Toronto's embattled Soulpepper Theatre is at risk of losing its federal funding, the Canada Council for the Arts said Thursday. Soulpepper, which opened in 1999, has received millions of dollars in federal government funding since its first Canada Council grant in 2000. The bulk of Soulpepper's public funding comes from the Toronto Arts Council, which provided it with $461,625 last year. In a statement to CBC Toronto, the Toronto Arts Council said Soulpepper "is a significant cultural and economic anchor in Toronto" that employs 230 people and draws 130,000 guests each year. The Canada Council for the Arts review of Soulpepper's funding grant follows comments made several weeks ago by Heritage Minister Melanie Joly.

Source: CBC News February 01, 2018 22:52 UTC