Interdisciplinary Residencies in Canada

A Position on Retreat

Lake Cowichan, Vancouver Island, Canada

A Position on Retreat, an artist residency situated in Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island, Canada, offers a serene environment for artists from diverse disciplines. Known as 'The Blue House,' this comfortably renovated home sits at the center of a picturesque tourist town, surrounded by Canada's breathtaking natural landscape. Within a five-minute walk, residents have access to grocery stores, charming coffee houses, restaurants, beautiful beaches, and scenic hiking trails. Enveloped by a temperate rainforest, ancient old-growth forests, the vast Pacific Ocean, and numerous lakes and waterfalls, the residency is a haven for creative inspiration and rejuvenation. A Position on Retreat strikes a perfect balance between community engagement and the tranquility of nature, providing artists with an ideal setting for both creativity and reflection. This artist residency on Vancouver Island is an exemplary retreat for artists who seek to immerse themselves in nature and focus on their creative pursuits. It's an environment where the natural beauty and calm of the surroundings contribute significantly to the artistic process, making it a sought-after destination for artists looking to enrich their practice.

Ada X

Montréal, Canada

Ada X is a bilingual feminist artist-run centre in Montreal offering eight-week production residencies for women, trans, non-binary, and queer artists working in media arts and digital culture. Residents receive a $2,995 fee, workspace access, equipment, mentorship, and opportunities to present their work publicly.

AGO X RBC Artists-in-Residence

Toronto, Canada

The AGO x RBC Artist-in-Residence Program supports early-career artists with three-month hybrid residencies at the Art Gallery of Ontario, offering mentorship and resources to develop projects engaging museum audiences.

Artscape Gibraltar Point

Toronto Island, Canada

Artscape Gibraltar Point, also known as Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts, is a beachfront artist residency on Toronto Islands offering short-term self-directed residencies for artists and writers in a distraction-free environment surrounded by parkland and Lake Ontario. It provides private accommodations, studios, shared kitchen, and amenities like WiFi and bike rentals, hosting thousands of local and international creatives since 1999 in a former school building. Residencies support research, deadlines, collaborations, and are open year-round with typical durations of 1 week to 1 month.

Avatar Audio and Electronic Art

Québec, Canada

Avatar is an artist-run centre in Québec City dedicated to research, creation, production, and dissemination of audio and electronic artworks. The organization offers multiple residency programs ranging from one to four weeks, designed to support emerging and established artists in developing innovative sound art projects with access to specialized studios, equipment, and technical expertise.

Ayatana Artists' Research

Ottawa, Canada

The Ayatana Artists' Research Program, now known as Biophilium, is a Canadian artist residency focused on encouraging artists' engagement with wildlife, ecology, nature, and life sciences through thematic research expeditions, seminars, and workshops. It previously offered weeklong in-person stays with excursions to natural habitats, labs, and observatories near Ottawa, including housing and meals, but has shifted to two-week online study seminars. Connections are maintained with Ottawa institutions like the National Gallery of Canada and local universities.

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.

Branscombe House Residency

Richmond, Canada

Branscombe House Artist Residency offers professional artists an 11-month live-in stay in a restored 1908 Edwardian house in Steveston, Richmond, BC. Rent is 100% subsidized for 22 hours/month of community-engaged programming. Open to all disciplines.

Caetani Cultural Centre

Vernon, Canada

The Caetani Cultural Centre, located in Vernon, British Columbia, offers international self-directed residencies for emerging and established artists, writers, curators, and cultural researchers. Situated within a historic 1895 heritage home, this residency provides private living spaces and two on-site studios designed for visual and interdisciplinary artists. Participants are encouraged to explore creative practices across a variety of mediums, including visual arts, writing, music, and digital media. Artists can book short-term residencies from three days to up to three months, with extended stays available upon negotiation. The residency fosters a quiet, independent atmosphere while offering optional opportunities for community engagement such as artist talks, open studios, or workshops. The nearby Vernon Community Arts Centre provides additional access to ceramics and printmaking facilities. Nestled in the Okanagan Valley, the Caetani Centre allows residents to immerse themselves in nature, history, and a vibrant local arts scene. Residents are responsible for travel and project costs, but the program provides affordable fees for both accommodations and studio spaces.

