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Institut, 620 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON (2026)

09/14/2026

In the lace curtains by the window of your grandmother’s house, there is another world.

It’s the world of the old Ukrainian lullaby Ой ходить сон коло вікон: “Dream wanders by the window, while Sleep lingers by the gate…”

КОЛО ВІКОН / BY THE WINDOW is a 30-minute passage through that window. nón omnís moriár and her team cook the food of home with a dreamy twist, while Mark Marczyk builds ambient folk symphonies around the room.

We begin with a drink at INSTITUT and music by Johnny 🇺🇦. Then we lead you somewhere else—through lace, projected film, shadow and sound—to a long table set for 20.

The food will already be waiting. Sit with friends and strangers over soup, bread, music, drawing, and story.

Give us 30 minutes. We’ll feed you, you get lost in the dream by the window. And then we send you back.

Limited tickets available now.

September 24
Seatings @ 6 PM, 7 PM, 8 PM
Tickets 🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

***
Dress code: white attire

Vegetarian? Write to [email protected] after purchasing your ticket and we’ll make sure there’s a bowl waiting for you. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accommodate other dietary restrictions.

A project of SVI
Supported by Shevchenko Foundation

09/10/2026

INSTITUT panels are for big ideas and good conversation over drinks & kanapky.

Tonight, we’re kicking off our Ukrainian Heritage Month series with a very special conversation on libraries, archives, and museums during wartime – and the role diaspora organizations play in preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

Meet the speakers: experts from the SVI Library, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada – Ontario Branch, and the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre, coming together underground to talk about what it means to preserve culture in times of war, why these collections matter, and the people working to protect them.

Come hang out, ask questions, have a drink, learn something.

September 10 @ 6 PM
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

09/10/2026

TOMORROW NIGHT we present a special preview of a Ukrainian psychological drama exploring love, family, responsibility, and a marriage being pushed to its limits.

Vita Art reads selected scenes from Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s 1911 psychological drama “Black Panther & Polar Bear” ahead of its Toronto premiere later this month.

September 10 @ 8 PM
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

A project of SVI
Supported by Shevchenko Foundation

09/04/2026

Vol. 023 of INSTITUT will have you spinning in circles and contemplating deep feelings all in one night.

We’re starting with Kryva Kosa Band back for another open folk session of traditional Balkan, Baltic & Slavic village songs and dances. Come play, sing, dance, or just sit with a drink and listen.

Then Ukrainian poet Serhii Titov © will read on love, vulnerability and the trouble of holding onto either, with Kirill Savransky at the piano. Expect an intimate night of poetry and live music by candlelight. Grab a drink, find a seat and bring someone you like (or don’t).

Folk songs and love poems. Dancing and piano in the dark. All in a cozy underground speakeasy.

October 2 @ 7 PM
Get tickets & RSVP to secure your spot!
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

A project of SVI
Supported by Shevchenko Foundation

09/03/2026

A moment for the details of INSTITUT ✨

This summer, we opened up the back lot at SVI , unlocked the steel doors, walked down the stairs, and turned a basement space into a cozy little speakeasy that feels like home.

Tucked beneath generations of students, archivists, curators, and librarians, this basement space took on a new life.

We watched banned Ukrainian cinema and live scores, witnessed wartime theatre, and talked big ideas three beers deep with scholars. We danced to Colombian rhythms, Estonian folk, Slavic soul, Afrohop, and everything in between. We stayed late for conversations that refused to end, and watched the dance floor slowly fill up.

Some came knowing exactly what they were looking for. Others wandered in with no idea what was going on. And a lot of you kept coming back!

Thank you for joining us in this little experiment.

We’re taking a breather this Thursday, but we’ll be back with Ukrainian Heritage Month programming, kicking things off September 10.

🔗 you know where for all the deets

See you again soon at 620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

📸 Cassandra Popescu Photography & Taija Grey

09/01/2026

We’re kicking off Ukrainian History Month at INSTITUT with an insightful night of literature and theatre (with drinks and kanapky, of course). 📚

What does it mean to preserve a culture when its books, archives and museums are being deliberately targeted? Ukrainian literary experts will gather underground to talk about how librarians, archivists and curators are fighting to preserve Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

Then, Vita Art will read selected scenes from Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s 1911 psychological drama “Black Panther & Polar Bear.” Witness a marriage pushed to its limits as a disagreement over art turns into a much harder question of love, family, and responsibility.

