Video / Film 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.

Agence TOPO

Montréal (Québec), Canada

Agence TOPO is a digital-arts artist-run centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada, focused on producing and disseminating hypermedia works that explore new narratives and interdisciplinary intersections. It supports creation, dissemination, and education activities in partnership with the art community, issuing calls for proposals for exhibitions, co-productions, and public participation projects open to emerging and established artists in visual and digital arts. While not a traditional residency with fixed stays, it facilitates artist involvement through programming and production spaces.

Alchemy Artists Residency

Waupoos Island, Ontario, Canada

Alchemy Artists Residency, founded in 2015, is an artist-led international program on Waupoos Island, Prince Edward County, Ontario, where food, art, garden, and table converge to foster site-inspired artmaking, collaboration, and community engagement. The Summer 2026 residency, held August 7–14 on a 15-acre island in Lake Ontario, emphasizes extended studio time, private reflection, shared meals, and exploration of process and materiality in artistic and culinary practices. It welcomes local and international artists interested in living and working within a temporary community.

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.

CASA

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

The Artist in Residence (AiR) program at Casa in Lethbridge, Alberta, offers a supportive and community-based atmosphere for artists from various disciplines and experience levels, including recent undergraduates. The program includes workshops, installations, open houses, and artist talks, fostering community engagement and new perspectives. Artists are provided with space free of charge and are encouraged to seek funding for travel, lodging, and per diems from granting agencies. Casa assists with public engagement opportunities and supports successful candidates in their grant applications. The application deadlines are January 15 and June 15 each year, with residencies scheduled between June and December or January and June of the following year. Casa is managed by the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge, a non-profit arts organization and registered charity.

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.

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.

Ross Creek Centre for the Arts

Canning, Canada

The Ross Creek Centre for the Arts offers self-directed and project-based artist residencies in a rural Nova Scotia retreat setting, providing time, space, studios, accommodations, and meals to professional artists across disciplines like visual arts, writing, theatre, dance, film, music, performance, photography, and fibre arts. Residencies last 2 weeks to 4 months (typically 4-12 weeks), with options for community engagement, teaching workshops, or large-scale projects, and applications accepted year-round. The program emphasizes inspiration from the changing landscape and supports both individual and collaborative artists.

The Herdsman House in Neubergthal

Canada

Name of Residency: The Herdsman House in NeubergthalWe accommodate year-round, self-directed, and self-funded individual residencies for up to 3 people, with the option to accommodate family, and negotiate financial limitations. The Herdsman House offers 2 bedrooms with writing desks, a bedstee, kitchen, living space, and 3 piece bathroom. Below the art studio of the residency owner, Margruite Krahn, there is a suite that includes a large bedroom, kitchenette, and private bathroom. Both spaces i

Woodhaven

Kelowna, Canada

The Woodhaven Artist in Residence Program, hosted by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan, is a unique opportunity for artists from various disciplines to immerse themselves in a serene natural setting. Situated within a nature conservancy in Kelowna, British Columbia, the program supports artists engaged in visual arts, digital arts, performance, social, and community-based artistic practices, with a special encouragement for BIPOC artists and those from marginalized groups. The residency offers accommodation in a two-bedroom home and full use of a studio at the Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre, promoting work that explores sustainable and just relationships with nature amidst climate change. Artists are expected to engage in community programming, contributing to the vibrant exchange between the artist, the university, and the broader Kelowna community. The program highlights UBC Okanagan’s commitment to ecological stewardship and creative exploration, providing a paid residency for artists to develop site-specific projects that engage with the local environment and communities. This residency is a testament to fostering artistic innovation and environmental consciousness, offering a contemplative experience for artists to create, reflect, and connect.

Yukon Arts Centre

Whitehorse, Canada

The Yukon Arts Centre offers multiple artist residency programs for visual arts, performing arts, film, music, and literary arts. Programs include the Jenni House Artist Residency (June-October , one-month residencies with $1,000 CAD honorarium), the Kluane National Park Artist Residency (two-week residencies June-August with $3,000 CAD honorarium and accommodations), and the @YAC Residency for performing arts. Residencies serve artists from the Yukon, northern regions, and circumpolar countries.