WHAT WE DO

Manifesto celebrates the beauty in differences, promotes equity, and strives to engage in programming and forums that mitigate social barriers. Manifesto predominantly works within artistic practices that have evolved from hip hop and R&B culture. The topics, themes and messages communicated in these art forms strongly resonate with historically underserved, marginalized and racialized communities.

As we celebrate our 15th year, Manifesto has supported 2,500+ artists, and we look forward to evolving over the next fifteen years. We are expanding our focus to include content creation and storytelling via social media and mnfsto.com to amplify our community’s voices, reaching young people across the country and around the world. We’re moving towards the establishment of permanent programming and a co-creation space whose doors are open to tomorrow’s leaders, built upon the foundation of the Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture.

OUR STORY

Founded in 2007, Manifesto creates spaces – both physical and digital – that inspire, develop, and amplify young people’s diverse communities through arts, culture, and media. Manifesto works tirelessly to act as a catalyst for culture through a wide range of free or low-cost programming. We create access and opportunities for local artists to gain experience, connect with new audiences, and power a multi-disciplinary talent training incubator for future leaders in the process. Programming includes concerts and performances, art exhibitions, community events, workshops, talks, summits, pop-ups, and the flagship Manifesto Festival of Community & Culture.

Started and run by young people, Manifesto has helped create countless volunteer, internship, and employment opportunities – building careers, fostering community connections and fuelling civic and individual pride – all while contributing to the vitality of the city we love.

Manifesto prioritizes the communities that have originated and propelled the hip hop genre. Black and Brown voices (intersecting with youth, women, and the LGBTQQIP2SAA community) are often underserved in Canada’s arts and culture mainstream when it comes to equity, stakeholding, wage equality and overall resources. To bridge this gap, Manifesto provides performance opportunities, access to networking events and mentorship, and programs for career advancement, artistic growth, and community building.

Manifesto has become a champion for hip hop arts and culture in Canada and is at the centre of a united front for hip hop and R&B in the city.

OUR SPACE

Manifesto Community Projects is a community hub and creative space located in the Daniels ‘City of The Arts’ building in Toronto, Canada. The area has more than 1,755 square feet of open concept workspace, private offices, meeting rooms, computer rooms, an editing suite and event space for young creatives and organizations in the art and culture industries. Manifesto welcomes all to use our private outdoor terrace in the summer months.

Manifesto Community Projects is located on the 5th floor of Daniels Waterfront- City of the Arts, on Toronto’s developing, innovative Waterfront, Queens Quay at Lower Jarvis Street in Toronto, ON, Canada. The building is home to a diverse community of like-minded art organizations and institutions such as George Brown School of Design, Artscape Daniels Launchpad, OCADU, The Remix Project, Hxouse and many more.