How the Artists in Communities residencies work

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  Community Cultural Development (CCD) goals

  • Support artists working in community contexts
  • Provide a framework for creative collaboration between artist and communities
  • Encourage and support artistic projects which leave a physical or social legacy in the community
  • Make our communities more vibrant
  • Inspire participation and relationship-building
  • Engage communities and people – even those who don't see themselves as artists – as creators, producers, performers, and active audiences

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  Eligibility and budget

  Eligibility

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

  Information icon Our funding no longer supports murals, tile mosaics, or banners as there are alternative funding avenues for these.

  Budget

  • Artist fee: $26,000
  • Materials: $5,000

Prepare your application

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  Review community centre profiles

  When you apply for a residency, address the community centre's goals, interests, issues, and neighbourhood context using the community centre profile.

  View the profiles of community centres with residency opportunities:

  • Dunbar PDF file (213 KB)
  • Mount Pleasant PDF file (368 KB)
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  Gather required materials

  1. Equity and Reconciliation:
     1. Length: 250 words maximum per question
     2. File format: PDF or Word
  2. Detailed project description:
     • Length: up to 1 page per community centre you apply to
     • File format: PDF or Word
     • Describe your project in relation to the community centre profiles' interests and issues. If applying to multiple centres, provide a single project description that contains information on how the project would change according to the profile of each centre you're applying for.
     • Describe how this project is based on principles of community cultural development (CCD) and how it will engage this particular community. Give specific examples of how these principles will be realized in your proposed project. (See Community Cultural Development goals.) 
  3. 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
  4. Supporting documentation 
     • Include examples of your current art form in either of the following media:  photos, video, or audio
     • Documentation of successful works created in a community context is highly recommended
     • Number: Up to 10 items and 3 audio or visual files. Excess items will not be presented to the jury.
       • Images:
         • File format: JPG or TIFF
         • File size: less than 3 MB
         • Resolution: less than 300 dpi
       • Video:
         • File format: QuickTime, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, or Flash Player
         • Duration: all samples combined must not exceed a maximum of ten minutes. Any media that surpasses the cumulative ten minute mark will not be viewed.
       • Audio:
         • File format: MP3, AIFF files, or online platforms (example: SoundCloud)
         • Duration: all samples combined must not exceed a maximum of ten minutes. Any media that surpasses the cumulative ten minute mark will not be viewed.
  5. 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, format (example: QuickTime, MP3, or full online address), dimensions (if applicable), location, and date
     • Mac users must include “.jpg” at the end of each image file

Selection process

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  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.
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  Interviews

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

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  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

Program in-depth

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  Ways artists engage the community

  To generate interest, feedback, and participation from members of the community in the creative process, artists can:

  • Work with their community centre programmer to attract user groups
  • Present their project at special events hosted at the community centre or connect to existing programming, cultural celebrations, or events already happening around the community
  • Develop promotional materials that describe their project and workshop, or include their workshop details and description in the community centre’s brochure
  • Use and regularly update a bulletin board at the community centre
  • Develop a blog dedicated to the project (see blog examples of past residencies)
  • Set-up a studio space in the community centre lobby
  • Connect with local schools, libraries, and other community organizations to increase involvement
  • Invite the community to celebrate their accomplishments
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  Roles of the artist, community arts programmer, and community centre

  The Vancouver Park Board community arts programmer's role

  1. Post the artist call, develop the jury process, and ensure completion of the residency contract
  2. Consult with centre programmer and artists to develop their community cultural development plan
  3. Provide support throughout the residency
  4. Problem-solve and liaise with other Park Board staff and artists as needed
  5. Provide partial funding for each residency
  6. Post a short description of each project and link to the project blog on this website
  7. Share joint copyright of the project with the Vancouver Park Board, City of Vancouver, and community centre association

  The community centre association's role

  1. Participate in the artist selection process
  2. Provide a lead staff person as primary support for the artist, ensuring that all staff and board members are updated and aware of the project
  3. Book spaces and related permits as needed by artist (like dance studios, multipurpose rooms, community centre lobbies)
  4. Consult with the community centre programmer and artists to develop their community cultural development plan
  5. Assist with promotion, including posters, social media, bulletin boards, and more
  6. Create opportunities for community networking and access through schools and user groups
  7. Provide materials and equipment when available, including photocopies, Wi-Fi, and more
  8. Provide partial funding for residency
  9. Manage the financial administration of the residency

  The artist's role

  1. Establish a presence at the community centre and in the community for 300 hours
  2. Develop a program framework based on a community consultation process
  3. Provide regular updates on the project process to the community centre programmer
  4. Consult with the community centre programmer and community arts programmer to develop their community cultural development plan
  5. Develop a project that can be completed using the agreed-upon artist’s fee and materials budget
  6. Work with Park Board staff to plan for permanent installation of their artwork and provides a maintenance plan for the installation
  7. Develop and maintain a project blog as ethical documentation
  8. Complete the project and provide a final report within one year