MISSION & VISION
Soulpepper is Toronto's Civic Theatre: where great theatre meets the life of the city.
For nearly 30 years, Soulpepper has brought artists, audiences, and communities together through theatre, music, education, and public programming. Today, we are building on that legacy with a renewed civic purpose: to make Soulpepper a gathering place for Toronto — a space where people come together to imagine, debate, celebrate,
and connect.
Our commitment is to:
- Support artists in the creation of extraordinary work
- Train the next generation of artistic and cultural leaders
- Open our theatre as a true community asset
- Create public programs that strengthen Toronto’s cultural and civic life
Each year, Soulpepper produces a dynamic season of mainstage plays, concerts, and musical performances, alongside civic programming and education initiatives that invite more people into the life of the theatre.
We believe theatre is more than a performance. It is a civic practice:a place where audiences gather in real time, encounter new perspectives, and experience the power of shared belief in the excellence of our city.
Soulpepper is reimagining what a theatre can be in the 21st century. Our stages are home to exceptional artists and urgent stories. Our building is becoming a year-round civic space: a place for live journalism, documentary film, community conversations, youth training, public gatherings, and cultural exchange.
From our home in the Historic Distillery District, we are working to make Soulpepper a more open, active, and essential part of Toronto’s public life — a theatre that belongs to artists, audiences, and the city itself.
History
Founded by 12 artists, Soulpepper was launched in 1998 with a two-production summer season at Harbourfront Centre, with the artists undertaking all operations, including fundraising. The Company’s ensemble approach to artistic rigor garnered enthusiastic response from audiences, artists and critics alike. With a focus on youth outreach and artist training, Soulpepper’s activities grew year-over-year to fill a vital need in Canada’s largest theatre market.
In 2005, Soulpepper completed a capital campaign and migrated from Harbourfront to its new home in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, a world-class venue which anchors the Distillery Historic District as a cultural destination for residents and visitors. Under the leadership of founding Artistic Director Albert Schultz and former Executive Director Leslie Lester, the Company experienced a period of growth and expansion of its activities.
In 2006, Soulpepper launched the Soulpepper Academy, Canada’s only two-year paid training program for theatre artists of all backgrounds. Responding to industry needs, in 2014 Soulpepper grew the program to include specialized training streams in directing, acting, playwriting, designing, and producing/stage management.
In 2015, Soulpepper launched a Creative Capital Campaign, to raise $10 million to be invested into artists, ideas and new activity (rather than bricks and mortar), including touring, audio programming, and Project Imagination – an ambitious multi-year theatre commissioning program. The Campaign reached its goal in 2016, two years ahead of schedule, and the resulting activity has accelerated the growth and activity of the Company.
On July 1, 2017 Soulpepper opened its month-long festival of 12 original Canadian works in a multi-venue complex on 42nd Street in New York City. The festival featured 75 diverse Canadian artists, and proved to be a critical and audience success, garnering over 200 media articles, reaching 11,000 patrons, and planting seeds for future collaboration and international touring activity.
In the fall of 2018, Soulpepper announced the appointment Emma Stenning as Executive Director, and Weyni Mengesha as Artistic Director. Together with our Board Chair, Vanessa Morgan, Soulpepper’s leadership team is complete, and is beginning to write the new chapter in the future of the Company.
At the beginning of 2022, the Company announced the appointment Gideon Arthurs as Soulpepper's new Executive Director, to join Weyni Mengesha on the leadership team. Together they will work as collaborators on the next exciting chapter in Soulpepper's evolution.
Annual Reports & Financial Statements
In our efforts to be a transparent and accountable charitable organization, Soulpepper shares our Annual Report and Financial Statements publicly.
Press releases
Production Photos and General Resources can be found in the full Press Gallery. For access or inquiries please contact media@soulpepper.ca
