Asian Arts and Culture Trust

What Asian Arts and Culture Trust does

Asian Arts and Culture Trust (AACT) is a Canadian federal not-for-profit organization, founded in 2021–2022 and based in Toronto, that delivers free public programming to increase empathy, appreciation, and representation of Asian heritage, arts, and culture in Canada, with an explicit mission to combat Anti-Asian Racism. The organization runs a portfolio of exhibitions, mentorship initiatives, storytelling anthologies, and community events. Signature programs include the Interwoven Identities multi-venue exhibition series exploring Asian mental health (2025), the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Program (2025–2026), the 100 Stories anthology publications (Vol. 1 "I Am 1.5 Gen" and Vol. 2 "Echoes of Empathy"), The Bitten Peach (queer Asian identities, 2023), Conversations with Elders (2022), and Food and the City (2022), along with annual Lunar New Year and Asian Heritage Month programming. AACT has no proprietary technology platform; its delivery infrastructure is a website (aact.community) plus Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook channels, with no API, integrations, or AI components.

The organization is entirely volunteer-run — all team members are unpaid, with co-founders Emily Gong (Partnerships) and Michael Wang (Operations) leading a team of roughly 14 active contributors plus past members. Revenue is generated exclusively through donations (collected via the Donately platform) and grants, most notably from the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council. Programming is delivered in partnership with Toronto cultural institutions including TIFF, Hart House (University of Toronto), STACKT Market, Hong Fook Mental Health, Holt Renfrew Canada, UrbanSpace Gallery, 401 Richmond, Akin Vitrine Gallery, and Remote Gallery. AACT serves the general Canadian public, newcomer and refugee visual artists, and elder communities, with all programming offered free of charge.

Name

Asian Arts and Culture Trust

Legal name

Asian Arts and Culture Trust

Website

https://aact.community

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Asian Arts and Culture Trust is a Toronto-based, volunteer-run Canadian federal not-for-profit that delivers free exhibitions, mentorship, and storytelling programs to increase Asian cultural representation and combat Anti-Asian Racism, funded via donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Programming

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAD

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAG

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAI

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAH

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAAAFAD

Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Community arts programming
• Cultural exhibitions
• Arts mentorship programs
• Asian heritage advocacy
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: AACT is a Canadian federal not-for-profit organization that raises funds through donation campaigns via the Donately platform. The organization receives support from government bodies such as the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council. There are no paid staff; all activities are volunteer-run.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Asian Arts and Culture Trust (AACT) delivers free community-based arts programming to increase empathy, appreciation, and representation of Asian heritage, arts, and culture in Canada. Its portfolio includes multi-venue exhibitions (Interwoven Identities, The Bitten Peach, Conversations with Elders, Food and the City), a year-long Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Program, two published 100 Stories anthologies, the annual AACT x Asian Heritage Month program, and the Lunar New Year Celebration co-created with TIFF and Four Winds Toronto. All programs are delivered by an all-volunteer team at partner cultural venues across Toronto and are funded through donations and municipal grants.

Product overview

Asian Arts and Culture Trust (AACT) is a Canadian federal not-for-profit organization that provides public programming focused on increasing empathy, appreciation, and representation of Asian heritage, arts, and culture in Canada. Rather than a traditional technology product, AACT operates a portfolio of community arts programs and exhibitions including: the Interwoven Identities multi-venue exhibition series exploring Asian mental health; the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Program for emerging artists; the 100 Stories anthology publications (I Am 1.5 Gen... and Echoes of Empathy); The Bitten Peach exhibition on queer Asian identities; Conversations with Elders bridging generations through art; Food and the City celebrating Asian food culture; and annual Asian Heritage Month programming. These programs are delivered through a website platform and community partnerships, without traditional product integrations or API offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interwoven Identities: Asian Mental Health
• Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Program
• 100 Stories: I Am 1.5 Gen...
• 100 Stories: Echoes of Empathy
• The Bitten Peach: Decolonizing Queer Asians
• Conversations with Elders
• Food and the City
• AACT x Asian Heritage Month
• Lunar New Year Celebration

