About 7a*11d

7a*11d formed in January 1997 out of a collective interest in encouraging Toronto's burgeoning performance art activity. By August 1997 13 founding artists (representing several loosely organized artist collectives) produced the first annual 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art, a successful event bringing together approximately 60 artists from Canada, the US, and Australia. 1998's 2nd International Festival of Performance Art was a two-part festival (in August and October), again with over 50 artists from Canada, the US, and Europe. After the 1998 festival, we decided to move to a biannual programming structure - presenting the International Festival every 2 years with dynamic performance projects (residencies, exchanges, conferences, etc.) in the alternate year. The 1999 project was a residency with acclaimed artist Rachel Rosenthal. The 3rd International Festival of Performance Art took place in October/November 2000, with over 40 artists from Canada, the US, Europe, and Australia. In 2001 we organized ReciproCity/RéciproCité, a site sensitive series of performances and panels linking Vancouver, Montréal and Toronto. This sought to initiate and extend the discourse around site specific performance art as a vehicle for social commentary. In 2002 we organized the 4th International Festival of Performance Art; in 2004, the 5th International Festival of Performance Art, and in 2006, the 6th International Festival of Performance Art. In 2008, we celebrated our "7-11" anniversary, the 7th festival in 11 years, with 7 creative residencies and a stellar roster of artists from around the world.

We are committed to a long-term presence in Toronto, but we are not tied to the idea of repeating what we have already done. Our concept of what a festival is, and what its format should be evolves to address what we feel are the most pressing needs of the discipline and its audience. Our goals are:

• to foster the development of a local performance art community
• to gain increased recognition for the performance art activity that takes place in Toronto and across Canada
• to activate interest in and expand audiences for performance art
• to encourage the exchange of ideas, information, and strategies in the field of performance art
• to explore definitions of performance art and facilitate an awareness of and critical discussion about its form and content
• to develop sources for the sponsorship, promotion, and dissemination of performance art
• to document work for archival and pedagogical purposes