URBANARTS participates in community networks throughout Toronto and contacts cultural creators across Toronto, Canada and the world.

The executive director of URBANARTS sits on the board of Community Arts Ontario, a provincial arts umbrella for community arts, and the Toronto Community Art Alliance (TCAA), a Toronto community-arts network. In October 2003, URBANARTS participated in Creative Spaces and Places, an international conference coordinated by Artscape and the Canadian Urban Institute.

Founded in 1988 as Arts York, URBANARTS was based in the former City of York, and amalgamated into the City of Toronto in 1998. Today, our focus area lies between Bathurst Street, Lawrence Avenue, Weston Road and Davenport Road. Many of our programs reach audiences and feature professional artists throughout the city of Toronto. Our artistic activity involves many cultural communities, with some 96 languages spoken. It includes high-density and middle-income neighbourhoods. URBANARTS advocates for increasing artistic facilities, programs and services in under-serviced areas.

URBANARTS works with all ages, cultures and levels of artistic experience, from beginners to seasoned professionals. Professional artists from many fields lead our programs in music, dance, visual arts and theatre. We bring a love of the arts, artistic experiences and learning to people right in their own neighbourhoods.

About 50 professional artists from diverse cultural backgrounds lead our activities for children and adults in the visual arts, theatre, music and dance. URBANARTS also welcomes volunteers of all ages.

Most of all, URBANARTS is about you, members of the community. Help us generate new arts activities in your neighbourhood. Shape your local arts centre into what you would like it to be for your children, your neighbours and yourself!