Organizer Information
The Sensorium: Centre for Digital Art and Technology is an interdisciplinary research centre based at York University in Toronto, Canada. Sensorium supports collaborations between artists, researchers, technologists, and communities, with a particular focus on how emerging technologies influence culture, society, and everyday life. Through exhibitions, residencies, research initiatives, and public programming, Sensorium promotes critical engagement with digital technologies and innovative artistic practices.
This residency is offered in partnership with Connected Minds, a major Canadian research initiative exploring the relationship between neuroscience, intelligent technologies, and society. Connected Minds brings together scholars and practitioners from diverse disciplines—including engineering, law, education, health sciences, and the arts—to investigate how technological systems can contribute to a healthier and more equitable future. The Artist-in-Residence program forms a key part of this mission by integrating artistic research and public engagement into interdisciplinary research environments.
Title & Description
2026–27 Connected Minds Artist-in-Residence Call for Proposals
Sensorium and Connected Minds invite applications for a one-year Artist-in-Residence program based at York University in Toronto, Canada. The residency is designed for artist-researchers whose work critically examines the social, ethical, political, and cultural implications of emerging technologies.
The program supports research-driven creative practice that explores disruptive, intelligent, or rapidly evolving technologies and their effects on communities. Artists are encouraged to investigate how technological systems are designed, how they impact diverse populations, and how more socially responsible approaches to technological development might be imagined.
During the residency, the selected artist will work closely with researchers, students, and community partners across the Connected Minds network. Participants will contribute to workshops, public talks, studio visits, and collaborative learning activities while developing a substantial body of work for public exhibition at the end of the residency.
The residency also seeks to increase public awareness of innovative interdisciplinary research by translating academic knowledge into accessible artistic experiences. Through engagement with neuroscience, intelligent technologies, and social research, the selected resident will create opportunities for dialogue between researchers and broader audiences.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Digital Art
- New Media Art
- Media Arts
- Installation Art
- Interactive Art
- Technology-Based Art
- Performance Art
- Sound Art
- Video Art
- Photography
- Multimedia Art
- Research-Based Art
- Social Practice
- Interdisciplinary Art
- Experimental Art
- Artificial Intelligence and Creative Technologies
- Community-Engaged Art
Artists working in any medium are eligible to apply.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open internationally. Eligible applicants include:
- Individual artists
- Artist collectives
- Artist-researchers
- Interdisciplinary practitioners
- Technology-based artists
- Community-engaged artists
Applicants must:
- Demonstrate a strong track record in research-based creative practice
- Have experience presenting work publicly
- Have at least two years of experience mentoring, teaching, or supporting emerging artists
- Be able to participate regularly in residency activities at York University
The opportunity is open to applicants of all nationalities.
Priority consideration will be given to:
- Indigenous artists
- First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists
- African, Caribbean, and Black artists
- Racialized artists
- Artists with disabilities
- Women artists
- 2SLGBTQIA+ artists
- French linguistic minority communities
- Projects addressing experiences of underrepresented communities
The residency is not open to current York University or Queen’s University students or faculty members.
Applicants who are not eligible to work in Canada must hold an official affiliation, registration, or position with a recognized academic or educational institution in their country of residence or citizenship.
Program Benefits & Awards
The selected Artist-in-Residence will receive:
Residency Stipend
- CAD $60,000 stipend for the one-year residency
- Benefits package included
Research & Production Support
- CAD $8,500 Research, Materials, and Community Engagement Budget
- Shared research and studio space
- Technical and administrative support
Professional Development
- Collaboration with leading researchers across multiple disciplines
- Access to workshops, public programs, and research networks
- Opportunities to engage with students and emerging researchers
- Studio and laboratory visits, including a visit to Queen’s University
Exhibition & Public Visibility
- Curatorial support for the final exhibition
- Public exhibition of residency outcomes
- Professional photo and video documentation
- Increased visibility through Connected Minds and Sensorium networks
Academic Resources
- Access to York University Libraries
- Integration into a nationally significant interdisciplinary research initiative
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Letter of Interest (maximum one page)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Project Proposal (maximum 1,000 words)
- Portfolio containing three examples of recent research-creation work
- One Letter of Reference
- Budget outlining the use of the CAD $8,500 Research, Materials, and Community Engagement Fund
The reference letter should address both artistic excellence and the applicant’s ability to collaborate with students and researchers in a transdisciplinary environment.
How to Apply?
Applications and inquiries should be submitted by email to: helen2@yorku.ca
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 12 June 2026
- Residency Period: 2026–2027
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Additional Details
- Maintain a regular on-site presence at York University
- Collaborate actively with faculty, students, and research teams
- Deliver workshops, artist talks, and public engagement activities
- Participate in Connected Minds community events
- Incorporate dialogue across neuroscience, intelligent technologies, and society into their residency plan
- Develop a substantial body of work for public presentation and exhibition
- Meet milestones established in consultation with the Sensorium Residency Team
Applications will be assessed according to:
- Alignment with the Connected Minds mandate
- Artistic quality and originality
- Feasibility of the proposed project
- Potential for interdisciplinary collaboration
- Community engagement potential
- Critical engagement with emerging technologies and social issues
This residency is particularly suitable for artists interested in technology, artificial intelligence, ethics, neuroscience, social justice, community-engaged research, and interdisciplinary creative practice.