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Presented by The Word On The Street in partnership with Info-Tech Research Group, KPMB Architects, and The Concert Hall.
Tuesday, September 17 @ 6:30pm
The Concert Hall at 888 Yonge Street
“As we celebrate 30 years promoting reading and literacy, what we’re most proud of is The Word On The Street’s place in Toronto’s story. Each year we work with local partners to explore the city we live in and how it’s changing. This year we are pleased to present our inaugural City Imagines keynote with author and city-builder Ken Greenberg. We hope you will join us!”
David Alexander
Festival Director
The City Imagines asks how Torontonians can build an inclusive, creative city for the 21st century.
Drawing from his 2019 book Toronto Reborn, Ken Greenberg will explore how citizens, NGOs, businesses, and governments have combined to refashion Toronto. The keynote will also explain how cities can foster a thriving cultural sector and unlock the potential for artists and storytellers to influence city building.
Ken Greenberg is an urban designer, teacher, and writer, whose passion and advocacy for the city over the past decades has involved him in virtually every aspect of its remarkable transformation. In Toronto Reborn from Dundurn Press, Ken Greenberg describes the emerging contours of a new Toronto. He lives in Toronto.
After delivering his address, Ken will be joined by a panel of cultural city builders to discuss the future of the arts in Toronto.
Sponsored by:
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John Lorinc is a Toronto journalist and editor. He reports on urban affairs, politics, business, technology, and local history for a range of media, including the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Walrus, Maclean’s, and Spacing, where he is senior editor.
Ilana Altman is a cultural planner and designer who has a background in art and architecture. In her role as the Bentway’s Co-Executive Director, Programming and Visitor Experience, she works with the community to implement innovative and engaging programming, create welcoming and inclusive environments and reveal new possibilities for public space.
Devyani Saltzman is a Canadian writer and curator with a deep interest in relevant multidisciplinary programming at the intersection between art, ideas and social change. She is the Director of Public Programming at the AGO, working across all disciplines and was the 2014-18 Director of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre as well as the Founding Curator, Literary Programming, at Luminato. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, National Post, The Atlantic and Tehelka, India’s weekly of arts and investigative journalism.
Menon Dwarka…
…is the Executive Director of Art of Time Ensemble.
…was born in Guyana
…grew up in Scarborough
…lived in New York City for 20 years
…writes music and articles on culture
…has a low rotation segment on Sesame Street
…has exhibited at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal as part of MuseoMix
Kerry Swanson is the Associate Director of the Indigenous Screen Office and the outgoing Chair of the Board of Directors for the imagineNATIVE Film Festival, where she was previously Executive Director. She serves on the Boards for TO Live and the Toronto Biennial of Art, and has held leadership roles at the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council, where she developed programs including the Indigenous Culture Fund and the TAC Cultural Leaders Lab with the Banff Centre. Kerry is a co-founder of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, taking place in May 2020 at Harbourfront Centre.