Toronto theatre and art space on the verge of eviction by landlord
A Toronto-based charitable theatre company is facing eviction from its valuable downtown space, leaving independent artists scrambling to find affordable alternatives.
Founded in 2012 by Emily Dix, Matthew McGrath, and Thomas Beattie, Bygone Theatre is a registered charity with a mandate to produce theatre written or set in the early to mid-20th century.
In August 2023, the company moved into its first space, called The Bridge, located on the fourth floor of 379 Adelaide St. W. The 7,500-square-foot space is now home to five indie productions, two high school co-ops, private studios for five artists, office space for two companies in residence, and an immersive theatre training program.
The Bridge also offers the lowest rehearsal rates in the city at $10 per hour for indie artists who don't have access to operational funding, grant funding, or rehearsal spaces. During their 12th season, Bygone Theatre launched a new initiative aimed at supporting new theatre companies with their first productions.
Since its founding, the company has gone on to be nominated for Favourite Local Theatre at the Broadway World Toronto 2022 Awards, and was voted Best Live Theatre during the Toronto Star Readers' Choice Award in 2021.
Despite its successes, the company was informed on the morning of Sept. 18, 2025, by its landlord, Allied, that its lease was being terminated. Emily Dix, artistic executive director of Bygone Theatre and the lead behind The Bridge, took to Instagram to explain what this means for the one-of-a-kind theatre space.
"Just moments ago, we had the representatives from Allied, our landlords, come by to tell us that they are kicking us out in three months. As commercial tenants, we basically have no rights, so they can do that," Dix said.
"The reasoning — we are paying too little money. They also listed off some other things and claim that we are in default of our agreement. However, with our board chair being a lawyer and myself being a paralegal, we are very aware and very confident that we are not in default. These are bullsh*t claims, to put it lightly, and basically, they've decided they can get more money, and so they're kicking us out."
In an email to blogTO, Allied refuted these claims, calling them "false." "We have good reason for the irreversible action we've taken," an Allied spokesperson said.
Although the theatre's lease was originally scheduled to end in August 2026, the company is now being forced to vacate by the end of this December.
"When it comes to the arts, when it comes to any tenants who aren't paying outrageous prices, the people in power don't care," Dix continued. "Here's another Christmas time where I don't get to do any family stuff because I'm going to be here cleaning and painting this space."
While Dix confirmed that the company is looking for a new space to potentially call home, she also noted that finding affordable spaces for independent artists seems to be an issue everywhere in the city.
Artists who have used The Bridge over the past few years were subsequently encouraged to spread the word about the eviction and sign a petition condemning the loss of the space, which has already garnered over 400 signatures. As expected, dozens of artists also took to the comments section of the video to express their dismay.
"There's so many of us creatives holding back from opening cultural and arts spaces for this exact reason. I've been talking to business owners downtown for the last two years now. The lack of support, vandalism, safety issues, sudden and forced evictions, it's all so unbelievably disheartening," Toronto-based photographer Mariam Magsi wrote.
"You guys were such a unique addition to a painfully gentrified street. I wish you best of luck and truly sorry for this loss."
Although it's clear that the company cannot operate at 379 Adelaide St. W. for much longer, it continued to urge local artists to share what The Bridge has meant to them.
"Take a moment to sign your name and say that Toronto needs truly affordable rehearsal and performance space. Something that is accessible, artist-focused, multi-disciplinary and costs $10/hr," the company wrote.
"Yes we know that is far belong market value. But you know what happens when you don’t support a communities' artists? They leave. Or they stop creating art. And a city without art is not vibrant, is not engaging, is not the type of place anyone wants to live, whether they realize it or not," reads the plea for support.
"Give us something to take to funders, and city officials, as we make one last-ditch effort to keep operations going without having to cancel more than half our season."
blogTO has reached out to Bygone Theatre for more information regarding its eviction and future steps.
Bygone Theatre
