Photo: Curtis Perry
RESIDENCIES
PHI MONTRÉAL
The residency
The PHI Montréal Residency, in collaboration with the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), invites one artist from Montréal and one artist from Québec residing outside Montréal to collaborate with the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art on public engagement projects.
The results of this residency can come in various forms, such as concise exhibitions, discussions, performances, or workshops. Focused on public engagement, this program highlights ongoing conversations and collaboration among communities, artists and cultural organisations.
Selected artists
ERIN HILL +
NINA VROEMEN
The Sisters of the Celestial Order of Nephology (the study of clouds) is an interdisciplinary performance project by Horizon Factory (Erin Hill and Nina Vroemen). Forming in 2019, during a dance residency at Studio 303 (Montreal), the fictitious, pseudo-sect of two, blue cloaked, atmospheric-nuns were called by the unseizable state of clouds and the ephemeral narratives that form them. These narratives are personal, environmental, futuristic, and potential warning signs.
The Sisters engage across multiple mediums and disciplines, including performance, video, radio, workshops, and writing. In 2024, they printed the prototype for their forthcoming publication Deep Gazing.
They have presented their work at RURART (Cookshire-Eaton, 2020), at the Fonderie Darling (Montreal, 2020), at the Third Space Gallery (Saint John, New Brunswick, 2021), at Artscape Gibraltar (Toronto, 2022), at CCOV (Montreal, 2022), at SummerWorks (Toronto, 2023), at Eastern Bloc (Montreal, 2023), at the Performing Arts Forum (Saint-Erme, France, 2023), and at PIQUE (Ottawa 2024).
Deep Gazing with The Sisters of the Celestial Order of Nephology
Meteorology, meaning the art of looking up, began as the study of individual meteors and expanded to the study of all weather. Look up!
Notice the sky above you knowing there is always a sky above you and, with it, the potential to forecast the future and to attune to the subtle, shifting present. It is no coincidence that we speak of the weather when we have nothing left to say. It is a unifier, a divider, a downpour, a drought.
Photo: Éliot B. Lafrenière
GABRIELLE HARNOIS BLOUIN
Gabrielle HB is a sound artist living between the ancestral territories of Tiotià:ke and Nitaskinan. She uses voice, text, synthesizers, and field recordings as primary materials, oscillating between free improvisation and slow constructions. Through performance, she seeks to bring forth forms of tenderness, play, and transparency. She is half of Désert mauve (with Charline Dally), producing audiovisual works, and part of the ambient minimalist music duo Jardin Joue (with Florence Garneau). Holding a Master's in Sound Arts from the London College of Communication (2021), she has performed and/or exhibited her work at the Musée d’art de Joliette, the Ann Arbor Film Festival (US), MUTEK (CA, ES, AR), the Calais School of Art (FR), the Society for Arts and Technology, and the Suoni Per Il Popolo festival in Montreal.
⎯
Porosities: We Will Be Made of Sponges and Speakers
PHI Montréal 2024-2025
Residency location: Montréal, Québec, Canada
PHI Montréal residency period: January to June, 2025
Presentation of the project at the end of residency: June 2025
Program overview
The residency fee aligns with current CARFAC-RAAV scales, reflecting compensation for the hours of work distributed across the three stages of the residency.
Research and ideation (1 month)
In the first month, the artist dives into the PHI Foundation environment, connecting with its team, exploring resources, and identifying key partners. They define the scope and goals of the project, shaping a vision that aligns with their artistic intent and resonates with the communities involved.
Workshop and implementation with communities (2 months)
During this phase, the artist actively engages the community as co-creators of the project. They lead workshops, refine the project through testing, collaborate with PHI Foundation members, and directly involve the communities in executing the planned project.
Preparation and presentation of the project (2 months)
As the residency nears its end, the artist prepares and showcases the tangible results of the collective effort. They strategically present these outcomes, whether through talks, workshops, performances, or multimedia showcases, in collaboration with the curator. This presentation aims not only to convey the artistic journey but also to highlight the practical outcomes and lasting impacts of the project on the partnering communities and beyond.
What artists are saying
“This residency has been fantastic! I learned so much about organizing an exhibition, thanks to the invaluable help of a great mentor and team, who helped me bring my vision to life. Thank you, PHI.”
— Jacqueline van de Geer, PHI Montréal 2024-2025
“This residency allowed me to connect with many people, to develop a map of permeable potentials for my work. What's wonderful is that, to my great surprise, they were able to help my work evolve and move in unexpected directions.”
— Annie Baillargeon, PHI Montréal 2024-2025
“[...] a slow residency that gives a lot of time to explore ideas, to research, to follow many different paths of inspiration and really figure out what works.”
— Pavitra Wickramasinghe, PHI Montréal 2023-2024
“I feel like I wear several hats that come together: the hat of creation-production, the hat of research, and the hat of the cultural worker. Within the residency, I really feel like I'm using many of my hats, which I find truly interesting."
— Amélie Brisson-Darveau, PHI Montréal 2023-2024
Program details
Selected applications will receive:
- Support for project development: Tailored mentorship offered during the residency, encompassing guidance in curation, technical aspects, production, and installation, provided by PHI.
- Public exhibition: The final project will be publicly exhibited at PHI.
