Meridian Arts Centre
5040 Yonge Street M2N 6R8 Toronto, ON, Canada

#DiscoverDance, presented in partnership with Nova Dance, is one of TO Live’s most popular monthly education and engagement programs. This free event showcases many of Toronto’s incredible dance artists. Discover the diaspora of dance forms woven into Toronto’s vibrant cultural scene. In the coming months, TO Live and Nova Dance will partner with Baycrest@Home to lead an arts and wellness initiative, bringing Discover Dance to older adults across the Baycrest community. Public live streams of Discover Dance are planned for later this year. Stay tuned!

Exhibition extension alert! NExT: The Future of Art Exhibition 2.0 presented by VIBE Arts, in partnership with TO Live, has been extended until May 26, 2021. In case you missed it or want to check out the work of 12 talented artists again, now's your chance. Visit https://www.tolive.com/next to view the online exhibition! The NExT Program is made possible by Canadian Heritage's Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives (CSMARI) Program.

As our city emerges from the pandemic, a new vision for the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts has the potential to become a galvanizing force for the community and cultural sector by delivering an inclusive and accessible community hub. Residents and stakeholders are asked to provide their aspirations for how the Centre could be reimagined to provide an accessible, flexible civic hub that will serve traditionally under-represented voices, the cultural sector, the neighbourhoo...d and the broader civic community. Find out more and have your say > www.stlcnext.org

Applications for TO Live’s explorations are now closed. Thank you to all the talented folk from our beautiful City who applied. We are ready to take your practice to the next level! www.tolive.com/explorations

At TO Live, we are reminded that participation in the arts is key to maintaining mental health. The power of the arts as a catalyst for healing, inspiration, community and social progress is limitless. So, for this #MentalHealthWeek we want to remind you of some of the free performances we have online, 24/7: Living Rooms Series, Transformations, The Arts Squad, and NExT: The Future of Art Exhibition. We know that you are craving in-person enjoyment of the arts. We are too, ...but in the meantime, share a time that the arts moved you. Tag us @meridianhall on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. For more information about mental health awareness visit: https://mentalhealthweek.ca/. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please go to the nearest hospital, call 911, or call a crisis line.

ONE MORE DAY TO APPLY! -- The deadline for explorations - $5,000 in funding directly to 12 artists is May 7th. To learn more and apply, please visit: tolive.com/explorations

Trade in your snow boots for stilettos and your toques for wigs, because it’s time for a holiday show like no other! TO Live is partnering with Buddies In Bad Times Theatre to bring you Taylor Mac’s Holiday SaucePandemic! The Los Angeles Times praises this show for its freewheeling love and generosity, and called it a present from the island of misfit toys. Conceived as a virtual vaudeville, this glitter extravaganza blends music, film, burlesque, and random acts of fabu...lousness! Join us for the glitz, glamour AND the afterparty! We’ll be honouring well-known Queen, leZlie lee kam who has given her heart and soul to Toronto’s queer community, and the afterparty will be hosted by theatre and cabaret artist, Ryan G Hinds! Holiday SaucePandemic! will be streamed live on December 12 at 7pm for a minimum $10 pay-what-you-can fee. Get saucy, find out more here: https://www.tolive.com/holidaysauce #HolidaySauce #TaylorMac #TaylorMacHolidaySauce #HonorYourElder #PomegrananteArts #FavoriteFruit #MotherFlawlessSabrina #urthebossapplesauce #TOLive

This Friday, join Rufus Wainwright for Want Two: Side 1, the latest show of his #RufusRetroWainwrightSpective virtual concert series! Rufus will be performing the first half of his album Want Two live from his living room with special guest Darren Criss. Get your tickets now at http://rufuswainwright.veeps.com

TO Live is proud to be part of #TODigital's artistic working group. We encourage you all to participate in the community consultations to give your thoughts on shaping the performing arts during this time of uncertainty. Learn how to get involved here: https://spiderwebshow.ca/TOdigital/

TO Live would like to take a moment to congratulate talented Arts & Culture Consultant, Karen Carter for her new appointment as Executive Director of the maclarenARTcentre. We wish you all the best and know that you have exciting ideas for the gallery! https://maclarenart.com/appointment-of-new-executive-direc/

May the lights of Diwali make you and your loved ones' life brighter and happier Here’s a look at how Diwali is being celebrated around the world during these challenging times. Let us know how you’re celebrating. #HappyDiwali2020 http://ow.ly/mTiG50CkDR1

#LivingRooms artist Brandon Bizzy Owusu partners with Air Miles Canada to bring us #FridayFeels to teach us some smooth dance moves to help keep us in shape! Check out his fun and easy dance tutorial here: https://youtu.be/h3aGqUtu-HU To learn more about Bizzy and to watch his Living Rooms episode visit tolive.com/livingrooms-bizzy

Calling all new immigrant and refugee artists! Cahoots Theatre is offering Crossing Gibraltar, a transformative theatre outreach program from April - August 2021. Led by Yolanda Bonnell and Shaista Latif, Cahoots Theatre will be paying all participants $900 for their involvement. The program will culminate in a performance at the SummerWorks Festival in August 2021 Applications are due December 6th. Learn more and apply here: https://forms.gle/3vik68UQWgGw9n9r6

Ghost story #2 has been released! Stay tuned for part 3. Have a bootiful afternoon #SpookyElginandWinterGardenTheatre

It's Friday the 13th but more importantly it's #WorldKindnessDay! Instead of anticipating unlucky moments today, let's focus on being kind to ourselves and to each other. Have a great weekend!

