September Updates
Fall is officially here! A change in season brings new ways to engage through arts and culture and new opportunities for artists in our community.
Thank you to our operational partners for your ongoing support. Your funding and partnership provide crucial support for LAC in maintaining and growing capacity for ongoing development, implementation, and delivery of professional artistic programs and services for our community and the local arts sector.
We extend our gratitude to our strategic programming partners whose generosity helps us support the local arts community and artists with meaningful programs and opportunities.
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is a day for us to honour Residential School Survivors, the children whose lives were lost through Canada’s residential school system, and their families and communities.
The day is also a time for learning—a vital component of the reconciliation process—to deepen our understanding of the roots of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the ongoing impacts of residential schools, and our responsibilities to support Indigenous communities.
To commemorate the day, consider the following:
Please note that our office will be closed the morning of September 30 to allow staff to commemorate the day and participate in Indigenous-led local events.
OPPORTUNITIES
Urban Infrastructure Public Art Project
EOI Submission Deadline: October 16, 2026 at 4:00pm
The London Arts Council (LAC), in partnership with the City of London, invites visual artists who are 18 years of age or older and reside in London, Ontario, or in one of the three surrounding First Nations, including Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames, and Munsee Delaware Nation, to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for consideration in the Rapid Transit Bus Shelter Urban Infrastructure Public Art Project (Stage 2).
Applications must be submitted through the online application system and will be accepted until Friday, October 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Each submission will be reviewed by a panel of assessors, who will select five (5) artists to develop original designs for the 10 Rapid Transit bus shelters.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MUSICIANS
This year's ExtravaBandza was one to remember and we have many to thank for this! Many thanks to LBMX our Co-Presenter of ExtravaBandza and funder behind the LBMX Musicians Mentorship Program for another incredible year of the program. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our supporters and community partners who made this event possible: the City of London and Dundas Place through Neighbourhood and Community-Wide Services, the Paul Seed Fund at London Community Foundation, Oak View Group at Canada Life Place, Downtown London, London Police Service, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Life. A special mention to Covent Garden Market, London Brewing Cooperative, and LAV Solutions for your generous contributions to our event day! 🎉
To the bands—Lindsey and The Lonelies, Pot is Drugs, Omri Kash, Aidan Hough, and headliner Tyler Shaw—we were blown away by the music shared and the energy on the block! 🎶
To our Art Hive artists and incredible vendors, thank you all for bringing colour, art, life, smiles, and delicious cuisine for everyone to enjoy. 😊
To our guest speakers for the opening ceremony, Alison Fulton, Chief Revenue Officer, LBMX; Kelly Austin, General Manager, Oak View Group at Canada Life Place; Jeff Van Hoeve, Senior Vice-President of Business Integrations, Canada Life; Terence Kernaghan, MPP; David Ferreira, Ward 13 Councillor; Douglas Brown, Inspector, London Police Service; Janet Loo, Board Chair, London Arts Council; many thanks for your support and presence! Your continued support of the arts in our community means so much. 🩷
To the Vybe Kingz (DJ Wickham, DJ Illmattis, and Delo) thank you for effortlessly MCing the event, bringing the vibes, and making attendee's karaoke dreams come true! 🎤
To our incredible volunteers and everyone who came out and supported the event, THANK YOU for taking the time to support local talent!
COMMUNITY ART INSTALLATION PROJECT
The Gallery at RBC Place London
(October 2026 - January 2027)
For the tenth exhibition, The Gallery featured artworks created by Mandy Forbes, a textile artist based in London, Ontario, whose work explores storytelling, memory, and the imaginative world of childhood. Working with found embroidery, recycled textiles, found imagery, and other repurposed materials, she creates layered, tactile works that consider the ways personal and collective memories are held within objects, images, and fibers.
NEWS
Nominations for Mayor's New Year's Honour List
Nomination Deadline: October 23, 2026 at 4:30pm
Each year, the London Arts Council invites nominations for the honouree in the Arts category. Eligible nominees are professional artists and active volunteers whose artistic excellence or outstanding contribution of service deserves recognition. Please keep in mind that an individual's name may appear on the Honour List once in their lifetime.
Full details including past honourees at the link below.
Canada Life and Oak View Group announced a $20,000 joint donation to the London Arts Council, reinforcing the shared commitment to investing in initiatives that strengthen London's arts and culture community. The cheque was presented during ExtravaBandza on September 12, 2026.
"On behalf of the London Arts Council, we are thrilled to receive this generous donation from Oak View Group and Canada Life to help strengthen our local arts and music sector and to celebrate this contribution during this year's ExtravaBandza. ExtravaBandza, presented by LBMX and the London Arts Council and supported by a variety of partners and funders, has continued to grow while providing valuable career development opportunities for participating musicians. These opportunities include portfolio development, performance coaching, major live performance experiences such as ExtravaBandza, and professional development workshops. Sustaining this work and serving London's artistic community requires ongoing operational support. We are grateful for this recognition of the London Arts Council's work and for this generous investment, which will continue to help us delivering programs and services that strengthen, support, and grow London's arts and music sector."
- Eunju Yi, Executive Director, London Arts Council
CONNECT WITH US
Never miss a beat by following along on social!
Click on the icons below:
Comments