How fieldhouse residences work

Prepare your application

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  Who can apply

  • Artists of any discipline, cultural practitioners, Indigenous knowledge holders, environmental sustainability groups, or a combination of these
  • Non-profit organizations, cooperatives, collectives, or cultural groups, that focus on community-engaged arts, cultural practice, environmental sustainability, or a combination of these

  Information icon Priority will be given to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists and cultural practitioners, as well as Indigenous-led arts and culture organizations and collectives.

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  Ineligible activities

  • Using the space for commercially oriented activities 
  • Using the space to run a business
  • Using the space for private lessons or programs.
    • For example, yoga classes, guitar lessons, and other programs
  • Posting for contests or competitions
  • Monuments, memorials, and permanently built structures are not allowed on the fieldhouse sites
  • Projects where the central focus is not community-engaged and does not fall within artistic, cultural, food, or environmental themes
  • Studio practices involving:
    • Fibreglass
    • Epoxy
    • Other toxic or hazardous materials
    • Welding
    • Woodworking
    • Spray painting
    • Silk screening
    • Fired ceramics 
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  Residency requirements

  • Have an active, weekly, year-round presence at the fieldhouse (required 350 hours of public engagement. The space cannot be used primarily for storage.
  • Regularly work in the fieldhouse, surrounding park areas, and community centres at least five times per week. 
  • Establish a strong and positive presence with a diversity of community members and user groups in the park community.
  • Develop initiatives that facilitate unique connections between people and their communities, culture, and ecosystem, where people are able to learn and express creativity in ways that build healthy communities.
  • Share experiences and learn with other people and organizations working in these areas and in the other fieldhouse residencies.
  • Raise or provide funds required to support community-engaged workshops and operations (examples: furniture, specialized equipment, internet, phone, workshop fees, materials, staff and volunteer support costs).
  • Engage in a regular reporting process with Park Board staff liaison.
  • Maintain a designated project blog or website and social media for the fieldhouse residency to document, communicate, and promote your project. Website can include videos, journals, photos, and writing.
  • Share joint copyright of project documentation with the City of Vancouver.
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  Vancouver Park Board responsibilities

  • Provide space for a 2-year term, with the option to reapply for a 3-year extension (maximum 5 years total). This applies to Granville Park fieldhouse only.
  • Complete basic renovations, maintenance, and cleaning before the residency.
  • Provide ongoing physical maintenance of the building (examples: repairing broken windows, fixing a leaking roof) and pay for utilities (heat and water).
  • Provide a staff liaison to connect resident groups with neighbouring parks, community centres, community kitchens, gardens, cultural organizations, the local food movement, and others to help facilitate collaborations and strengthen the residency in the community.
  • Assist with annual planning, review, and evaluation.
  • Promote projects and residency through the Vancouver Park Board, City of Vancouver, community networks, and social media. 
  • Share joint copyright of project documentation with the City of Vancouver.
  • Report to senior management and Vancouver Park Board commissioners about your program's highlights and outcomes.
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  Review fieldhouse profiles

  Information icon All applicants are encouraged to visit a current fieldhouse in the activation.

  Review the profiles of fieldhouses with residency opportunities:

  • Granville Park PDF file (256 KB)
  • Oak Park PDF file (492 KB)
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  Gather required materials

  Required materials

  1. Organizational profile (500 words maximum)

     • Describe the organization, group, staff, or individual leading the residency, including your mission and mandate (if applicable).
     • Explain your group structure and capacity to lead a fieldhouse residency.
     • Provide examples of past community work that support your proposal.

  2. Statement of vision and intent (500 words maximum)

     • Describe your proposal for a 2-year fieldhouse residency. How will you connect with the neighbourhood and engage Indigenous community members through place-based activities focused on 1 or more priority areas: arts and culture practices, environmental sustainability, or both?
     • How will your organization or group benefit from the residency?
     • How will your project be resourced over the 2 years? (for example: Has funding been secured? What partnerships or relationships do you hold? What community resources do you have access to?)

  3. Indigenous involvement (500 words maximum)

     • This project will take place on unceded First Nations territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. What is your relationship to the place your residency will be held?  How would the local Nations be acknowledged? Information icon If you are a member of a local Nation, you may choose to ignore this question and just indicate which local Nation you belong to.
     • How would you engage with the Indigenous community, including Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations? How will they benefit from your residency?
     • What level of involvement do Indigenous peoples hold within your organization or collective? Do Indigenous peoples hold leadership roles? Are they involved as collaborators or contractors? Are they the main participants in the proposed activities?

     • Letters of support

       • Two signed letters of support from people or organizations (for example, community members and Elders) who are not directly involved in the proposed activation
       • File format: pdf 

     • Current CV for up to 2 project leaders

       • Length: up to 2 pages for each person
       • CVs that exceed the page limit will not be presented in their entirety to the selection committee
       • File format: pdf

     • Support documentation

       • Provide up to 5 images and 2 audio or visual examples of your arts and culture or environmental sustainability projects that showcase working in community contexts.
       • Images
         • File format: jpg or png
         • File size: less than 10 MB
         • Resolution: 300 dpi or less
       • Video or audio
         • File format: mp3, mp4, or mov, or online platforms
         • File size: Less than 10 MB
         • The committee will review up to 5 minutes of the video or audio content that you submit.
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  How to apply

  The application takes about 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

  Make sure all required information is ready before starting. We recommend preparing your answers in a separate document for easy copy and paste.

  Information icon You can't save your progress as you complete the form.

  Application deadline: Monday, August 25, 2025, 5pm (PST)

  Apply now

  Accessibility support

  If this application process isn’t accessible to you, or you’re having trouble with the online form, email pbfieldhouses@vancouver.ca.