- Artist’s fee: A $12,000 grant provided by CALQ to cover the work carried out by the artist throughout the residency program.
- Accommodation (for the non-Montréal resident only): The selected artist residing outside Montréal will receive accommodation in the Montréal area during the residency, generously provided by CALQ.
- Production expenses coverage: An amount of $5,000 is offered by PHI to cover project production expenses.
- Exhibition and presentation rights fee: Determined based on the project, this fee covers the presentation of the final project and is offered by PHI.
- Reimbursement for project costs: Reasonable expenses for transport, insurance, and installation related to the final project presentation will be reimbursed, if applicable.
- Video profile production: Creation of a video profile to be broadcast across PHI networks (social media, website, etc.).
- Network access: Leveraging PHI's extensive network of collaborators.
Eligibility requirements:
- Adhere to the eligibility criteria regarding the artist’s artistic discipline, professional status, and the specific legal status required by CALQ.
- Have a public engagement artistic project and wish to carry it out as part of the residency.
Toolkit
→ Examples of public engagement art projects (PDF)
→ Production budget template (XLSX)
→ Tips and tricks | CALQ’s grants for artists (Video)
→ The jury | CALQ’s grants for artists (Video)
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Frequently asked questions
We encourage you to consult the Frequently Asked Questions provided by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), offering answers to the most common inquiries about grant programs.
Each application undergoes evaluation based on its merits, aligned with the program’s objectives and assessment criteria. The selection process considers the projects' relative value and available resources. A jury, comprised of individuals listed in the official roster of resource persons (approved by CALQ's Board of Directors), conducts the evaluations.
The evaluation criteria used by the evaluation committee, consisting of a jury of peers appointed by CALQ, are:
Artistic quality of the work;
Interest and relevance of the project;
Feasibility of the project.
The PHI Montréal program, in partnership with the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), is aimed at artists from all disciplines recognized by the CALQ and writers from Québec. The fields overseen by CALQ encompass circus arts, multidisciplinary arts, digital arts, visual arts, popular song, film and video art, dance, literature and storytelling, arts and crafts, music, theatre, and architectural research.
Public engagement is an approach that represents a reimagined dialogue between institutions, artists, and their audiences. In museum settings, it strives to actively involve communities in the conception and presentation of artistic projects, usually through collaborative or co-creative methods. This concept aligns with diverse methodologies in contemporary art, such as cultural mediation, socially engaged, in socius or in situ approaches, as well as pedagogical or educational practices.
Accommodation is offered for the selected artist residing outside the greater Montréal area only, made available by the CALQ for the duration of the residency.
Projects aren’t required to be created on site at PHI, but the artist will indeed have access to select PHI facilities during the residency. These include PHI VDO’s sound recording and editing suites, as well as PHI offices and administrative spaces. Access to these spaces will be coordinated with the PHI Montréal Project Coordinator, based on the artist’s specific needs.
The PHI Centre and PHI Foundation are partially accessible for individuals with reduced mobility. Additional assistance can be arranged for anyone requiring it.
All artists are encouraged to apply with their project proposal. Whether you’re a dancer with an idea for a video project, a poet envisioning a textile installation, or a design duo looking to make an interactive artwork, we welcome a wide range of projects, not limited to object-based works.
Already completed projects are not eligible for this residency. Your proposed project may be a continuation of a past series, but must integrate new elements to be workshopped during the residency period.
There is no application fee.
The selected projects will receive a grant of $12,000, an amount of $5,000 for production expenses and a fee for the exhibition and presentation rights. Participating artists are therefore not required to apply for additional funding.
Yes; all participating artists will be asked to sign a Letter of Agreement with PHI.
The PHI Montréal Residency is only open to those with Canadian Resident status at this time.
Yes, PHI retains the exclusivity on the first presentation of your project. However, the artist is welcome to use what has been produced during the residency to generate other artworks or projects as long as the PHI Montréal residency is credited accordingly. Your project remains your intellectual property, of course.
Any other questions?
Contact us!
Partners
The PHI Montréal residency program is carried out in partnership with the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
PHI is a cultural infrastructure dedicated to supporting contemporary art and artists probing the key agenda of our times, and facilitating access between them and the public. Composed of three entities — PHI Studio, PHI Foundation, and PHI Centre — PHI is guided by values that include generosity, rigour, the importance of community, and devotes itself to the innovation and evolution of cultural experiences that both challenge and delight.
To reiterate its commitment to supporting local artistic communities, and to help shape the art of tomorrow, PHI offers three artistic residency programs annually: North, Montréal and Immersive. Although each residency meets different artists’ needs, our common mission is to provide our artists in residence with the tools, support, and impetus they need to expand the scope of their practice and take it to the next level.
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) invests in the imagination and celebrates the successes of those who create memorable works, shape Québec’s cultural identity, and make it shine. With a view to equitable, sustainable artistic development, the CALQ supports creation, experimentation, and production in the arts and literature in all regions of Québec and promotes dissemination in Québec, Canada, and abroad.
The CALQ’s residencies program is for professional artists and writers seeking regeneration and exploration, who want to immerse themselves in other cultures or have access to internationally renowned facilities to conduct research and seek out new avenues for creation.