Scarborough Artist Sagal Duale Advocates for Community Arts at the Civic Centre

Last Wednesday, January 21, artist and arts facilitator Sagal Duale delivered a deputation addressed to City Council at the Scarborough Civic Centre, as part of the Public Presentations on the 2026 Capital and Operating Budgets.

Speaking on behalf of Scarborough Arts and Toronto’s six Local Arts Service Organizations (LASOs), Sagal highlighted the importance of sustained investment in free, accessible, neighbourhood-based arts programming. She emphasized how LASOs are essential to delivering the City’s Culture Connects 10-year culture plan, helping ensure that culture is available in communities across Toronto, not only in the downtown core.

Drawing from her own experience growing up in Scarborough Guildwood, Sagal spoke to the long-term impact of community arts programs, noting that stable funding allows trust to build, mentorship to flourish, and young artists to develop meaningful creative practices.

“Funding provided to arts organizations allows them to take on youth artists, the mentorship and education provided allows these youth to develop as artists and to give back to their community. This is important to me as a community member and artist from childhood. I attended workshops and classes held in Toronto in my community housing building near Morningside road from cooking to painting. I've tried it all, but without sustainable funding towards localized community-oriented programs, a lot of workshops and classes were one-offs. Sustainable, long-term funding allows for community to form and trust to be built between facilitators and their communities.”

She also highlighted how support from Scarborough Arts, alongside the Toronto Arts Council, Oddside Arts, and TAIBU, allowed her to lead her own youth photography program, “Archiving Memories of Malvern” creating accessible opportunities for young people to document and celebrate their community.

We’re so thankful to Sagal for advocating for the continued investment in LASOs to continue supporting artists, youth, and neighbourhoods, across every stretch of our city.

Watch the deputation above or see Sagal featured in Global TV News here.