Drake Hotel

Toronto, Canada

The Drake Hotel in Toronto offers an Artist in Residency program that provides artists with accommodation to work in their chosen medium, often in public hotel spaces, fostering creativity and experimentation in a unique environment. The program has been a staple in Toronto's creative scene for years, hosting local, national, and international artists, and includes related offerings like the Artist Loft for touring performers. A sister program at Drake Devonshire in Prince Edward County features 2-3 night stays with food allowances during winter months.

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.

Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA)

St. Andrews, Canada

Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA), founded in 2016, is a prestigious artist residency program located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. Designed to support artists across various disciplines, KIRA provides six selected artists with a multi-week immersive experience, including individual studio space, private accommodation, and two meals per day. Participants are encouraged to engage with the local community through public teaching sessions and open studios, offering unique opportunities for cultural exchange. Situated on a historic seaside property, the residency provides access to the renowned Kingsbrae Garden and an amphitheater for public events. Artists bear costs for materials and travel, but enjoy full support through dedicated studio and living facilities. KIRA welcomes artists from all career stages who demonstrate a strong work ethic and collaborative spirit.

Kingsbrae International Residency

St. Andrews, Canada

Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts (KIRA), established in , is an artist residency program in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, that awards six artists multi-week residencies to foster creativity and promote excellence in the arts while benefiting the local community. Residents receive individual studio space, private housing on a historic seaside property, two daily meals prepared by an on-site chef, and a stipend, with requirements to engage the community through workshops, talks, or collaborations. The program supports diverse disciplines including visual arts, music/composition, writing, new media, and interdisciplinary arts, welcoming artists at all career levels with a collaborative attitude.

Klondike Institute of Art and Culture

Dawson, Canada

The Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Artist in Residence Program, founded in in partnership with Parks Canada, accommodates two artists at a time in historic Macaulay House in Dawson City for research, development, and production of new or ongoing work. It welcomes visual artists, media artists, interdisciplinary artists, and curators of all levels from Canada and internationally, providing free housing and studio space while requiring a public talk or open studio and possible community outreach. Participants cover their own travel, food, and materials, with no stipend or fees provided.

La Chambre Blanche

Québec, Canada

La Chambre Blanche is an artist-run centre in Québec City, Canada, founded in 1978, dedicated to promoting experimentation and dissemination in visual and digital arts, including performance, photography, installation, and new media practices. It offers research residencies and master's degree residencies to artists and curators, providing opportunities to explore artistic practice, production, and contemporary cultural issues in real and virtual spaces. The centre serves as a hub for artists, makers, and the community interested in visual arts and digital innovation.

Main & Station Nonesuch

Parrsboro, Canada

Main & Station Nonesuch is a privately funded artist residency program based in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, and Montreal, Canada that encourages artistic activity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community involvement. The program hosts 1-10 residents at a time (up to 6 in Parrsboro facilities) who are self-directed in their practice and expected to give artist talks, provide community arts programming, and participate in the life of the centre.

Malaspina Printmakers Society

VANCOUVER, B.C. V6H 3S3, Canada

The Printermedia Artist Residency Program by Malaspina Printmakers Society in Vancouver explores the intersection of print media with other art forms in a shared, self-directed studio environment at their Downtown (1265 Howe Street) and Granville Island (1555 Duranleau Street, V6H 3S3) locations. It offers six-month residencies with 24/7 access to printmaking facilities, darkroom, digital printing, and additional spaces like woodshop or metal shop, requiring a lifetime membership ($5) and monthly fees around $300 on a cost-recovery basis.

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.

THIRDSPACE Emerging Artist Intensive

Toronto, Canada

THIRDSPACE Emerging Artist Intensive is a month-long summer residency program at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada, designed for interdisciplinary emerging artists, including students, recent graduates, and early-career practitioners exploring new directions. Participants receive mentorship from a Toronto-based artist-in-residence, access to shared studios and specialized facilities, workshops, field trips, discussions, and culminate in a public exhibition at the OCAD U Graduate Gallery.

University of Victoria & Jeffrey Rubinoff Sculpture Park Artist Scholar Residency

Victoria, Canada

The University of Victoria & Jeffrey Rubinoff Sculpture Park Artist Scholar Residency is an annual program for artists and scholars to create work for exhibition or publication inspired by Jeffrey Rubinoff’s sculptures and the park experience, typically spanning 2-6 weeks in September-October at the Sculpture Park on Hornby Island, BC, plus one week at UVic in Victoria to engage with faculty and students.