Soulpepper Theatre Company recently introduced Public Domain, an initiative that aims to redefine what a theatre company can be, and create connections in an increasingly disconnected world. With a full slate of free programming that ranges from workshops and classes to performance, the company is hoping to become a neighbourhood hub where anyone feels welcome to drop in and engage in whatever way they’d like – as spectator or participant.
Soulpepper’s landmark theatre is located in the Distillery District, a neighbourhood that has grown vertically along with the rise of condos surrounding the historic area. It’s an urban environment that isn’t, per se, designed to foster connections.
“Soulpepper is reimagining what an arts institution can be—an open, welcoming space where creativity and connection thrive.” said Gideon Arthurs, Executive Director of Soulpepper Theatre in a statement. “At a time when loneliness in Toronto is at an all-time high, we believe the arts have a crucial role to play in bringing people together. This initiative is about breaking down barriers, fostering a sense of belonging, and making sure that everyone in Toronto has access to the transformative power of artistic expression. We can’t wait to see the community come together and make Public Domain their own.”
What Is Soulpepper’s Public Domain?
It’s an open-access initiative, and the concept at its foundation is that participating in the arts builds community. To that end, Public Domain offers a lineup of free programming that can include anything from hands-on workshops to movie night.
It’s part of the company’s Stories for a Stronger City platform, an approach that says we can connect through shared stories. Programming includes music, both artfully interpreted classical repertoire and works by emerging artists, and as an audience member, you can always choose to simply look and enjoy, or opt for a more active role.
There are three categories of programming.
- Discover: artistic activations that include art installations in the atrium, the Summer of Song concert series, storytelling events in the courtyard, seasonal and culturally specific markets (for example, Black Love Market, African Market, Equinox Market), among others.
- Gather: events and workshops that delve into a variety of genres and art forms. Participants can learn new skills as they connect with artists and other learners, and include everything from free school workshops in Bollywood dancing to the uber-popular Monthly Movie Nights, Yoga Mornings, and themed parties, all designed to bring people together.
- Practice: a space where emerging artists can gain and develop their skills and creative voice. Award-winning Soulpepper artists provide training for performance opportunities and potential collaborations with other emerging artists. Playwriting workshops, Creator’s Bootcamp, and the Queer Youth Cabaret are just a few of the programs available.
- For Youth: specific programming to nurture new artists and creative thinkers, including acting, playwriting, movement and other related workshops. Offerings include the City Youth Academy, Summer Mixtape, and Curtain Up programs, English Language Learners Program and in-school drama workshops, and much more.
Rohan Kulkarni, Soulpepper’s Director of Social Impact
We spoke to Rohan Kulkarni, Soulpepper’s Director of Social Impact, about the initiative, which launched in March.
“It’s going well,” Kulkarni reports of the first weekend, which took place March 29 and 30.
Public Domain is the result of years of consultation, working with The Metcalf Foundation, an organization that provides investment funding for various projects with a social purpose. A reconsideration of the public role that Soulpepper plays in the city and neighbourhood aligned with the Foundation’s goals.
“We were thinking about future directions,” Rohan says. “One of the things that came out of it was trying to make our space here really porous and accessible to the community around us.”
In a neighbourhood of condos, in the centre of a tourist-friendly historic district, how could a theatre company connect with its core audience?
“I was kind of thinking of future sustainability of the company.” That meant reaching outside the usual community of theatregoers. “Piercing the theatre bubble,” he says. “How do we get people interested in the arts, but also in our space?”
Free programming with multiple streams means that people aren’t necessarily tied to a specific schedule. It can truly be a drop in whenever you like experience. Youth programming, with a view to giving young people ways to explore their own creativity, is a strong emphasis.
“There are so many ways to engage with the company,” Rohan says.
The offerings have been carefully chosen and cultivated. “We spent the last couple of years really piloting some of this programming,” he explains. His own role has also grown from a specific task to taking a senior role with the development of Public Domain, and he’s passionate about its goals. “To really make it a public invitation.”
Public Reactions
So far, through the pilot programs and recent launch, reactions have tended to prove the notion that community building is needed. It’s not uncommon for participants at a workshop or taking in a performance to discover that they’ve been living in the same building, and never met before.
“We have all these people who have no sense of place,” Kulkarni says of the environment. “This can be their place of belonging. They can watch a movie, grab a drink,” he adds. “We offer a lot of low stakes arts engagements for them.”
It’s probably unrealistic to expect first time or infrequent theatregoers to wander in and get engaged with a three-hour play, as Rohan points out. “It’s about meeting people where they are.”
The launch weekend included the popular monthly movie screening, a party called Night School that offered what he calls “bite-sized” workshops from theatre artists, along with social gathering, a full market in the atrium, tours of the facility, a Bollywood Zoomba class, and Sunday morning kids’ workshop in Indian classical dance and movement.
“[There are] a lot of activities that we’ve been piloting and testing for the last year,” he says. “We’ve got something for everyone.”
Some of the programming will take its inspiration from the mainstage plays at Soulpepper, while others will rely on simply responding to demand. “We did a lot of conversations, surveys.” That includes participating in resident association meetings, and developer management groups. “We have all these ears to the ground in the neighbourhood. We show up at resident meetings. That’s the kind of grassroots work that is really happening here,” Rohan states.
“We’re being responsive to that while having our own programming mandate.”
The program will respond to its audience by offering a variety of entry points. After establishing the program as a regular feature, the next step is to reach farther.
“Our next phase is the scaling component,” he explains. “We’re really excited about continuing the momentum.”
- Find Public Domain programming [HERE].
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