With a dozen arts organizations packed into a single mile, the stretch of Bloor St. W. between Bathurst and Bay Sts. is being officially branded the Bloor Street Culture Corridor.

Heather Kelly, a spokesperson for the Royal Conservatory of Music and the founder of the initiative, said the idea was sparked when speaking with her musical counterparts at the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Alliance Française de Toronto.

“We’re already working together on a one-on-one basis,” Kelly said. “I just came up with the idea that we create this multi-organization partnership to draw people to the neighbourhood and help people realize how easy it is to go from one of our organizations to the other.”

The 12 cultural institutions collectively span French, Japanese, Italian and aboriginal languages and encompass a wide range of visual art and music, including three museums: the Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner and the Bata Shoe Museum.

In time, Kelly said, she hopes the Culture Corridor will rise to the stature of New York’s Museum Mile or Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles.

“We suddenly realized that it’s quite a collection of cultural organizations here and that maybe we should be letting the public know that, hey, we’re all here in the same region,” said Bruce Hutchinson, the marketing director of the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, one of the participating organizations.

The corridor, which bridges the Annex, University of Toronto and Yorkville neighbourhoods, is still in its initial stages, with an official launch planned for April 2. The stretch will be promoted on social media, with dedicated Twitter and Facebook accounts.

“We thought we’d begin by letting each other’s audiences know that we’re all here,” Hutchinson said.

Although details are not yet final, Kelly said over the summer the corridor’s organizations hope to participate in events such as the Annex Festival on Bloor. And come the fall, Kelly anticipates a seasonal promotional package such as a digital passport to encourage patrons to visit all 12 institutions.

Other organizations can join, Kelly said, provided they meet the criteria of presenting professional-level arts and culture to the public in a year-round venue. Local restaurants and retailers will also be recognized, Kelly said.

“The whole idea of this is inclusivity,” Kelly said. “We’re part of an ecosystem; we’re part of a neighbourhood.”

The designation is a long time coming, according to George Fallis, a professor of urban issues at York University who advocated the idea of a Bloor St. cultural precinct 12 years ago.

“It’s an important development for the city to recognize this concentration. And it’s a wonderful area of the city. So I think it’s nice to see it finally coming to fruition,” Fallis said.

From west to east, the corridor includes:

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W.: The century-old cinema in the Annex screens Canadian and international documentaries, and is frequently home to film festivals, including its namesake Hot Docs festival, and screening series.

Trinity St. Paul’s United Church, 427 Bloor St. W.: Built in 1889, the sanctuary of this beautiful old church was recently renovated into a modern concert hall. The stage is graced by the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, one of the world’s premier baroque orchestras, and the Toronto Consort, Canada’s leading chamber ensemble.

Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, 750 Spadina Ave.: The centre boasts a range of art and cultural activities, including movies and stage events at the Al Green Theatre.

Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 16 Spadina Rd.: A social and cultural hub for Toronto’s aboriginal community, with programs, services and events.

Alliance Française de Toronto, 24 Spadina Rd.: The French-language school and cultural centre is currently expanding to feature a new amphitheatre, art gallery and classrooms.

Istituto Italiano di Cultura, 496 Huron St.: Owned by the Italian government, the institute promotes Italy’s cultural heritage through art exhibitions, lectures and films screenings.

Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.: With a collection of more than 10,000 shoes, the museum is dedicated to footwear throughout the ages.

The Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St. W.: One of the largest music education institutions in the world, the Conservatory boasts the widely praised concert venue Koerner Hall, which opened in 2009.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park: The museum of natural history and world cultures celebrates its centennial this year with a host of exhibitions and programs.

Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park: Opposite the ROM, this is Canada’s only museum dedicated to ceramic art. Now in its 30th year, it also offers clay classes year-round.