Our friends at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre have some spooky stories to share! Check out their first story here.

TO Live is delighted to share that our friends from Batsheva Dance Company - is premiering dance pioneer Ohad Naharin’s YAG this Saturday, November 21! This will be a one-time only screening followed by a live talk with Ohad on Sunday, November 22. Over the last 4 years, you may have attended one of the many captivating performances from Batsheva at Meridan Hall and we can’t wait to bring them back to our stage! Use CODE: 10137 for 20% off your ticket to Satu...rday night’s premiere. Enjoy their trailer and anticipate the magic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYb2-gDWbE Do you have favourite performance from Batsheva at Meridian Hall? Tell us your stories by emailing us at [email protected].

Today is another special Sunday as it’s International Artist Day. This day celebrates the incredible world of art and all the amazing creative work that artists around the world carry out. You can help TO Live support Toronto’s artists by donating to our foundation. With your gift, you are ensuring that Torontonians and Canadians of all backgrounds have access to local, national, and world-renowned talent in all areas of the performing arts. Please visit tolive.com/support for more information on the many ways you can give your support.

Put yourself in the shoes of our heroes with this five-part series from TVO! This project will bring a fuller awareness of the horrors of the war, and provide a better understanding of the reasons and outcomes. Watch here: https://www.tvo.org/programs/apocalypse-world-war-i #TorontoRemembers #LestWeForget

Today is #EventOrganizerDay, and over the years TO Live has been honoured to work with many amazing Event Planners from different industries! On June 29, TO Live launched a podcast series called ‘Special Event Studio: COVID Conversations’ where our private event sales team gathered insight from events professionals as they adapted their workload to an ever-changing industry amid the global pandemic. Click here to check out all the episodes on Spotify >> http://ow.ly/GPxb50BXWt0

TO Live remembers the bravery of our Veterans and the many sacrifices that they have made to ensure the safety of our country. We thank you, and we will always remember. #TorontoRemembers #LestWeForget

This and next week Rufus Wainwright continues his #RufusRetroWainwrightSpective virtual tour with live performances of his 2001 sophomore album Poses! Join him and special guests Joel McHale and Lisa Margulis for Poses Side 1: From Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk to The Tower of Learning tomorrow! Get your tickets here >> http://ow.ly/pRsd50BYcIz

Just For Laughs Comedy Night in Canada comes to Toronto for two shows this Saturday, October 24th at the CityView Drive-In. Get out of your house, and into your car, for a night of laughs! Tickets here >> http://ow.ly/ieRo50BXYV1

Starting today and running through to the Spring of 2021, some of Canada’s most innovative performing artist will be tackling issues of social justice, societal betterment and visions of a better future. The project is Transformations, and TO Live is proud to be a part of it. Click for more >> 'https://nac-cna.ca/en/video/series/transformations'

Today is #InternationalGinAndTonicDay and we wouldn't dare leave you unprepared! Now tell us, what's the best Gin to use and why?

The multi-talented d'bi.young anitafrika from Episode 15 of our #LivingRoomsSeries will perform 'Uhuru!' at this year's Toronto International Festival of Authors. This piece was specially curated by d'bi.young for TIFA and brings together four amazing artists including d'bi.young herself! Don't miss the live performance on Nov 1 at 8:30PM >> click here for more info https://festivalofauthors.ca/book-aut/dbi-young-anitafrika/

Happy Sunday Everyone! Today is a special Sunday because it marks 100 Days since we revealed the 100th episode in the #LivingRoomsSeries! And it also happens to be #ChocolateCupcakeDay! TO Live would like to graciously thank Meridian Credit Union for its continued support of the Arts and ALL 100 artists for sharing their stories with us and showing us pieces of their hearts and homes during this unusual time a time where we need to support each other more than ever. Have a chocolate cupcake today and revisit your favourite Living Rooms episode! Click the link for the entire playlist and don’t forget to follow your favourite artist to know what they’re up to! https://www.youtube.com/playlist

Check out the new trailer for The Arts Squad! For all our new Squad members, each episode of series focuses on a different artistic discipline: music, theatre, storytelling, dance, and comic arts; with each discipline taught by a different artist. All of the videos are available online, so whether you're just joining The Arts Squad or coming back to enjoy your favourite episode, there's something for everyone! See all episodes here >>http://ow.ly/HrLI50BTUIf http://ow.ly/lOvk50BTUIe

Tomorrow, join Rufus Wainwright for the second show of the #RufusRetroWainwrightSpective virtual tour as he plays the second half of his 1998 debut album live! He will be joined by special guest audience Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Guest and each show will be archived for a month after for ticket-holders. Head to http://rufuswainwright.veeps.com for tickets!

TO Live is proud to partner with Obsidian Theatre Company as the venue sponsor for '21 Black Futures', a collection of 21 filmed monodramas, commissioned from 21 multigenerational Black playwrights across the country, directed by 21 Black directors and performed by 21 Black actors. 21 Black Futures will premiere during Black History Month in 2021 and will respond to the question, "What is the future of Blackness? Click here to read the press release and stay tuned for more information >> https://bit.ly/341m9X5

Creator of Metamorphosis: A Viral Trilogy, André Alexis, will be featured in this year's Toronto International Festival of Authors with his new novel titled 'The Night Piece'. Check out his live interview on November 1st at 6PM. https://festivalofauthors.ca/book-author/andre-alexis/