audiences.
Reducing Luminato’s environmental impact, implementing policies and practices that ensures we are working with external vendors who also make environmental sustainability a priority; and promoting sustainable practices through art and ideas.
LEADERSHIP ANTHONY SARGENT, CEO
Anthony began his career in BBC television and radio in presentation, production and management, before being appointed Artistic Projects Director at London’s Southbank Centre. He continued to animate the United Kingdom’s cultural scene as Birmingham City Council’s first Head of Arts and later as founding General Director of Sage Gateshead. Anthony was appointed CBE for his lifetime’s work in the arts in the UK, and became CEO of Luminato in 2015.
NAOMI CAMPBELL, Artistic Director
Naomi has over three decades of Canadian and international programming, producing and touring experience. Before joining Luminato in 2011, she worked with a wide range of performing arts companies and festivals. In 2013 she was appointed Luminato’s first-ever Director of Artistic Development, commissioning, developing and producing works for the festival. She was appointed Deputy Artistic Director in 2017 and Artistic Director in 2018.
PETER HERRNDORF, Board Chair
Peter is one of Canada’s most visionary arts leaders and has supported and grown several cultural institutions during his long and distinguished career. Among his many accomplishments are serving as President and CEO of Canada’s National Arts Centre from 1999–2018, Chairman and CEO of TVOntario (1992-1999), various programming and executive-level roles including Vice President and General Manager of CBC’s English Language Radio and Television Networks, and Publisher of Toronto Life (1983-1992).
BOARD Luminato’s leadership is committed to expanding our programming and cultural impact through expert management, financial stewardship and a strong governance structure that prioritizes transparency, accessibility and equity.
Peter Herrndorf (Chair), C.C., Ont., Former President & CEO, National Arts Centre Tony Gagliano (Co-Founder, Chair Emeritus), Executive Chairman & CEO, St. Joseph Communications Lucille Joseph (Vice-Chair), Principal, Lucille Joseph Strategy Consulting and Communications Rupert Duchesne (Vice-Chair), C.M. Retired Group Chief Executive, Aimia Mohammad Al Zaibak, President & CEO, CDM Information Inc. John Bayliss, Senior V.P. Logistics, Walmart Canada Helen Burstyn, C.M., Principal, Public Projects and former Chair, Waterfront Toronto Michael Foulkes, Retired Executive Vice President, TD Bank Group Anthony Graham, President, Wittington Investments Ltd. Peter Mansbridge, O.C., Canadian broadcaster, journalist, academic and thinker Roberto Dante Martella, Owner, Grano Restaurant Judy Matthews, Leading Toronto city-builder and dedicated advocate for creative approaches to urban renewal Mark Mulroney, Managing Director, Senior Strategic Relationship Manager, Investment Banking, Scotiabank Gretchen Ross, Widely respected leader in cultural governance and visionary philanthropy Greg Sorbara, Advisory Board Chair, The Sorbara Group Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, President & CEO, CPA Ontario Peter Wilkinson, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Manulife Financial
Luminato is grateful to the many supporters and partners whose contributions helped to position the festival as one of North America’s preeminent international arts festivals. Luminato has become one of Canada’s most active commissioning bodies, with over 100 new works commissioned covering all art forms. Over 9 million people have attended the past twelve festivals and have participated in an extraordinary array of events featuring over 15,000 of the most exciting artists from Canada and abroad. Photo by Fred Cattroll.
– @waheedharris
“TD believes in creating shared experiences for people from different walks of life. That’s why, through The Ready Commitment, TD is proud to partner with Luminato to support programs that connect communities with arts and culture and uniting us all.”
“Luminato has been constantly evolving, seeking out the best platforms to engage the largest number of Torontonians often at free concerts and venues. Toronto is one of the most competitive performing arts markets in North America. But for me, Luminato provides the perfect transition between the dance, theatre, and music series of the winter and spring months and the jazz, theatre, world music festivals of the summer.
“We are happy to be long-time supporters of Luminato as we recognise and value the vital role it plays both in bringing some of today’s most exciting culture from the around the world to Toronto, and in showcasing to the world the best and most distinctive Canadian artists and their work. After its first decade, Luminato firmly established itself as a landmark event in Toronto’s cultural calendar.”
“@Luminato is always a great time to be in the city – so many options for music, dance and performing arts”
Thank you Luminato for all the excitement and inspiration your artistic adventures give year after year to so many people across this wonderful city.” – Robert Foster, Luminato Board Laureate
– David and Robin Young, Founding Luminaries and Supernova Supporters
“The Luminato festival is so well curated with brave, timely, relevant and heartfelt work! It makes me happy to live in Toronto!” – @erikabatdorf
“BMO supports organizations like Luminato to help them achieve their goals while contributing to the cultural fabric of our community. Through our sevenyear partnership, BMO has presented international work for Toronto audiences to discover and enjoy. BMO’s alignment with excellence was no exception in 2018.” “Luminato was born to create, through the arts, new excitement in our city, and has achieved that by bringing to our front door exceptional art and artists that we would otherwise have to travel far and wide to experience. And how wonderful that Luminato is so committed to showcasing our own Canadian talent, to give them opportunities to shine both on Luminato’s stages, and stages across the world.” – Eli and Philip Taylor, Founding Luminaries and Supernova Supporters
“We go to a lot of theatre, music and dance in Toronto. But June is a special month and we always look forward to it. The Festival brings a new openness to the city – a feeling that we are ‘game’ for something different. There is a special kind of excitement you don’t feel the rest of the year. The thinking is more unexpected and more experimental. We see things that are funky and fabulous – a kind of idiosyncratic once-in-alifetime experience. And we love how Luminato mixes the local with the international. This kind of thinking really captures who we are as a city - our sense of belonging and our sense of diversity and inclusion.” – Judy and Wilmot Matthews, Founding Luminaries
JOIN US
As Luminato moves through its second decade, we reaffirm our commitment to creating exceptional artistic experiences that surprise, delight and amaze.
across the globe to venues and spaces across the city, and to commission and program new work that represents Canada around the world.
Luminato is a cultural movement that inspires, builds dialogue and opens our hearts and minds to new ideas. Toronto – its residents, artists, buildings and civic spaces – is Luminato’s most essential partner in this adventure. The festival’s diversity and openess is a magnet that attracts the world’s most remarkable and distinctive artistic ventures.
By investing in the festival, together with other visionary Canadians, you become part of the cultural catalyst that advances Luminato’s mission of providing the city and its guests with new perspectives and challenging ideas, alongside excitement and inspiration. Your support will also strengthen Toronto’s civic and cultural ecology, helping to build a more engaged community that is infused with creative energy.
As we continue to strengthen our roots and expand our reach, we invite you to join us in nurturing Toronto’s creative and collaborative spirit. Corporate and individual support enables Luminato to bring the best of all artforms from Canada and
En avant, marche! Photo by Phile Deprez.
CONTACT Graeme Page Vice President, Strategic Partnerships (o) 416 368 3100 ext. 257 (m) 416 999 3897 (e) GPage@Luminato.com
Edita Page Vice President, Philanthropy (o) 416 572 8451 (m) 647 501 8711 (e) EPage@Luminato.com
Luminato 2008. Photo by Marc Ghali.