RESIDENCIES
PHI IMMERSIVE: XR for Impact x x
The Residency
Transforming Narratives through Activism, Contemporary Challenges, and Social Good
PHI Immersive is an intensive four-week residency program with PHI Studio in Montréal, Canada. Presented in partnership with Agog: The Immersive Media Institute, a grantmaking and capacity-building organization that inspires creators and changemakers to use XR for good, the residency program is designed to support creators by offering collaborative opportunities with PHI Studio experts and resources.
In these times of rapid change, immersive media stands out as a powerful discipline to inspire action and reimagine our collective future. This program is designed to support creators residing in North America whose practices imagine a more just future through new media, extended reality (XR) technologies, artificial intelligence, and immersive sound or audio. By focusing on art with a potential to drive responsible social transformation, PHI Immersive invites participants to enliven and enrich their practice, cultivate novel visions for living together and foster empathy, understanding, and activism. The program is open to artists whose projects address and engage audiences in contemporary challenges and urgent global issues. Through a focused residency structure, participants will have the time and resources to transform their ideas into a prototype ready for broader production.
Focusing specifically on the development phase of a project over the course of four weeks, the selected artist(s), group, or collective will collaborate with PHI Studio experts to conceptualize, plan, and prototype an immersive artwork. The program provides the selected project with personalized support, workspace, the possibility to connect with a community partner and targeted resources to refine the concept, create prototypes, and prepare for potential production.
Call for applications
The call for applications is now closed. Thank you to all the artists who submitted their projects.
PHI Immersive 2025-2026
Residency location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Residency period: March 2 to 27, 2026 (4 weeks)
Schedule Overview
Prior to the Residency:
Pre-Residency Meetings
Before the residency begins, the artist(s) will meet with the PHI team, the Agog team, and advisors to discuss their project, outline their goals, and make necessary preparations.
During the Residency:
Week 1 — Amplify and Shape
The artists immerse themselves in the world of PHI Studio, collaborating with the team to develop the concept, establish the production schedule, and define key project stages.Week 2 — Conceive and Iterate
With support from PHI Studio experts, the artists begin developing the work’s concept and explore potential designs and formats for the experience within the chosen presentation context.Week 3 — Prototype and Adjust
A five-day sprint, organized as a workshop, where the artists focus on developing and designing the user experience, refining technical operations, and defining key elements of the project.Week 4 — Optimize and Plan for Next Steps
A second five-day sprint to create and refine prototype iterations of the project. Following a meeting with the funding team, the artists draw a financial plan and target funding opportunities for the next phases.
After the Residency:
Post-Mortem Meeting
Following the residency, the artists participate in a discussion with the PHI team to evaluate the residency experience, reflect on key learnings, and explore areas for improvement.
What Artists Are Saying
1 / 4
“The PHI Immersive Residency was an incredible experience where I really got to think big. (…) It allowed me to scale up my thinking in a way I couldn’t do on my own. (…) You’re in conversation with creative directors, developers, scenographers—people who each bring a totally different way of thinking. (…) Those perspectives coming together made the experience incredibly rich.”
— Peter Burr, PHI Immersive 2024-25
“This residency was a fulfilling human experience, both for me as a person and for my project. Sharing such an intimate work could have been a challenge, but thanks to the personalities present at the PHI Centre and the inner process they allowed me to go through, the challenge turned into a real collective adventure.”
— Emeline Courcier, PHI Immersive 2024
“My favourite part [of the residency] is time; just having time with my project, going through the ideas, getting to know it on a deeper level, and understanding how I should communicate it to other people [...].”
— Ismaila Jallow, PHI Immersive 2023
“The people I met here, their competence in different fields, the exchange of knowledge, and being inspired by the way people at PHI talk about creative processes, as well as VR as a form of expression [were my favourite parts of the residency].”
— Filip Myrberg, PHI Immersive 2023
Program Details
Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants must be artists, groups, or collectives residing in North America (including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and Bermuda). We encourage applications from artists with diverse backgrounds, including those new to immersive media.
Propose an immersive project in the development phase, utilizing new media, extended reality (XR technologies), artificial intelligence, or immersive audio/sound that is focused on exploring new pathways toward empathy, understanding, and activism. The project should be aimed at creating tangible, lasting change, and wish to develop it within the residency.
Artist groups or collectives may submit a project application; however, a maximum of two members per group will be hosted in Montréal. The conditions for groups and collectives are the same as for individual artists.
Selected Artist(s), Group, or Collective Will Receive:
Project Development Support: Tailored support and mentorship from PHI Studio during the residency, including assistance with conceptualization, creation, scenography, production, technical development, and programming support, or other PHI Studio expertise outlined in the “Toolkit” section.
