The fueling of black holes occurring in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is fundamental to the evolution of galaxies. AGN themselves are largely explained in the context of a unified theory, by which a geometrically and optically thick torus of gas and dust obscures the AGN central engine. The exact properties of the torus remain uncertain, and there are still several open questions, such as what is the nature of the torus material, whether the torus properties change with the AGN luminosity/type and what is the role of nuclear (< 100 pc) starbursts in feeding and/or obscuring AGNs. In this talk we will present our program to conduct a mid-IR survey with the CanariCam instrument.

This program includes 200 hours of an ESO/GTC programme and 100 hours of guaranteed time. Observations at mid-IR wavelengths are essential to these investigations as the torus intercepts and reradiates a substantial amount of flux from the central engine, peaking in the mid-IR. Our sample is composed of 100 low-z AGN spanning a large range of AGN luminosities from low-luminosity AGN to quasars, and different types of activity. We will combine CanariCam and complementary observations with new models of the torus to provide the definitive characterization of the AGN torus and surrounding star formation activity based on 8-10m class telescopes.