Born out of a bad time: Introducing Luminato; Toronto’s International Arts Festival

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

It could not have been planned better, and for the team behind Luminato, Toronto’s International Arts Festival, the synchronicity of events are poetic. The Toronto Raptors have put Toronto under the global spotlight, and on Friday, June 7^th, 2019, Luminato, launched their 2019 International Arts Festival. Cleverly named Luminato (eyes of one on another), has its genesis in the Latin word luminatus, which is the past participle of luminaire to illumine, or plainly, to see. The festival, which runs from June 7^th – June 23^rd, provides much to see as it dedicates two whole weeks to performance, media, visual arts, and programming that cuts across traditional art form boundaries. It is a time when Canadian artists are able to display their distinctive creations through dance, documentary, and visual art.

The Arts are an Economic Powerhouse

This festival is important to Toronto because not only does it celebrate and highlight the arts, the Toronto Arts Council reports that arts and culture have contributed $11.3 billion dollars to Toronto’s GDP. It amazed me to find out that the creative industry’s contribution to Ontario’s GDP is greater than that of the energy industry, and the agricultural, forestry and mining sectors combined. It is no wonder that Ontario is among North America’s top entertainment and media economies, ranking third in employment behind California and New York, and that Toronto is home to 93% more artists than any other Canadian city. In 2018, Luminato hosted 154 performances and events, in 25 venues across the GTA. They had 1,090 participating artists, 81% from Canada, and 13% from 19 countries across the world. With over 123 million media impressions, one thing cannot be denied; the Luminato Arts Festival has branded itself as one of the largest arts festivals in the world. To think that such a beautiful brand was born out of a negative time.

Sars Gave Birth to Toronto’s Luminato Arts Festival

Who knew what David Pecaut and Tony Gagliano were thinking when they decided to begin the orchestration of Luminato. It was spring 2003, and Toronto’s economy was taking a hit because of the SARS epidemic. There was actually a huge ban on flights to Toronto, and the entertainment, tourism, and hospitality industries took a major hit. Pecaut and Gagliano had done their research and they found that there were no large-scale arts festivals that existed in North America. It was around this time that the government had developed an Ontario Cultural Super Build Program, which distributed one billion dollars to arts and culture in Ontario. With this type of investment and support from the government, Pecaut and Gagliano were able to make a dream a reality. They would bring the best artists in the world, and the best artists in Canada together to present a cornucopia of music, theatre, dance, visual arts, literature, film, and celebrations of all kinds.

Launched in June 2007, the Luminato Arts Festival hosted a 10-day festival that entertained over 13,000 local, and 214 international artists. The 10-day festival was a hit and provided Toronto with a personal and collective enterprise of artistic expression. Somehow this festival had a way of reconnecting attendees with their creative selves, and with others in the community in a very powerful way.

The African and Caribbean community are represented throughout this festival, and there are a few that might be of interest to you or someone you know. To learn more about these events, and all the other innovative experiences, visit the Luminato website at https://luminatofestival.com/

RONNIE BURKETT THEATRE OF MARIONETTES

Forget Me Not

Beloved puppet master, Ronnie Burkett, returns to Luminato with the world premiere of Forget Me Not, a tender and provocative call-to-arms for hope and the enduring power of love.

AUSTRALIA // ILLUSION

CHRISTIAN WAGSTAFF AND KEITH COURTNEY

House of Mirrors

Don’t miss the North American premiere of House of Mirrors, an optical adventure for all ages, where nothing is quite what it seems and getting out is an art.

CANADA // DANCE

LUA SHAYENNE DANCE COMPANY

KIRA, The Path | La Voie

KIRA celebrates humanity as one village, and its sacred bond to Mother Nature in this evocative work of dance, live percussion and chants by renowned Guinean artist Fara Tolno.

CANADA // DANCE // OPERA

ASAH PRODUCTIONS – A NICOLE BROOKS VISION

Obeah Opera

A hypnotizingly rhythmic a capella retelling of the Salem witch trials, from the perspective of the Caribbean slave women who experienced it.

CANADA // FILM // IDEAS // TALKS

RYAN SIDHOO | 2018 True North (Parts 1- 4)

This riveting docu-series follows five of Toronto’s young hopefuls as they navigate the pressures and potential stardom of their hoop dreams.

CANADA/USA // FREE

The Drawing Room

A visual dialogue between five North American visual artists, whose work questions how art can be employed as a testament to love, resilience, resistance, and belonging.