In 2018 Hamilton Public Library accepted a founding donation for the 2SLGBTQ+ Community Archives from the estate of Michael Johnstone. Michael had, according to the library’s account, “captured more than 50 years of Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQ+ history – serving as a self-appointed archivist for a segment of the population that has long been marginalized.”

The “Building the Hamilton 2SLGBTQ+ community archives” outlines the ways in which community members can get involved with building the 2SLGBTQ+ archive and donating stories and materials which should be preserved.

Gritty City Theatre Company is dedicated to delving into and producing future works that delve into issues related to class and race. Our objective is to craft theatrical and cinematic productions that authentically represent the diverse spectrum of human experiences.

Red Beti Theatre is the sole not-for-profit Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPOC) Theatre company in Hamilton, Ontario. 

RBT commissions and presents live performances created and written by IBPOC Women in order to contribute bold and relevant artistic voices to the Canadian theatrical landscape.

Keeping Six defends the rights, dignity, and humanity of people who use drugs. The Quarterly Zine captures their lived experience with substance use and homelessness.

The Hamilton Black History Database is an online “one-stop shop” for locating Hamilton Black History resources and archives. It is dedicated to making information, resources, and archived materials pertaining to local Black history more accessible to our community.

AbleHamilton is a new collective that resists ableism and promotes dis/abled writers from Hamilton primarily, and Ontario and the East Coast generally. All the writers involves are dis/ability activists with lived experience.

Art Not Shame offers tools and programming for youth and other community members to express and address mental health challenges through collaborative art‐making and storytelling. Art Not Shame does this by hosting workshops in partnership with schools, local organizations, and established community health programs.

Art Waves is an arts-interview radio program which airs live every Sunday evening from 7 to 8 at 10l.5 FM. Google “1015 The Hawk” to listen to the program in real time, or find podcasts of past programs below.

As artists and longtime residents of Hamilton, Cees and Annerie van Gemerden have brought together activism and art in their works over the years. For example, their exhibition called NoTrespassing–More Power Anyone? captures the trails folks made to the Hamilton waterfront in the ’80s when fences prevented folks from going near the water. The exhibition also documented the toxic waste that was dumped in Hamilton’s harbour. In another series called Red Hill, Ceese and Annerie turned their attention to the building of an expressway in the Red Hill Valley, a site declared sacred by the Haudenosaunee people. To view these and other projects, you can visit their website.

For news coverage by Jeff Mahoney of their activism, click here.

Hamilton Arts & Letters (HAL) is a magazine that reflects the ethos of a particular place and reaches out to other places. Produced on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe people and the Haudenosaunee people. With an attractive, accessible, and relevant digital presence, HAL offers the best in writing, fine art, film, and audio artistry to a discerning and growing subscriber base and broader readership. HAL gives Hamilton artists and writers, emerging to established, opportunities to present new works alongside their peers from across Canada and around the world.

Social progress is the weight of laws designed to alleviate human suffering. The Labour movement has been at the forefront of groups seeking such legislation. Pensions, health insurance, the shorter workday, a living wage, – all these were fought for by workers. Hamilton’s industrial employment base has shrunk by nearly one-half, while the leadership of a socially engaged Labour movement has been diminished. Now it falls to the arts more and more to act as a mobilizing tool in the city’s rebirth.

HAL’s Fiona Kinsella, Paul Lisson, and Shane Neilson were interviewed for the literary magazine Sapling!

The Hamilton Tenants Solidarity Network (HTSN) is a grassroots initiative that seeks to link tenants from across Steel City in order to amplify their struggles through solidarity and direct action. HTSN’s goal is to build a powerful working-class fightback against absentee slumlords, tenant harassment, and the rampant gentrification that is transforming Hamilton into a bedroom community for the GTA professional class.

Founded by Hamilton writer Kerry Schooley in 1994, Lit Live is a literary reading series in Hamilton, Ontario featuring a diverse and exciting range of writers from across Canada and from Hamilton at 7 pm on the first Sunday of each month, from September to June. For updates and event locations, please check out the website.

Steel City Stories is an event series and not-for-profit organization that provides an inclusive platform for Hamiltonians to share stories from their own lives. The series includes 4-5 storytelling events throughout the year, planned around different themes. Each event features true stories told by people who are from, live in, or are involved with the Hamilton community.

Be sure to check out Hamilton Public Library for resources, a variety of programs, and community events.

Studio Beulah is an art studio and performance space in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Before COVID-19, Studio Beulah offered workshops, hosted group art exhibits, and held performances in their physical space. Now, the work of the studio has moved online and is facilitated through their website. The aim of Studio Beulah is to support artists and to create opportunities while we navigate these uncertain times.

Worker’s City is a helpful resource for exploring Hamilton’s industrial and labour history. The site includes audio stories and an interactive map where you can take a virtual tour of significant sites in Hamilton’s labour history. Go on a walking tour with Worker’s City and learn more about the labour history of different Hamilton neighbourhoods.