OCAD University, Canada’s oldest and largest specialized University of Art and Design invites proposals for its biennale iArts Residency program.
The six-week iArts Residency (April 30 - June 11, 2027) provides artists and designers from India an opportunity to explore innovative forms of creative practice. With access to the University’s full range of facilities, shops, and studios, the selected applicant will be given the chance to work with materials, methods, or media that expand their practice. Situated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s largest urban centre and hub for multicultural relations, OCAD U provides a vital platform for engagements with local communities and community organizations.
The selected applicant will have opportunities to share their work and ideas with a diverse group of students and faculty, as well as with the larger arts community and general public. For more information about OCAD U facilities, programs, and vision, see the OCAD U website and its Academic Plan.
The vision for the iArts Residency program
The iArts Residency program envisions unique opportunities for cultural exchange that bring the richness of Indian visual and material arts to OCAD University. While in Toronto, the artist/designer will live in an OCAD U apartment and have the opportunity to produce work in an OCAD University studio, to interact with students and faculty and to build relationships by connecting with South Asian and broader Canadian communities. Through interactions with the iArts resident and an OCAD U faculty coordinator, students will gain from their increased awareness of contemporary Indian art and culture.
The iArts Residency will provide a vehicle for exploring common ground, sharing old and new traditions, exploring contemporary creative processes, and building new ideas through collaborative experiences. The unique location of OCAD U, and the opportunities to collaborate with local community organizations, together position the iArts Residency as a meaningful cultural exchange, which will be documented and publicized in Canada and internationally. Inspired by the legacy of Arti Chandaria and through the stewardship of the Chandaria Family, the iArts Residency at OCAD U runs in parallel with the iArts Textiles of India Grant at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Both programs are designed to deepen connections between creative communities in India and Canada.
Objectives of the iArts Residency are:
To welcome artists and designers from India to the OCAD U community,
To support contemporary creative practices and practitioners as they explore new forms of creative expression or approach,
To create dialogue among participants (resident, students, faculty and staff) on contemporary art, design and creative practices,
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 U and the members of the South Asian diasporic communities by stimulating sustainable cultural exchange.
iArts residents will:
Have access to a studio, shop facilities and technical support for the duration of the residency
Be housed in a private accommodation provided by OCAD U
Produce artwork or develop a design project that will be exhibited at OCAD University
Connect with students and faculty through opportunities for conversation, classroom visits, workshops, critiques, and/or talks,
Engage with arts communities and community organizations in Toronto through a public talk and formal and informal interactions
Work with faculty coordinators 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 a paid private accommodation in an OCAD U apartment, the chosen applicant will also receive the following remuneration:
$5,000 CDN Artist Fee
$60 CDN per diem for the duration of the six-week residency (total of $2,520)
$1,000 CDN toward the cost of materials
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 Madge Yao, Coordinator, Special Projects, Faculty of Art Office: 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,
What they plan to contribute to the OCAD U 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.
The artists’ 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.
2. A proposed six-week working plan outlining how you envision using the residency period, including time for artistic practice, engagement with students and faculty, and other proposed activities.
3. Resumé outlining creative practice and teaching or mentoring experiences.
4. Selected images or examples of recent projects: a maximum of 10 images format sized to between 1500-2000 pixels on the long dimension.
(Special note: designers and artists working in installation or performance may submit up to a maximum of five 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 practices, who have experience teaching 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. English will be the primary language of communication and teaching during the residency; applicants should be comfortable participating in English-language teaching and learning activities.
Visa Requirements
Applicants are responsible for determining and completing all visa or immigration requirements necessary to participate in the residency, including submitting their application and providing all required documentation. The visa application fee will be reimbursed by OCAD U following a successful visa application.
Applicants should ensure that they have sufficient time to complete the visa process before the residency begins.
Selection Process
The artist will be selected by a jury comprised of OCAD U faculty and staff dedicated to the iArts Residency Program. Applications will be evaluated based on:
Alignment with the objectives of the iArts Residency Program, including opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange and engagement with the OCAD U community.
Strength and originality of the artist’s practice and proposal.
Potential for engagement and knowledge sharing with students, faculty, and the broader OCAD U community.
Feasibility of the proposed activities within the six-week residency and available OCAD U resources and facilities.
Timing of Residency: April 30 - June 11, 2027
Application Deadline: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
The successful applicant will be informed by Oct. 30, 2026
Address all inquiries to: iarts@ocadu.ca
Through the generous support of the Chandaria Family and the Chandaria Charity Trust Reg, and inspired by the work of the late Arti Chandaria, the iArts Residency Program is a unique cultural exchange opportunity that brings the richness of Indian visual and material arts to OCAD University.