CCST Welcomes Candidate New Board Members

The Community and Cultural Spaces Trust (CCST) is pleased to welcome four new candidates to join the Board of Directors on a trial period of four months. Their expertise will help steer the organization to full operational readiness by the end of 2025. 

We thank all who applied to our latest recruitment cycle. We intend to form a Steering Committee in the coming months and will continue reviewing applications we received and interviewees we engaged for these purposes. We also thank you for your patience with our recruitment process! CCST is an entirely volunteer-run organization and genuinely appreciates the time all applicants put into connecting with us.

Meet our new candidate members:

Chris Wilson

Chris is a passionate cultural leader with a wealth of experience in the arts & culture, as well as in the non-profit sector. With a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation, he is dedicated to fostering communities that are not only more connected but also better equipped to navigate the obstacles and possibilities of the future. Approaching his work through the lens of a futures design strategist, he specializes in designing innovative systems that drive collaboration, engagement, and transformative change. Guided by curiosity, Chris is deeply committed to reimagining the past and present as pathways to inspired future possibilities, particularly through a Black cultural lens. His work reflects a profound dedication to exploring how we envision and utilize our collective futures to build stronger, more meaningful communities.

Why did you want to join the CCST?

Much of the work that I do is within the area of community and cultural spaces. I am wrapping a MDes in Strategic Foresight and Innovation where I've gotten the chance to explore conversations around this topic. I also have gotten the chance through my previous work experience as a strategist to work alongside individuals and organizations that are passionate about this topic and through this have gained insights to help support the trust. I also live within the Ward and that is extremely important to me. 

Danielle Singer

Danielle is a Recruitment Lead with TalentLift. She previously practiced as a lawyer with a real estate law firm and later as VP of Commercial and Hospitality at a real estate development company based in Toronto. Her experience in steering complex real estate projects, building and maintaining tenant relationships and managing marketing strategies has equipped her with a unique perspective on team dynamics and the ability to connect skilled individuals with transformative opportunities. Danielle also holds a Master’s of Comparative Politics and Human Rights and a Bachelor of International Development and History.

Why did you want to join the CCST?

I am deeply committed to fostering community development and believe strongly in the vital role that access to cultural and arts programs plays in both children's and broader community growth. These programs enrich our neighbourhoods, shaping them into vibrant, inclusive spaces where people of all ages can connect and thrive.

Eryn Maloney

Eryn is wrapping up a Masters in Urban Planning with a focus on arts and culture planning informed by experiences gained during a 15-year career in the music industry as a technician, technical director, tour manager, promoter, and musician. His focus is on how diversity and inequality in access to employment in music spaces and how informal training (job shadowing and DIY labour) alongside informal spaces (DIY venues and events) can affect the diversity of the music industry labour force and create more entrenched systems of inequality. Alongside creative industries research Eryn also studies active transportation and social planning and policy.

Why did you want to join the CCST?

While working and performing in a variety of music venues in Toronto I observed a continuous struggle with access to space for both performance and rehearsal opportunities. Music spaces are under threat from rising costs, development pressures, building codes, and noise complaints. Protecting and preserving cultural spaces is an integral component of my academic research and I am excited to work with CCST on creating a Toronto future that includes access to cultural space.

What are you most excited to work on or contribute to in the coming months and years?

In the near future I am most excited about working on the community needs assessment project while forging connections with other arts and culture organizations in Ward 9. In future years I am excited to use my expertise in venue/facility operations to support the design and fit up of community space. The objective of property acquisition for cultural preservation and community use is extremely exciting. 

James Roy

James began his career at the age of twenty-two when he founded the Blyth Festival.  This theatre in small town Ontario was one of the first to specialize in producing new Canadian works, and remains one of the most successful theatres in Canada today.  Between 1980 and 1986 James was Artistic Director of the Belfry Theatre in Victoria, British Columbia and the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg. James joined CBC Radio Arts and Entertainment in 1990 and for two decades he was the Executive Producer of Network Radio Drama, as well as producing his own drama series. Following two years as Head of Radio A&E, he left to lead the CBC team that launched Radio One on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. From 2015 until 2023 James was Creative Director for Amazing Agency and its sister company, IT World Canada.

Why did you want to join the CCST?

Throughout my career I have seen artists’ spaces created and then disappear as they become too expensive. Through the CCST I am determined to help obtain new places and venues that will remain in perpetuity with our city’s artists. This will guarantee untold richness to our lives and our children’s lives.  That is the exciting opportunity that the CCST promises.

Eryn, James, Danielle, and Chris join the following Board Directors for 2025:

Chair - Hannah Fleisher

Vice-Chair - Maggie Hutcheson

Director - Erella Ganon

Director - Sean Fitzpatrick

Communications Lead - Julia Culpeper

Secretary - Liz Hysen 

Network Development Lead - Alycia Shanika Doering 

There will be additional opportunities to get involved in the coming months, including on a Steering Committee and as a General Member. We are also accepting donations to the CCST Operations Fund, which helps pay for the administrative costs of the CCST.

Reach out at any time to board@communityculturalspacestrust.ca with questions. 

First full Board meeting of 2025

Launching the CCST Space Needs Assessment

Community groups and arts organizations, we need your help! This year, the Community and Cultural Spaces Trust (CCST) is launching a survey to deepen our knowledge of the space challenges and needs that arts, community, and cultural organizations in Toronto face. The survey questions are focused on how your organization(s) has operated in your spaces, any space needs your organizations may have, and your outlook on CCST’s role in providing support. We hope that by completing the survey to the best of your ability, you will help us build long-term plans for community cultural space preservation. 

