IArts Residency

Objectives of the iArts Residency
 

• To welcome artists and designers from India to the OCAD University community, 
• To support contemporary creative practices and practitioners as they explore new forms of creative expression or approach, 
• Engagement with OCAD U community to create dialogue among participants (resident, students, faculty, and staff) on contemporary art, design, and creative practice, 
• To deepen engagement with contemporary Indian art, design, and culture, in Toronto and a larger Canadian context, 
• To document innovative engagements, contemporary art practices and critical commentary, 
• To expand connections between OCAD University and the members of the South Asian diasporic communities by stimulating sustainable cultural exchange. 

iArts resident will:
 

• Produce artwork or develop a design project that will be exhibited at OCAD University, 
• Engage with students and faculty at OCAD U in undergraduate and graduate programs — for example - critiques, classroom visits, workshops, and talks, etc.
• Engage with the OCADU community, arts communities, and community organizations in Toronto through a public talk and formal and informal interactions, 
• Work with the faculty coordinator(s) to facilitate all aspects of the Residency: creative production, student engagement and community interaction, including a one-day orientation to OCAD U. 
•  The University’s studios, shops and technical facilities are designed to support creative practitioners working across a range of media and art and design disciplines. Information about OCAD U facilities, programs and vision can be found on the  OCAD U website. 

Support for the iArts Residency

In addition to round-trip airfare from India to Toronto, studio space and paid private accommodations in an OCAD U apartment, the University will provide assistance with the Travel Visa Application process (see link: http://www.immigrationcanadaservices.com/visit-canada-on-a-visitors-visa/). The chosen applicant will also receive the following remuneration and support:

• Have access to a studio, shop facilities and technical support for the duration of the residency, 
• Be housed in private accommodations provided by OCAD U,
• $5000 CDN Fee, 
• $60 CDN per diem for the duration of the six-week workshop (total of $1800 CDN), 
• $1000 CDN toward the cost of materials, 
• Round-trip economy class airfare provided by OCAD University, 
• Visa Application process and fee. 

To apply to the iArts Residency Program
 

Eligible Applicants should submit the following documents by email in a single PDF document (maximum file size 4 MB) to Samantha Shute, Program Assistant, Faculty of Design –  iarts@ocadu.ca 

Letter of Interest / Project Plan (500 words maximum) responding to:

• How the iArts Residency will focus and support the applicant’s work and professional aspirations, 
• How they envision engaging with the OCAD U community and learning environment through involvement with students, faculty, and staff, 
• How they might hope to participate in opportunities to engage with local communities and community organizations, 
• What OCAD U shop facilities and/or studios are they interested in accessing. 

 And describing the following:

• Background or experience as a creative practitioner 
• Intended project, including special material handling requirements, equipment and space needs, 
• Plan for engaging with students and faculty at OCAD University, 
• Significance of OCAD U, Toronto, and/or Canada to the proposed project. 

Resumé outlining creative practice and teaching or mentoring experiences. 

Selected Images or examples of recent projects: a maximum of 10 images format sized to between 1500-2000 pixels on the long dimension. 

Designers and artists working in installation or performance may submit up to a maximum of 5 minutes of video in lieu of images, providing a link to the video files and, if required, a password or other instructions required to access the file. 

Eligibility Criteria: The successful applicant must be a resident of India. Priority will be given to applicants who are beginning to expand their global reach and creative interests, who have experience instructing or mentoring other practitioners, and who are comfortable working in a teaching and learning environment. 

Please note: Applicants must be available for the entire six-week period and have facility with the English language. 

The artist will be selected by a jury comprised of OCAD U faculty and students dedicated to the iArts Residency program.  

The jury will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

• Response to objectives of the iArts Residency program, 
• Innovation, 
• Feasibility of proposal with reference to timelines and OCAD University resources and facilities. 

Timing of Residencies—Please note: Applicants are encouraged to consider how their proposed residency might fit with OCAD U’s overall schedule. 

OCAD U school year is divided across four terms: 

Fall: Sept-Dec, Winter: Jan-Apr, Spring: May-June, Summer: June-Aug. 

The majority of courses are offered in the Fall and Winter terms; therefore, May-June and September-October provide the greatest opportunities for the artist in residence and OCAD U communityengagement. As there are majority of students and faculty on campus during Fall term, the Resident will have opportunities to work closely with OCAD U undergrad students' community with the support of faculty members and create opportunities for students to apply this knowledge exchange in their practice and class projects.Artist will also get an opportunity to have research collaboration/creation potential with the faculty members in different creative disciplines. 

Application Deadline – TBD

Address all inquiries to: 
iarts@ocadu.ca
Faculty of Design, OCAD University, 
100 McCaul Street, 
Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W1 
Canada