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 artists and 2 art collectives engaged for Conversations with Elders across 4 locations, 3 exhibitions, 3 events, 2 workshops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Toronto Arts CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Toronto Arts Council (TAC) provides funding support for the Newcomer and Refugee Artists Mentorship Program. TAC's equity priority groups framework informs AACT's eligibility criteria, with priority given to artists who self-identify as Asian or belong to other TAC equity priority groups. This partnership provides legitimacy and reach within Toronto's arts community.
• Hong Fook Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hong Fook Mental Health is a pillar of mental health support for Asian communities with over four decades of experience. AACT collaborated with Hong Fook on the 'Interwoven Identities: Navigating Beyond the Surface' exhibition (March–April 2025), exploring the intersection of cultural identity and mental health within Asian communities.
• TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025TIFF partnered with AACT to co-create Lunar New Year activities and screenings including 'Silver Screenings: Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity' and 'Lunar New Year: The Farewell and Welcome Spring Arts Fair'. TIFF also hosted the 'Travelling Through: Conversations with Elders' exhibition and the opening event for AACT's Asian Heritage Month 2022 programming.
• STACKT MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025STACKT Market, a community marketplace at 28 Bathurst Street, Toronto, served as a venue for the 'Interwoven Identities: Healing in Community' exhibition from May 1–29, 2025, aligning with both Asian Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.
• Hart House (University of Toronto)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hart House, a historic student-focused cultural space at the University of Toronto (7 Hart House Circle), hosted 'Interwoven Identities: Unravelling Diaspora Narratives' from April 18–May 29, 2025, featuring a group exhibition, film screenings, and a dance-media performance by Jasmine Liaw.
• Four Winds TorontosupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025AACT collaborated with Four Winds Toronto to curate Lunar New Year artmaking and games activities for families and friends, expanding community reach during cultural celebrations.
• AsialiciousTOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022AACT partnered with AsialiciousTO 2022 to celebrate food culture and the people behind it in the city of Toronto. Five emerging Toronto artists and illustrators were commissioned to create artworks exploring the intertwinement between food and the city, resulting in a pop-up exhibition 'Food and the City' hosted by AACT.
• Sweven MediasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Sweven Media collaborated with AACT on the Food and the City project in association with AsialiciousTO 2022, contributing to the production of artistic content celebrating Asian food culture in Toronto.
• Akin Vitrine GallerysupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Akin Vitrine Gallery at 1747 St. Clair Avenue W served as one of the exhibition locations for AACT's Asian Heritage Month 2022 programming, hosting the Community Art Installation from May 7–30, 2022.
• Remote GallerysupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Remote Gallery at 568 Richmond St W, Toronto, was a partner venue for AACT's Asian Heritage Month 2022, hosting the opening event and 'Nostalgia: In Search of Familiarity' exhibition May 27–29, 2022.
• Holt Renfrew CanadasupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Holt Renfrew partnered with AACT to present 'The Bitten Peach' exhibition, a curatorial project exploring the intersectionality of Asian and queer identities, hosted at Holt Renfrew stores in May–June 2023.
• UrbanSpace GallerysupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022UrbanSpace Gallery featured 'The Bitten Peach: Asian Queer Spaces' exhibition, highlighting the intersectionality of Asian and queer identities within urban space and the importance of queer space within the city.
• 401 RichmondsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022401 Richmond hosted 'The Bitten Peach: Asian Queer Spaces' as part of Nuit Blanche 2023, extending AACT's programming reach through a major arts event.
• Tam CafesupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Tam Cafe at 369 Keele St, Toronto served as the venue for AACT's Community Art Wellness Workshop during Asian Heritage Month 2022.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aga Khan Museum: Toronto museum focused on Islamic art and culture with associated performing arts and educational programming. Comparable as a Toronto-based institution showcasing under-represented cultural communities through exhibitions and public programming.
• Japanese American National Museum: Los Angeles-based national museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the Japanese American experience. Comparable in mission (Asian-heritage representation, anti-racism advocacy), exhibition-based programming, and community engagement model.
• Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto: Toronto-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Chinese culture and heritage through exhibitions, classes, and community events. Closely comparable geographic, demographic, and programmatic fit to AACT.
• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): New York-based nonprofit museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, heritage, and culture of Chinese Americans through exhibitions and public programs. Closely analogous mission and operational model to AACT at a larger scale.
• Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre: Toronto-based nonprofit cultural organization serving the Japanese-Canadian community through arts, education, and heritage programming. Directly comparable to AACT in mission, geography, target community, and programming model (exhibitions, workshops, community events).
• Koffler Centre of the Arts: Toronto-based nonprofit presenting contemporary arts programming with an equity and community-engagement mandate. Comparable Toronto focus, exhibition-based programming, and emphasis on under-represented voices and cultures.
• Asian American Arts Centre: New York-based nonprofit devoted to the exhibition and support of Asian American artists through programs, publications, and community engagement. Comparable artist-development and exhibition-led model with a similar community-advocacy frame.

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society: Global nonprofit operating arts, cultural, and policy programming on Asia and Asian diaspora. Comparable mission scope (Asian arts, heritage, and education) but at significantly larger scale and global footprint than AACT.

Others

• Toronto Arts Council: Municipal funding body for arts organizations in Toronto, including AACT. Comparable as a key ecosystem player through which AACT receives core funding and which shapes program design via its equity-priority framework.
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF): AACT's most prominent programming partner; TIFF co-creates AACT's Lunar New Year and Asian Heritage Month programming. Comparable as a major Toronto cultural venue and brand that lends reach and credibility to AACT's exhibitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aact.community
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asian-arts-and-culture-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/aact.community

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asian Arts and Culture Trust