In what is being called the first-of-its-kind alliance worldwide, Austin and Toronto, Canada have established what they are calling the Music City Alliance.
While Toronto is roughly four times the size of Austin, the city has been publicly looking at Austin’s model of success to promote Toronto’s music scene. Officials from both cities met during this year’s South By Southwest to begin talks about forming a partnership to promote economic growth.
The Music City Alliance Partnership Program is meant to open lines of communication between the two cities, promote music industry trade and exports, and explore opportunities for growth.
Toronto’s city council endorsed the alliance on Thursday, but a similar item had already been approved during an Austin City Council meeting in June. Council member Mike Martinez, who cosponsored the item, says that now the alliance is official, formal talks can begin.
"Now that they’ve taken action, the directive that we gave allows those formal discussions to take place as to what this alliance is truly going to look like and the exchanges that are going to take place," Martinez said.
While relationships have existed between the music industries and governments of our cities for some time, the alliance makes official what is being heralded as a rare public-private international partnership.
Torontonians are calling it a win for the future music and the arts in both communities.
