Uncategorized June 23, 2025

ANNOUNCING the 2025 SummerWorks Performance Festival

SUMMERWORKS PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL 2025: BACK TO THE FUTURE | FORWARD TO THE PAST MARKING 35 YEARS OF RADICAL ARTISTRY, EXPERIMENTATION, …

Uncategorized April 23, 2025

INTRODUCING SummerWorks’ 2025/26 Associate Artists!

A new programming initiative at SummerWorks, the Associate Artists program provides an opportunity for three (3) artists or companies to come into …

Uncategorized April 2, 2025

New social media, same SummerWorksFun!

So… we were hacked in late-December and lost all of our followers on Instagram, and we are no longer using …

Uncategorized July 9, 2024

INTRODUCING Two New Programming Initiatives

SummerWorks is dedicated to nurturing artistic risk and innovation in contemporary performance. At the same time, we think deeply about …

Uncategorized June 26, 2024

LAUNCHING the 2024 SummerWorks Performance Festival: Survival Mode!

SUMMERWORKS PRESENTS BOLD CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS THAT ENGAGE WITH THE IDEA OF SURVIVAL: A DIVERSE MIX OF ARTISTIC PERSPECTIVES SHARED THROUGH …

Uncategorized June 21, 2024

ANNOUNCING expanded SummerWorks programming at Union Station!

We’re excited to announce a brand new way to experience SummerWorks’ bold and dynamic live performance programming – all summer long! …

yellow text on a black background reads "34th SummerWorks Performance Festival, August 1-11, 2024"

Conversation News March 30, 2024

SAVE THE DATES – 2024 SummerWorks Performance Festival

Announcing the exciting return of the 34th edition of Toronto’s beloved summer festival of live performance! We are thrilled to …

Half of a blue triangle and half of a red square meet together in front of a green background. The top of a banana appears in the triangle, and the hand of a plastic doll appears in the square. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Sunday, August 13" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 13, 2023

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 13

It’s your last chance to experience a diverse encounter and curious collaboration on the final day of the SummerWorks Performance …

Half of a blue triangle and half of a red square meet together in front of a green background. The top of a circular brush appears in the triangle, and the bottom half of a mini evergreen tree appears in the square. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Saturday, August 12" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 12, 2023

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 12

It’s a busy day at the Festival that starts with a pop-up performance at Toronto’s largest Farmers’ Market and ends …

Half of a blue triangle and half of a red square meet together in front of a green background. The top of a fork appears in the triangle, and the bottom half of a toy goose appears in the square. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Friday, August 11" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 11, 2023

What’s On: Friday, Aug 11

Join us tonight for a thrilling triple bill at The Theatre Centre. Time is running out to encounter these incredible …

Half of a blue triangle and half of a red square meet together in front of a green background. A lollipop appears in the triangle, and a sparkly arrow appears in the square. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Thursday, August 10" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 10, 2023

What’s On: Thursday, Aug 10

Four more days of the Festival are left, and there’s so much more to encounter and explore. How will you …

Half of a red circle and half of a green triangle meet together in front of a blue background. The head of an angel figurine appears in the circle, and the legs of a plastic doll with pink slippers appear in the triangle. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Wednesday, August 9" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 9, 2023

What’s On: Wednesday, Aug 9

It’s a great day for a summer adventure. Why not treat yourself to a night of world-class theatre? Two world …

Half of a blue triangle and half of a red square meet together in front of a green background. Half of a plastic toy pig appears in the triangle, and half of a light bulb appears in the square. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Tuesday, August 8" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 8, 2023

What’s On: Tuesday, Aug 8

Another fun-filled day at the Festival with unique activities happening indoors and outdoors, in the east and west ends of …

Uncategorized August 7, 2023

What’s On: Monday, Aug 7

Another week of adventures at SummerWorks Performance Festival awaits! We’ve got new experiences and last chances to catch some Festival …

Uncategorized August 6, 2023

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 6

SummerWorks heats up the East End this Sunday with immersive adventures, dance and street art! See below for a list …

Half of a red circle and half of a green triangle meet together in front of a blue background. Half of a matchstick appears in the circle, the bottom half of a dog figurine appears in the triangle. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Saturday, August 5" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 5, 2023

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 5

Two world premieres, an afternoon of dance, an immersive audio ceremony. There are so many opportunities for an unforgettable encounter …

Half of a red circle and half of a green triangle meet together in front of a blue background. Half of a toy truck appears in the circle, half of a head of lettuce appears in the triangle. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Friday, August 4" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 4, 2023

What’s On: Friday, Aug 4

SummerWorks Performance Festival has officially opened! There is a hotbed of creative activity happening today in Toronto’s East End. Need …

Half of a red circle and half of a green triangle meet together in front of a blue background. Half of a wooden peg appears in the circle, the back half of a toy car appears in the triangle. Both objects match together. The words "On Today" and "Thursday, August 3" appear in white text.

