Thursday, June 13, 2024 This summer, Toronto welcomes the innovative Open Canvas Music & Arts Festival. With its debut on June 22 at Daniel’s Spectrum, the festival is set to transform the local music and arts landscape through its commitment to inclusivity, community engagement, and a broad spectrum of artistic showcases. Open Canvas is designed as a beacon of cultural enrichment, offering a diverse and accessible platform for the city’s residents.
The company was born from the shared vision of founders Ben Attal, Abdou Mouflet, and Eric Shuell, and it was modelled after their vibrant experiences in Montreal. Their journey began with a simple yet profound idea: to create a platform where music and arts could flourish in an accessible, community-oriented environment. “We all lived in Montreal before living in Toronto, where the arts and culture scene was rich and inclusive.
Open Canvas was built out of necessity to fill the gap we saw in Toronto,” says Ben Attal . The festival’s name, Open Canvas, has a personal story behind it. “Ben and Abdou once hosted a party in their apartment where they invited all their artist friends to paint murals on their white walls while having a dance party.
It symbolized freedom and creativity, which we want for Toronto,” shares Eric Shuell . The pandemic brought about unique challenges for the founders, halting their large-scale events and highlighting the need for new ways to unite people. “Bringing people together in a post-p.
