Organizer Information
This opportunity is organized by the Dancemakers in collaboration with the Critical Distance Centre for Curators, a curatorial research and programming platform focused on expanding contemporary curatorial discourse across disciplines and formats.
Dancemakers is a contemporary dance organization based in Toronto dedicated to supporting experimental choreography, interdisciplinary performance practices, and artist-led curatorial development. Through residencies, public programming, and collaborative initiatives, the organization plays a key role in shaping Canada’s independent dance ecosystem.
Critical Distance Centre for Curators is an internationally oriented curatorial initiative that investigates curatorial practice as a critical, experimental, and socially engaged field. It frequently works across visual art, performance, and interdisciplinary formats, positioning curation as both a research practice and a public-facing methodology.
Together, these institutions present this symposium as part of the ongoing “Guest Curator Model,” an experimental framework exploring how curatorial authorship, values, and decision-making can be collectively reimagined in contemporary artistic contexts.
Title & Description
Curating With Values – Dancemakers Annual Curatorial Symposium Toronto 2026
“Curating With Values” is a multi-day Symposium and Curatorial program exploring how personal, ethical, and ideological frameworks influence curatorial decision-making across disciplines, with a specific focus on dance, performance, and interdisciplinary artistic practices.
Taking place over three days in Toronto and online, the program includes panels, workshops, reading groups, and informal gatherings designed to interrogate the role of values in shaping curatorial structures. Participants are invited to critically engage with questions such as: What does it mean to curate based on values? How do curatorial ethics manifest in programming, selection, and institutional frameworks?
The symposium also celebrates the fourth year of Dancemakers’ Guest Curator Model, highlighting evolving approaches to shared curatorial authorship and experimental programming structures.
Categories
- Performance
- Dance
- Curatorial
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Workshop
- Symposium
- Research
- Writing
- Public Presentation
- Networking
Eligibility
- Open to curators, artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners
- International participation available (hybrid format: in-person + online)
- Suitable for emerging and mid-career curators
- Open to interdisciplinary practitioners working across performance, dance, and contemporary art
- No strict academic requirement specified
- Accessibility for both independent practitioners and institutional collaborators
Program Benefits & Awards
- Participation in a multi-day international Curatorial Symposium
- Access to panels, workshops, reading groups, and curated discussions
- Direct engagement with established curators, artists, and cultural producers
- Networking opportunities within contemporary performance and curatorial ecosystems
- Free participation for selected sessions (including info session)
- Hybrid access (online participation available for selected components)
- Exposure to experimental curatorial methodologies and collaborative models
Application Fee
- No general application fee
- Some sessions may be free of charge (e.g., info session participation)
- No paid submission requirement stated
Application Requirements
- No formal application required for attendance
- Participants may join publicly listed sessions
- For virtual participation in specific sessions, email registration may be required:
- artistic@dancemakers.org
- Basic participant information may be requested for access to online participation
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Event Dates: July 2–4, 2026
- Opening Night Party: July 2, 7:00–10:00 PM (in-person only)
- Symposium Sessions: July 3–4, 2026
- Application Deadline: Not specified (open registration / rolling access)
- Notification Date: Not applicable
- Program Duration: 3 days
Location
- Toronto, Canada (in-person events at designated venues including Cinecycle)
- Online (hybrid participation available for selected sessions)
Additional Details
This symposium positions curatorial practice as a critical site of reflection, particularly within performance and dance contexts. It emphasizes the role of ethics, values, and ideological frameworks in shaping curatorial decision-making processes.
Programming includes:
- Thematic panel discussions on curatorial ethics and interdisciplinary approaches
- Workshops focused on conflict, decision-making, and curatorial challenges
- Reading circles exploring theoretical and practical dimensions of curation
- Networking and informal social programming (including opening night event)
The program is particularly relevant for practitioners interested in experimental curatorial structures, collaborative authorship models, and contemporary performance discourse.