Near North Mobile Media Lab is inviting applications for a two-month Artist Residency at the Near North Makerspace (nearnorthmakerspace.ca) in downtown North Bay.

The residency is designed to support a local or regional media artist whose practice overlaps with media arts, digital fabrication, creative technology, or related processes. It offers time, space, equipment access, and production support to develop new work, explore a new direction, or deepen an existing area of practice.

We are particularly interested in artists who can make meaningful use of the Makerspace’s tools and technologies while working largely independently.

What the residency provides

The selected artist will receive:

• Two months of free access to the Near North Makerspace and its equipment for residency-related work
• Orientation to relevant equipment and reasonable technical support from Makerspace staff
• Workspace and storage where available
• Up to $500 in materials and production support
• Promotion of the artist and their residency through Near North Mobile Media Lab
• Professional artist fees for the required public components of the residency

The residency is intended to support the artist’s own practice and is not an employment position. There are no set weekly working hours.

While staff can provide equipment orientation and basic technical guidance, applicants should have enough experience in their proposed area of practice to work independently. The residency is not intended to provide intensive or ongoing one-to-one training.

Public activities and artist fees

As part of the residency, the selected artist will be expected to:

• Present an artist talk about their work and residency: $648 artist fee
• Lead one public workshop related to their practice or residency project: $391 artist fee
• Present work developed through the residency in the Near North Makerspace window exhibition space for 1 month: $515 exhibition fee

These fees are paid in addition to the residency’s materials and production support and are based on applicable 2026 IMAA and CARFAC professional fee schedules.

The total professional artist fees associated with the residency are $1,554, with up to an additional $500 available for materials and production costs.

Who can apply

This opportunity is intended for artists based in North Bay and the surrounding region who can make regular use of the Makerspace during the residency period.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

Applicants should be working in media arts or in a practice that meaningfully intersects with media arts, digital fabrication, or creative technology.

Relevant practices may include, but are not limited to:

• Digital and new media art
• Video, sound, and moving-image work
• Photography and digital imaging
• Interactive and installation-based work
• 3D printing and digital fabrication
• Laser cutting and engraving
• Electronics and creative technology
• Digital textiles and hybrid craft practices
• Experimental print and image-making
• Interdisciplinary work combining physical and digital processes

Applicants do not need to be experts in every piece of equipment they hope to use, but they should have enough familiarity with their proposed processes to work independently after basic orientation.

To apply

Please submit the following to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Near North Makerspace Artist Residency’.

• A short description of your artistic practice
• A description of what you would like to explore or create during the residency
• How your project connects to media arts, digital fabrication, or creative technology
• Which Makerspace equipment or processes you expect to use
• Your level of experience with the equipment or processes you propose to use
• A brief idea for the public workshop you could offer
  Up to 10 examples of previous work or a link to your portfolio
• A short artist bio

You do not need to propose a fully resolved project. The residency is intended to provide room for experimentation and the development of new work, while supporting artists who are able to pursue their projects with a reasonable degree of independence.

Residency period: October 19th to December 19th 2026, with some flexibility
Application deadline: October 6, 2026 at 11:59pm
Location: Near North Makerspace, 108 Main Street East, North Bay
Residency length: Two months

Applications will be reviewed based on the strength of the artist’s practice, the proposed connection to media arts or digital fabrication, the potential benefit of the residency to their artistic development, the feasibility of the project within the Makerspace, and the applicant’s ability to work independently with the tools and processes they propose to use.

Near North Mobile Media Lab is committed to creating accessible opportunities for artists and encourages applications from artists with diverse practices, backgrounds, and levels of experience.