Fill in the survey now

The responses collected will only be seen by members of the CCST board and our volunteer-led student team from the University of Toronto who helped design this survey. Any findings presented in relevant settings will be de-identified, and your identities will be kept anonymous. We kindly ask for your support in completing the survey and our ongoing efforts as we fight to protect our community. We hope to continue engaging with the Ward 9 arts and cultural community as we develop and secure spaces.

We estimate that this survey will take between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the level of detail you choose in the open-ended questions. While the survey will remain open beyond this date, we would appreciate it if you could fill out this survey if possible by February 20, 2025. If there are other organizations you think would like to participate in this survey, feel free to forward this to them.

Thank you for your participation. Please contact the us if you have any questions regarding CCST or the survey at board@communityculturalspacestrust.ca

2024 Call for Board & Steering Committee Members

October 3 2024

Two years into our development, the Community and Cultural Spaces Trust (CCST) is seeking new Board Directors and another cohort of Steering Committee Members to support our operations in a critical moment of our development. The working Board plays a key role in determining the future of the trust and will also serve as CCST’s core group of volunteers, driving the Trust’s daily operations. The Steering Committee provides support to the Board in decision making and developing strategic directions for the Trust.

ABOUT US

The Community and Cultural Spaces Trust (CCST) is a land trust dedicated to the long-term preservation of affordable space and land for arts, culture and community activities in Ward 9 (Davenport), Toronto. Building on the successes of the community land trust movement and other community ownership models, our goal is to mitigate the current displacement of arts and community organizations from Davenport and from Toronto more broadly. 

CCST exists as a result of years of community organizing for equitable and inclusive development in the area. The initial funds that the trust holds were secured through a historic community benefits settlement with the developers of the public school lands at the southwest corner of Bloor Street and Dufferin Street. The financial settlement was promised in installments; the full funds will be made available to CCST by November 2025. 

Until the full asset is received, CCST’s current Board is laying the groundwork for the Trust to thrive. We have developed relationships and networks, researched models and opportunities, invested the trust’s initial assets, established administrative policies and systems, evaluated acquisition opportunities, and initiated a community needs assessment. CCST is now in a position to grow significantly under the strategic leadership of a diverse and representative board. 

BOARD & COMMITTEE RECRUITMENT

We are looking for applications from people who are energetic, active listeners and good collaborators. The ideal applicant should be excited to grapple with complex decision-making in an imperfect context. 

Our goal is to develop a board whose actions will be guided by our founding principles, ongoing community input, lived experiences relevant to CCST’s mandate and cross-sector professional expertise. The cultural land trust and social purpose real estate movements are gaining exciting momentum but preserving affordable space for community and arts uses in Toronto’s current real estate market will be challenging! We are looking for individuals who are up for working in a dynamic team to take on that challenge. Previous board experience is not required for these positions. All board and committee positions are strictly volunteer.

Candidates for the Board of Directors will be onboarded on a trial basis for 6-12 months, with the goal to vote in a full Board of Directors in assigned roles on an ongoing basis by November 2025. New Steering Committee members will be brought on immediately and asked to support ongoing Committee work within 2-3 months of onboarding.

Open Positions

Board of Directors (2 year term):

• Treasurer to oversee all aspects of the organization’s finances.

• Operations & Property Management Lead to advise on business plans and revenue/cash flow management for space operations for commercial real estate and/or cultural spaces.

• Real Estate Acquisition Lead to advise on investment decisions and business cases for commercial real estate.

• General Board Member to join at least one committee and assist with community governance requirements.

Monthly commitment: 1 board meeting, 1 committee meeting, some asynchronous work; approximately 5-15 hours

Steering Committee Members (1 or 2 year term):

We are also recruiting for Steering Committee Members. Interested parties can apply to join as Steering Committee Members on a one-year term, after which time they can decide to apply for Board Directorship if available or remain as a Steering Committee Member. Steering Committee Members will support both specific board functions (financial, communications, legal), general (research, correspondence, collaborative decision-making), and lead special projects (advocacy, community mobilization, other priorities identified by both the Board and Steering Committee). 

Monthly commitment: 1 board meeting, some asynchronous work; approximately 5 hours

Eligibility

CCST’s Board must maintain a majority of members from Ward 9, however, we welcome applications from people outside this community. This year we are prioritizing applicants with expertise in:

• Organizational development;

• Community mobilization and network development;

• Community-based governance;

• Communications and advocacy;

• Real estate law, finance, and transactions;

• Real estate operations and due diligence;

• Asset management and fundraising;

We also particularly encourage you to apply if you identify as: 

• An artist/arts worker who is a member of at least one equity-deserving group; 

• A person with lived experience of displacement from a studio, rehearsal or community space; 

• A youth (under age 30); 

• A person who works, leads or regularly volunteers at a community-based or equity-focused organization. 

Board composition will be carefully considered when reviewing applications.

To Apply

Please review our Terms of Reference for Volunteers & Members to learn more about Board and volunteer responsibilities and upcoming work. Express your interest to join CCST’s Board or Steering Committee via this form. Direct questions to  board@communityculturalspacestrust.ca

CCST thanks you for sharing this widely with your networks! We will be accepting expressions of interest until 5 pm on Monday, October 21 2024. We will be in touch with selected applicants on a rolling basis and will request a CV and cover letter, and interview.

We hope to begin onboarding successful candidates in November 2024.

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,

Community and Cultural Spaces Trust Board

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