Indigenous Artist Residency | Galerie de l’Université de Montréal

The Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Galerie de l’Université de Montréal, the Centre étudiant des Premiers Peuples (CEPP) and the Laurentides Biology Station (SBL) are joining forces to offer a unique research and creation residency to an Indigenous artist.

Since 2018, the Galerie de l’Université de Montréal (“the Galerie”) has been invested in initiatives such as artist residencies at UdeM’s scientific facilities.

Located on 16.4 km2 of protected land in Saint-Hippolyte in the Lower Laurentians, the SBL has hosted scientists of various disciplines engaged in empirical research for over 50 years. This location in the heart of nature provides the ideal space for the unlikely meeting between art and science.

Who is eligible to apply?

This program is intended for professional First Nations, Métis, or Inuit artists working in visual arts, digital arts and non-disciplinary artistic practices.

What are the program’s objectives?  

The Conseil des arts de Montréal identified Indigenous artists among the priority group that should benefit from specific measures in view of their substantial contribution to the cultural and artistic vitality of Montréal. The Conseil recognizes Indigenous knowledge and practices and strives to respect the principles of self-determination in developing programs for Indigenous artists and arts organizations through its Indigenous Arts Committee.   

In light of this, the objectives of this initiative are to: 

• help increase the representation of Indigenous artists in the arts and culture sector
• provide greater visibility to Indigenous arts in the arts and culture sector, and thereby support their advancement
• foster a fruitful, two-way artistic exchange and intersectional dialogue
• provide an Indigenous perspective in arts and culture
• strengthen the professional Indigenous arts network.

What assistance is provided?  

The selected artist will receive: 

• a residency honorarium of $10,000 covering production and accommodation costs during the residency at the Galerie, and travel costs
• a $1,500 fee for the cultural mediation process with the CEEP, paid by the Galerie for one day of preparation and three half-days of participation in mediation activities.

How long does the support last?

This is a one-time, non-recurring grant. 

What do the partners contribute?

• 12 days of residence at the SBL during the 2024 season (between May 1 and November 1), including meals and accommodation.
• 20 days of residency at the Galerie and in the UdeM’s art collection during summer 2024 (between mid-June and early August). A technical assistant hired by the Galerie may provide support to the artist during this part of the residency.
• Participation in cultural mediation activities. These will be designed collaboratively by the artist and the CEPP. These activities will be offered first to UdeM’s Indigenous student community and will be open more broadly to the student community as a whole to foster exchanges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
• A public presentation of the work during the Galerie’s 2024–2025 program. The form is to be determined with the artist. The associated budget will be in addition to the support offered, described above.
• Support from the Galerie’s, and, as needed, the CEPP’s teams during the residency and the cultural mediation process.

What are the general eligibility criteria? 

Be an Indigenous artist, in other words, a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit artist who:

• works in the field of visual and media arts, or whose work falls within non-disciplinary artistic practices
• is recognized by their peers or community as an artist who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to their arts practice and art form, whether traditional or contemporary (see definition in the glossary)
• is a professional artist
• has Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status

What are the special eligibility criteria?

• Be able to travel to Montréal or to the Saint-Jérôme Exo station
• Be available for residency stays at the SBL and the Galerie, and for participation in the design and carrying out of cultural mediation activities.

When must the project be carried out?

• Spring to fall 2024: research-creation residency at the SBL
• Summer 2024: residency at the Galerie and preparation of cultural mediation activities
• Fall 2024: carrying out of cultural mediation activities

Aside from the deadline for submission of applications, the working schedule is subject to change. 

How many applications will be accepted?

Only one application will be accepted.

Who is ineligible to apply?

Applicants

• Individual artists and artists’ collectives and non-profit organizations that do not meet the general and specific eligibility requirements
• For-profit or not-for-profit artist collective corporations or partnerships
• Artists’ agents
• Instructional, educational, or professional organizations
• Public or para-public organizations representing governments or municipal corporations
• Organizations registered as general partnerships

Projects  

• Residency projects completed before the evaluation committee’s decision has been received.

Activity sectors

• Organizations working exclusively in variety arts or comedy
• Applicants working exclusively in cultural mediation

Applications

• Incomplete applications
• Applications received after the deadline

The evaluation committee will automatically reject ineligible applications.

Can specific populations receive additional financial support to submit their application or complete their project (accessibility costs)?

Yes. Accessibility costs refer to costs that certain individuals, particularly those who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability, must pay to take advantage, in the same way as others do, of the services and programs offered by an institution for research, to create, produce or disseminate their art. Reimbursement of part of these costs by the Conseil des arts de Montréal may offset the financial disadvantage.

The Support Fund for Accessibility Costs is a financial assistance measure that complements the Conseil’s other programs. The deadline to apply for support for accessibility costs is the same as that for the program being applied to.

Artists, collectives or organizations that have obtained financial assistance from the Conseil to carry out a project can also file an application for accessibility cost support up to three months after the decisions related to the successful project have been sent out, provided the project is not completed before the deadline to send out decisions for accessibility cost support applications.

Support is divided into three components:

• component 1 – Financial support to submit a grant application or to apply for one of the Conseil’s initiatives
• component 2 – Financial support for accessibility costs for a project funded by the Conseil
• component 3 – Financial support for presenter organizations for accessibility costs to welcome audiences for a project funded by the Conseil

For more details, please see this additional information on the Support Fund.

Who should submit the application?

The Indigenous artist carrying out the project.

Can I submit an application in English?

Yes, the application can be submitted in English.

What information and documents must I include in my application?

The application file must contain the following:

• a research intention for the residency (1–2 pages)
• an artist statement (1–2 pages)
• a curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages)
• a selection of 10 images or links to videos (current or past work)
• image files must be sent by WeTransfer.

How are applications evaluated?

The files will be reviewed by a committee of peers from the partner organizations. The selection will take the comparative value of the application files into account. 

What are the evaluation criteria?

Artistic quality 70% 

• Relevance of artistic process and practices 
• Uniqueness and authenticity of the process associated with this specific residence 
• Quality of previous work and application as a whole  

Project feasibility  30% 

• Artist’s ability to complete their residency project 
• Presentation of the key steps involved and realistic budget estimates

What is the response time? 

It will take four (4) to five (5) weeks from the date of the application for the evaluation committee to process it and reach a decision. 

How will the grant be paid? 

The grant amount will be sent in one payment (100%) after the decision letter has been sent. 

What are my obligations?

Applicants who accept payment thereby agree to fulfill the activities the grant is intended to cover and comply with all associated terms and conditions, which will be communicated upon acceptance of the application.

The selected artist undertakes to:

• carry out their residency project as planned
• notify the Conseil as soon as possible if unable to carry out the project in the fiscal year for which the grant was awarded. In such cases, the grant recipient may be obliged to reimburse some or all of the amount awarded
• file a report, no later than one month after the end of the project, indicating whether the objectives were achieved and how the budget was used
• provide, before the end of the project, at least one relevant, royalty-free visual element related to the completed project that the Conseil des arts de Montréal or Space for Life can use for promotional purposes.