The Toronto Taiko Festival (TTF) is the only recurring taiko festival in Canada! Envisioned and executed first in 2012 by members of RAW Taiko, what began as an earnest effort with little funding to uplift and connect regional taiko artists and audiences — as a response to the predominance of taiko festivals in the United States and the lack of a network amongst Canadian taiko artists — has turned into a recurring boutique festival with curated programs that share the joy and power of taiko for community building and self-empowerment at all levels of experience.

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In 2024, TTF set out on a new venture: the presentation of taiko productions by visiting artists from outside Toronto! Last April, TTF presented Unit Souzou's (Portland, OR) Constant State of Otherness at Hart House Theatre.

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This April, the festival presents Lineage: a tender sound, featuring San Jose Taiko (San Jose, CA), with opening performances by RAW Taiko and Ame no Ato (Montreal, QC)

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These concerts, presented outside of our regular festival cycle, aim to provide more opportunities for cross-pollination of  community and cultural practices, as well as styles and approaches to taiko within the Toronto taiko community and beyond.

 

Toronto Taiko Festival, presented by RAW Taiko, consists of registration based workshops, free public learning opportunities such as panels, and a vibrant festival concert, each of which is animated by RAW Taiko’s artist-activist mission and mandate. From beginners to professional musicians, TTF offers something for everyone interested in coming to the drum. Developed with anti-oppressive, queer and intersectional feminisms at heart, TTF is a unique offering to the North American taiko landscape.​​