Uncategorized August 3, 2023

What’s On: Thursday, Aug 3

SummerWorks Performance Festival is now open, for audiences to enjoy 11 days of diverse encounters and curious collaborations. Trying to …

An image split in two by geometric shapes. In the top half, the top of a banana appears in a blue triangle shape. In the bottom half, the arm of a plastic doll appears in a red square shape. There is a green background behind the shapes.

Uncategorized June 28, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENT: SummerWorks reveals 2023 Festival programming

SUMMERWORKS ANNOUNCES A PASSIONATELY CURATED SELECTION OF ARTISTS AND CREATIVE COLLABORATORS AS PART OF THE 33RD SUMMERWORKS PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL Toronto, …

Yellow background with black text that reads: Announcing SummerWorks' Incoming Artistic Director & Managing Director. In the top right corner, there is a linear illustration of a sun with rays all around in black.

News February 7, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENT: SummerWorks’ Incoming Artistic Director & Managing Director

SUMMERWORKS ANNOUNCES MICHAEL CALDWELL AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND MORGAN NORWICH AS MANAGING DIRECTOR IN NEW CO-LEADERSHIP MODEL Toronto, ON (February …

News January 16, 2023

Message to Our Community — Update on 2023 Curation & Call for Submissions

Dear SummerWorks Community, Happy New Year, we hope your 2023 is off to a good start! As many already know, …

News November 23, 2022

Future Perfect Mini-Doc

Today, we were thrilled to launch this mini-doc, a year in the making! Check out this behind the scenes look …

Uncategorized August 17, 2022

Thank You!

It’s hard to believe but another fantastic Festival has come and gone. The SummerWorks team would like to thank to …

Uncategorized August 14, 2022

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 14

The last day of SummerWorks 2022 is sadly here… but we still have one last day to experience festival programming, …

Uncategorized August 13, 2022

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 13

Closing Weekend is upon us, but the sun is shining and we still have a schedule chalked fulled of incredible …

Uncategorized August 12, 2022

What’s On: Friday, Aug 12

It’s the final weekend for #SummerWorksTO 2022, and what a weekend it’s going to be! Just three days left to …

Uncategorized August 11, 2022

What’s On: Thursday, Aug 11

Today, we move over to the east end of T.O…. so Corktown, Regent Park, Sherbourne and Toronto Island, take note! …

Uncategorized August 10, 2022

What’s On: Wednesday, Aug 10

It’s humpday and SummerWorks has an exciting variety of programming for you to experience. Several options are now available to …

Uncategorized August 9, 2022

What’s On: Tuesday, Aug 9

Attention Kensington, Spadina, Fort York and Waterfront neighbours! SummerWorks has moved eastward. Be sure to check out summerworks.ca/programming and join …

Uncategorized August 8, 2022

What’s On: Monday, Aug 8

We hope you enjoyed Opening Weekend as much as we did! In case you missed it, here are a few …

Uncategorized August 7, 2022

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 7

Opening Weekend closes out strong today with 12 performances and events happening both in-person and online. Be sure to check …

Free Live Art August 6, 2022

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 6

It’s day 3 of the festival and we’re just getting started. SummerWorks is animating the west end all weekend! From Bloordale …

Uncategorized August 5, 2022

What’s On: Friday, Aug 5

SummerWorks 2022 is in full swing! Trying to decide what to check out? See below for a list of all …

Dance Free Participatory August 4, 2022

SummerWorks 2022 Kicks Off with a Big Community Meal and Party!

Join us outside The Theatre Centre tonight at 7pm for the #SummerWorksTO Opening Night Community Meal & Party—all free! Celebrate …

Uncategorized June 30, 2022

Join our Board!

Are you passionate about the arts and performance? Would you like to contribute to the future of one of Canada’s …

Uncategorized May 31, 2022

Announcing Departure of Artistic & Managing Director Laura Nanni

TORONTO May 31, 2022 – The Board of Directors has announced that after seven successful years with the organization, Laura …

Uncategorized October 6, 2021

Review: burn, burned

This review is part of a critical writing mentorship program developed by SummerWorks with NOW Magazine. SummerWorks has not put …

Uncategorized

Review: LEGacy Circus

This review is part of a critical writing mentorship program developed by SummerWorks with NOW Magazine. SummerWorks has not put …

Uncategorized

Review: A New Black Poet

This review is part of a critical writing mentorship program developed by SummerWorks with NOW Magazine. SummerWorks has not put …

Uncategorized October 5, 2021

Review: nowhen & Connected as we are

This review is part of a critical writing mentorship program developed by SummerWorks with NOW Magazine. SummerWorks has not put …

A bright green sticky note with "Welcome!" written in black marker.