Artist Fee: A grant of $15,000 CAD to support the work carried out throughout the residency program.
Access to PHI Resources, Workspace, and Technical Support: Access to PHI’s materials, equipment, technical, and technological resources during the residency, subject to availability.
Production of Video Content by PHI: A video profile produced by PHI to promote the artist(s) and their project through PHI’s networks and partner platforms.
Networking Opportunities: Access to PHI’s and Agog’s networks of collaborators and experts, providing connections and opportunities beyond the residency.
The PHI Immersive residency, for artists residing outside of Montréal, covers:
Accommodation: Temporary housing in Montréal for the duration of the residency.
Travel: Round-trip travel expenses.
Local Transportation: A monthly public transit pass for the Montréal metropolitan area for the duration of the residency.
Toolkit
Stay in the know
To ensure you don't miss out on any information about PHI Immersive, subscribe to our dedicated newsletter!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
One project will be selected for the residency, led by an artist, group, or collective. A maximum of two members per project will be hosted in Montréal for the duration of the residency.
An external committee, composed of invited professionals with diverse expertise and perspectives, conducts the selection process
Originality and narrative depth (50%): The project’s potential to drive social transformation and its innovative use of immersive media.
Feasibility (30%): The project’s viability across conceptualization, prototyping, and production stages, including technical and budgetary considerations.
Portfolio (20%): The applicant’s history of executed works.
Eligible candidates must be permanent residents of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, or Bermuda.
Candidates residing in North America are eligible for the program. The selected artist, group, or collective must stay in Montréal for the residency’s six-week duration. A maximum of two members per project will be hosted in Montreal for the duration of the residency.
Yes. PHI covers travel and accommodation expenses. A local public transportation pass is also provided for the residency’s duration. However, artists from outside Canada are responsible for obtaining visas and other necessary travel documents. All travel arrangements must be approved by PHI prior to booking.
International artists and collectives are responsible for researching and obtaining the necessary travel documents, vaccination records, and/or working permits for their time in Montréal, depending on their status. PHI can provide letters of confirmation to aid in this process.
Yes. Groups and collectives are eligible. However, a maximum of two members per group will be hosted in Montréal for the duration of the residency.
Yes, external collaborations are allowed if they align with the residency’s goals. We encourage you to outline their roles in your proposal. Please note that PHI does not cover additional costs associated with external collaborators, such as their travel or accommodations.
PHI may choose to produce the project if it aligns with PHI’s global vision and strategy.
No. Artists retain intellectual property rights. However, PHI may request first option for co-production, distribution, or exhibition.
Yes. We encourage artists new to immersive media to apply. We are looking for artists with strong concepts or ideas who are looking to evolve their practice into an immersive environment. PHI aims to support projects with compelling narratives, potential for social impact, and innovative storytelling.
Yes. PHI provides access to select facilities during the residency, coordinated by the PHI Immersive project manager, based on each artist’s needs.
No. Projects are not required to have PHI’s spaces as their sole or final presentation venue.
Yes. It will be possible to borrow PHI’s equipment and request rentals of additional equipment during the residency, subject to availability.
PHI spaces are partially accessible for those with reduced mobility. Additional assistance can be arranged upon request.
No. There is no application fee.
No. Projects must be new or expand upon past work by integrating new elements to be developed during the residency.
We highly recommend focusing on a single project application to present your strongest work.
Yes. Selected artists will be asked to sign a Letter of Agreement with PHI.
Yes. All applicants will be notified once the selection process is complete.
Any other questions?
Contact us!
Partners
Founded and directed by Phoebe Greenberg in Montreal, PHI is a multidisciplinary arts hub dedicated to presenting the most relevant ideas of our time through art and culture. Focused on the art and audiences of tomorrow, PHI explores innovative concepts by emphasizing collective experiences, engagement, and audience participation.
PHI offers an eclectic program combining exhibitions, events, immersive experiences, an educational program, and artist residencies, fostering unique encounters between artists and the public. Committed to creation, presentation, and support of contemporary artistic practices, PHI has established itself as a must-visit cultural destination in the heart of Old Montreal.
Agog: The Immersive Media Institute is a philanthropic organization founded by Chip Giller and Wendy Schmidt that helps people use extended reality (XR) to create human connection, cultivate empathy, and inspire action toward a more just and sustainable future. Agog brings together nonprofit leaders, thinkers, and creators to harness the power of emerging media like virtual and augmented reality to develop new ways to communicate, learn, inspire, and collaborate. Agog’s initial areas of focus include social justice and equity; high-impact storytelling and world-building; policy and ethics; education and outreach; and research.