September 10 @ 6 PM
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot.
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

A project of SVI
Supported by Shevchenko Foundation

08/30/2026

Last Thursday, we closed out our summer series with INSTITUT Vol. 018, and in true INSTITUT fashion, the night turned into a little bit of everything.

Resident artists Kryva Kosa Band led another folk song + dance workshop, which has officially become a staple of our summer Thursdays (at this point, we hope you’re all folk music experts).

Then Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا and Quincy Bullen joined us for a special acoustic performance, combining Afro-Sufi, Arabic, and diasporic traditions through jazz, soul, maqam, and Afrobeat.

To close things out, Juana Go-gó took over the decks with vintage vinyl, playing Latin and global selections into the late hours.

This was the final event of our summer series, but DON’T YOU WORRY we’re not done yet. We’re back in September for Ukrainian Heritage Month with more music, film, immersive experiences, food, performance and conversation. Stay tuned for everything coming up.

And a special thank you to everyone who stayed until the very end to watch the lunar eclipse with us in the parking lot (you know who you are). What a magical way to end the summer. 🌒

Thank you for a summer to remember. See you in September.

📸 Cassandra Popescu Photography

08/25/2026

We’re blessed to have the amazing Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا grace the stage this Thursday for our LAST SHOW OF THE SUMMER.

Catch an intimate live performance from Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا, whose music bridges Afro-Sufi, Arabic, and diasporic traditions through jazz, soul, maqam, and Afrobeat.

Come early for a village folk song and dance workshop led by resident artists Kryva Kosa Band and stay late for a vintage vinyl set of salsa, cumbia, Latin and global selections from Juana Go-gó 💃

August 27 @ 5PM — late.
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot.
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

08/24/2026

Today we are wishing a happy Ukrainian Independence Day to everyone in our community who has brought art, film, music, stories, and appreciation for Ukrainian culture to our space. 💙💛

And with that, we’re excited to share we’ll be back this September with another month of programming, bringing the spotlight back home for Ukrainian Heritage Month.

We’ve got more music, film, art and story, all Ukrainian for this special showcase month.

We’re also putting a focus on FOOD, which means extended access to our infamous kanapky plus one special immersive dinner night curated and hosted by our very own Mark Marczyk and nón omnís moriár (limited seating, so get on it FAST).

Oh, and UKRAINIAN HERITAGE DAY, the TORONTO UKRAINIAN FESTIVAL, the TORONTO UKRAINIAN FILM FESTIVAL… we’ve got you covered for all things Ukrainian this month.

You know the drill. Underground at 620 Spadina Ave — around the back, through the lot to the steel doors, down the stairs, past the mechanical room, through the swinging wood laminate door...

Register & RSVP so we know who to expect. We can’t wait to see you there.

08/23/2026

One night. Four unique experiences. INSTITUT 017 had a little bit of everything.

New Ukrainian theatre, banned cinema, Afro-hop, and vintage Ukrainian vinyl all in one Thursday night, with a room full of curious people.

We started with UA Theatre Salon: After the Front, directed by Mariya | Masha | Khomutova and created at Kyiv’s Theatre of Playwrights with frontline defenders. Three new monologues exploring life during and after war, brought to life through three powerful short plays.

Then came the final instalment of our Banned Ukrainian Cinema series: Legend of Princess Olha (Yuri Ilienko, 1983), curated by Пилип Іллєнко. A bold, surreal reimagining of the legendary ruler and a memorable close to a very special series.

Next up, 𝖉𝖔𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 brought the heat with a live Afro-hop set, accompanied by documentary clips tracing the story behind his music. PLUS LeWolf dropped in for a surprise DJ set, keeping the room moving with Afro-house selections. 🔥

And finally, Johnny 🇺🇦 returned to bring the party home, spinning nostalgic vintage Ukrainian vinyl late into the night. 💿

Another Thursday, another unexpected combination.

And NEXT WEEK, we’re closing out the summer series with INSTITUT 018.

Resident artists Kryva Kosa Band are back with another dance workshop, Tara Moneka تارة مونيكا brings a set blending jazz, soul, maqam, and Afrobeat, and Juana Go-gó returns to the decks with Cumbia, salsa, and Latin selections on vinyl.

SEE YOU THERE.

August 27 @ 5PM — late
PWYC // RSVP to secure your spot
🔗 you know where

620 Spadina — around the back, through the lot, past the steel doors, down the stairs, through the wood laminate door.

📸 Cassandra Popescu Photography

Institut

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