How the Artists in Communities residencies work

The Artists in Communities Program is a collaboration between artists, community centre associations, and the Vancouver Park Board.

Each year, several community centres profile local issues and interests, and host selected artists to carry out projects in work-only residencies that respond to these profiles.

Enter your project as an individual artist or artist team to one or more community centres.

Community centre associations and Park Board staff, with the support of artists experienced in community-engagement, select artists for the residencies. An artist or artist team can only be awarded one residency per year, and no more than two residencies in a four year period.

If your project is awarded a residency, you will devote around 300 hours to research and develop your project, complete it with community members, and publish a blog and final report. Along the way, you will work with Park Board community arts programmers, community centre staff, the public, and local partners.

Eligibility

Open to artists and artist teams working in any discipline and living in Metro Vancouver

Budget

Artist fee: $10,000

Materials: $2,000

Timeline for 2016/2017 residencies

The next call for applications will be in January 2017.

Prepare the required materials

1. A current CV
   • Length: up to 2 pages for individual artists, up to 1 page per artist for artist teams
   • File format: PDF or Word
2. A project description outline
   • Length: up to 1 page per community centre you apply to
   • File format: PDF or Word
   • Describe your project and how it addresses the community centre profile, supports the principles of community cultural development, and engages the local community
3. Examples of your works (within the last 5 years)
   • Number: Up to 10 items (photos, video, audio)
   • Images:
     • File format: JPG or TIFF
     • File size: less than 3 MB
     • Resolution: less than 300 dpi
     • Dimensions: less than 5 inches wide
   • Video:
     • File format: QuickTime or Windows Media Player
     • Length: less than 3 minutes
   • Audio:
     • File format: MP3
     • Length: less than 3 minutes
4. A documentation list of your works and their viewing order
   • File format: PDF or DOC
   • Include your name and for each work, its title, media, dimensions (if applicable), location, and date.

1. Shortlist

The jury of arts professionals and community centre representatives reviews each project with advice from Park Board staff.

Next, the jury shortlists artists who:

• Meet the program criteria:
  • Artistic merit and experience in relevant disciplines
  • Experience, inventiveness, and attitude about working collaboratively with community members
  • Knowledge and skills required to facilitate, coordinate, and administrate the project
  • Interest in the issues outlined in the community centre profile
• Submit projects that directly relate to the issues and interests outlined in the profiles of participating community centres

2. Interviews

Community association representatives and community centre staff interview each shortlisted artist or team.

3. Final selection

Community association representatives and community centre staff award the residency to an artist or team based on how their project will:

• Complement the community centre profile
• Demonstrate new and creative ways to approach community engagement as they relate to the community centre profile