Uncategorized August 1, 2021

Welcome to SummerWorks 2021!

We’re back with something exciting and a little different than what you’ve come to expect the Festival to be. Starting …

Uncategorized July 12, 2021

Artists at Work

Art Spin is an organization that presents exceptional contemporary art in unexpected spaces to create unique public experiences. It’s a gallery …

A black woman in a red dress and long red gloves reaches upwards

Uncategorized August 27, 2020

Review: We Will Be by Sid Malcom

This summer, recognizing a significant lack of diverse voices in Canadian arts media, we piloted a program to develop and …

A performer stands on their toes at the edge of a wooden stage surrounded by trees. They are wearing a light purple dress with many small bells sewn onto the lower half, their long brown hair is in braids.

Uncategorized August 25, 2020

Review: We Are by Nicole Eun-Ju Bell

This summer, recognizing a significant lack of diverse voices in Canadian arts media, we piloted a program to develop and …

A child stands at the edge of a concrete slab looking across a small body of water towards a Toronto skyline full of many tall buildings

Uncategorized August 23, 2020

Review: We Were by Jenna Shummoogum

This summer, recognizing a significant lack of diverse voices in Canadian arts media, we piloted a program to develop and …

A sign posted in a city park that reads Artists At Work

Uncategorized July 15, 2020

The 2020 SummerWorks Lab Artists in Residence

Neema Bickersteth specializes in contemporary projects in opera, music theatre and theatre. Included tours in the USA and Europe with …

Uncategorized June 19, 2020

Unwrapping the mysterious from the mundane, in ASL

by Chris Dodd, Edmonton-based Deaf performer, playwright, accessibility advocate and founder and artistic director of SOUND OFF: A Deaf Theatre …

Uncategorized May 28, 2020

A Message to our Community

Dear SummerWorks community, Today SummerWorks is announcing the postponement of the 30th anniversary edition of our annual 11-day August Festival. This decision …

A courtyard at night decorated with strings of lights. A graffiti mural of houses and raccoons is in the background

Uncategorized March 3, 2020

End of Summer Mix: The After Party

keep scrolling to view all of the after-party content or click here to return to the main End of Summer …

Uncategorized

End of Summer Mix: Party Time

keep scrolling to view all of the party content or click here to return to the main End of Summer …

Uncategorized

End of Summer Mix: The Pre-Party

keep scrolling to view all of the pre-party content or click here to return to the main End of Summer …

Newsletter

Category: Community Gathering

ANNOUNCING the 2025 SummerWorks Performance Festival

INTRODUCING SummerWorks’ 2025/26 Associate Artists!

New social media, same SummerWorksFun!

INTRODUCING Two New Programming Initiatives

LAUNCHING the 2024 SummerWorks Performance Festival: Survival Mode!

ANNOUNCING expanded SummerWorks programming at Union Station!

SAVE THE DATES – 2024 SummerWorks Performance Festival

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 13

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 12

What’s On: Friday, Aug 11

What’s On: Thursday, Aug 10

What’s On: Wednesday, Aug 9

What’s On: Tuesday, Aug 8

What’s On: Monday, Aug 7

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 6

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 5

What’s On: Friday, Aug 4

What’s On: Thursday, Aug 3

ANNOUNCEMENT: SummerWorks reveals 2023 Festival programming

ANNOUNCEMENT: SummerWorks’ Incoming Artistic Director & Managing Director

Message to Our Community — Update on 2023 Curation & Call for Submissions

Future Perfect Mini-Doc

Thank You!

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 14

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 13

What’s On: Friday, Aug 12

What’s On: Thursday, Aug 11

What’s On: Wednesday, Aug 10

What’s On: Tuesday, Aug 9

What’s On: Monday, Aug 8

What’s On: Sunday, Aug 7

What’s On: Saturday, Aug 6

What’s On: Friday, Aug 5

SummerWorks 2022 Kicks Off with a Big Community Meal and Party!

Join our Board!

Announcing Departure of Artistic & Managing Director Laura Nanni

Review: burn, burned

Review: LEGacy Circus

Review: A New Black Poet

Review: nowhen & Connected as we are

Welcome to SummerWorks 2021!

Artists at Work

Review: We Will Be by Sid Malcom

Review: We Are by Nicole Eun-Ju Bell

Review: We Were by Jenna Shummoogum

The 2020 SummerWorks Lab Artists in Residence

Unwrapping the mysterious from the mundane, in ASL

A Message to our Community

End of Summer Mix: The After Party

End of Summer Mix: Party Time

End of Summer Mix: The Pre-Party