Jorn Weisbrodt looks back on his legacy at the Luminato Festival

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After five years as artistic director, Jorn Weisbrodt is leaving the Luminato Festival. We spoke to the Hamburg-born arts administrator about his legacy, his greatest moments and his message to Toronto.

When you took over as Luminato's artistic director five years ago, what was wrong with the festival? What did you aim to fix?

Luminato was a bit all over the place. It lacked clarity. This idea of adventurous art in adventurous places is something that Luminato has always had, but it was part of its mix. I think that statement captures what Luminato has done the best over its existence. Adventurous art in adventurous places is something that makes it unique. It speaks to sending audiences on a physical journey – discovering new spaces and seeing the city in a different light. But also a mental journey, through the kind of work we do.

Which brings us to the Hearn Generating Station, the hub of this year's Luminato. Will the Hearn [a decommissioned 1950s power station] be your legacy, something that will exist outside of the festival for years to come?

Time will have to tell. The reason why we invited all these other cultural institutions and artistic groups into the space was to open the doors for them and to bring more people into the mix. The word is definitely out.

You've come under criticism for a lack of Canadian commissions. Can you respond to that?

Really? Oh, okay … okay. Who was that?

Well, I'm looking right now at an article written by The Globe and Mail's theatre critic, J. Kelly Nestruck.

Well, I think it's always a question of where you look. I've done a huge amount of work with Canadian artists, from [turntablist] Kid Koala to [Vancouver artist] Geoffrey Farmer to [composer] R. Murray Schafer. The Apocalypsis [Schafer's epic work of musical theatre] was last year. How much more Canadian and bigger can it really go? It wasn't maybe in the area where J. Kelly Nestruck would have wanted me to work with Canadian artists. You need to really look closely. I don't think I've done less Canadian work than my predecessor, for example.

Toronto is not the kind of place that draws international artists to come here and create, like Berlin or Montreal or New York. Speaking as someone who has a lot of experience internationally, are there things Toronto can do to stimulate that kind of scene here?

Yes, absolutely. When I came here someone said to me that Toronto is already world-class, the world just doesn't know it yet. And when I heard that, I thought it sounded really bizarre. I don't think that is actually possible. If you are world-class, it means that the world talks about you. Certain criteria go with that. Toronto may be on the cusp of breaking through to be a world-class city, but it's something the people of Toronto and the politicians need to want. They need to take steps to make that happen.

Can you expand on that?

Well, Berlin became this haven for artists not just because it was Berlin, but because the government was very smart after the Wall came down. They let people take over empty spaces in East Berlin. They deregulated a lot. They let nightclubs take over these amazing spaces. I don't think Toronto necessarily understands the mechanisms so well.

Should we see the Hearn as a step in the right direction?

People think I'm stricken with gigantism or something like that, but the Hearn Generating Station is a huge gift to the city, because of the possibilities that the space has and what it could be. It could be unique in the world. Toronto does too much 10 years too late, and things that other cities have been doing. These comparisons that people make, that Toronto is the Little Apple or that the University of Toronto is the Harvard of the North. Stop comparing yourself to others. That's what people in puberty do. Grow up – be your own person and seize the opportunities where you can actually be [what you're comparing yourself to]. Artists will always gravitate to somewhere where there is originality, where there is courage and where there is the possibility of greatness.

Looking back on your five years at Luminato, what performances stand out?

I think my greatest hits would include the project I did with [chef] Fred Morin and Kid Koala in a basement in Vaughan. It was called Lost Train, and it was a journey through food and music. One of the greatest two nights would be the Joni Mitchell tribute concerts, which brought Joni back to the stage for the first time in 12 years. Those two nights at Massey Hall, when she came on stage and the crowd erupted into a frenzy of joy and happiness. And seeing her, completely overwhelmed. She had said to me, "I don't think people really care about me any more." I told her, "Just wait."

Luminato takes place June 10 to 26 at Hearn Generating Station, 440 Unwin Ave., in Toronto's Port Lands (luminatofestival.com).