Creative Writing Residencies in Canada

BANFF

Banff, Alberta, Canada

The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, located in the Canadian Rockies, is a renowned post-secondary institution offering programs in artistic disciplines, leadership, and mountain culture. It began in 1933 with a single drama course and has since grown into a global hub for arts and creativity. The Centre provides various programs, including Indigenous Leadership, thematic and self-directed residencies, and practicum programs for hands-on training. Key residencies cover diverse fields like Indigenous World Dance, Chamber Music and Opera, Indigenous Arts, Literary Journalism, and Visual Arts. The Centre is supported by the Government of Alberta, the Government of Canada, and private donors, functioning under Alberta's Post-Secondary Learning Act as a registered charity. Its mission is to advance creative potential, bringing together artists, leaders, and communities for collaborative and inspirational endeavors. The vision of the Centre is to be a catalyst for creativity and thought, fostering the realization of potential in a supportive environment. Situated on Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain, the Centre offers a unique setting that inspires participants to connect with their surroundings and each other.

Fogo Island Arts

Fogo Island, Canada

Fogo Island Arts is an international residency program founded in 2008 that invites professional contemporary artists, curators, writers, filmmakers, musicians, designers, and thinkers to live and work on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada, fostering creation, research, and connections around themes of sustainability, ecology, economy, and belonging. Residents stay in saltbox houses within local communities, with access to individual studios in scenic locations, and are expected to engage publicly through presentations or workshops. The program, part of the Shorefast Foundation, supports a range of disciplines and has specific opportunities like the fully funded 6-8 week Newfoundland and Labrador Artist Residency.

Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts

Toronto, Canada

Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts offers fully subsidized month-long residencies for professional artists on Toronto Islands, providing uninterrupted time to think, create, and experiment. The center hosts various residency types including self-directed programs, thematic residencies, and specialized programs like graduate research-creation residencies, accommodating up to 19 residents at a time.

Hidden Creek Arts Centre

Nelson, Canada

The Hidden Creek Arts Centre, also known as The Narrows Artist Residency, offers retreat-style residencies at a sustainable eco-centre near Grohman Creek, a short boat ride from Nelson, BC, primarily for local artists in visual arts, creative writing, and music composition, though open to all career stages. Residencies typically last one week, providing shared housing, food allowances in some cases, boat transport, and access to a dedicated straw bale studio, with past recipients spanning visual arts, literary arts, performing arts, and theatre. The program emphasizes solitude and artistic development in a natural setting.

The International Writers' and Artists' Residency is a non-profit organization in Val-David, Quebec that offers residencies of one to six weeks to writers, poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and visual artists. The residency provides a creative community with communal spaces and hosts biannual international festivals in May and October to facilitate global artistic collaboration and exchange.

The Ou Gallery

Vancouver Island, Canada

The Ou Gallery is a gorgeous and intimate place to nurture your creative rest and renewal. Artists and writers have 24-hour access to their own designated studio in a 100 year-old boat-building workshop and a thoughtfully appointed private bedroom in a shared suite with a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Our Great Room, with its modern fireplace, original fir floors, 12’ ceilings and huge windows overlooking a creek fed by Mount Swuq'us (and frequented by herons and owls) is a perfect spot to unwind and connect with other creatives after a full day in the studio. Located in the Quw'ustun Valley, in the heart of Vancouver Island, a stunning, nature-filled place. Come here to decompress, gather new inspiration alongside like-minded artists and devote space and time to your work. There is no fee to apply. Residencies are two or four weeks long. See website for details: www.theougallery.com.

The Sointula Art Shed Residency

Sointula, Canada

The Sointula Art Shed is a small artist-run residency program established in in Sointula, British Columbia, Canada, offering a self-contained cottage and adjacent shed studio with a window gallery in a remote fishing village founded by Finnish socialist utopians. It welcomes writers, musicians, visual, and performing artists seeking quiet, nature access, and community engagement through workshops, open studios, and exhibitions. Residencies typically last 1-2 months at a cost of around $700-850 CAD, with no stipends provided but support for grants and local outreach opportunities.