Artist-led. Artist-centred.

Research. Create. Experiment. Collaborate.

Make room for what comes next in your practice.

Applications are now open for 2027 at Studio H Canada International Artist Residency, located on the unceded territory of the SC’IȺNEW Nation, also known as Metchosin, BC on Vancouver Island. We invite visual and multimedia artists, textile artists, authors, academic researchers and music and sound artists from Canada and around the world for four weeks of dedicated time, space and a supportive environment.

We welcome artists across cultures, identities and backgrounds: First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous artists; 2SLGBTQIA+ artists; Black, racialized and culturally diverse artists; women and gender-diverse people; and disabled artists and artists with disabilities. First Nations, Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous artists are warmly invited to apply. Studio H aims to offer a culturally safe environment that respects Indigenous knowledge and creative practices and supports ceremony as part of creating here.

Bring a project, a question, a material you want to investigate, or an idea that needs room to develop. Your residency can hold concentrated making, research, writing, experimentation, reflection and creative exchange—and evolve as you discover what matters to you here.

Who is this residency for?

Studio H welcomes different ways of making, thinking and exploring. You might be:

• An Indigenous artist looking for a culturally safe place to research, create or explore, with support for ceremony when desired.
• A visual artist exploring materials, a new process or an interdisciplinary direction.
• A textile or fibre artist developing work through weaving, stitching, embroidery or felting.
• An author making space for writing, revising or research.
• An academic researcher following an inquiry, writing or connecting ideas across disciplines.
• A media or music/sound artist composing, exploring sound or developing a multimedia project.
• Part of a small collaborative group with an idea you want to investigate together.

Your practice may be emerging, established or moving in a new direction. Bring your intentions, curiosity and a willingness to share a respectful living and working environment.

Time, space and an environment for exploration

At Studio H, our starting point is a simple equation:

I = T(S) + E

Inspiration = Time × Space + Environment

Time gives you room to stay with an inquiry, try something unfamiliar or return to work that everyday demands have pushed aside. Space includes a flexible shared studio, private accommodation, gardens, forest and outdoor places to think, work and rest.

The environment includes the people, conversations, resources and support around you. Studio H typically hosts two resident artists at a time, creating opportunities for independent practice alongside informal exchange.

Artist mentoring and support

Artist and founder Heidi Bergstrom is a Red River Métis citizen with Icelandic and Swedish settler ancestry. Her interdisciplinary practice spans visual arts, textiles, book arts, digital media, installation and collaborative research.

Mentoring can include talking through an idea, exploring a material or technical challenge, sharing tools and processes, offering feedback on work in progress, or considering how to connect your work with an audience. Her experience as an artist, curator, facilitator and residency participant informs these conversations.

Heidi provides support for your interests and practice, while you retain direction of your residency. Support can include making community connections, curating an end-of-residency pop-up exhibition, hosting a community talk or workshop or other ways to support the desired outcomes of the residency. 

Choose your residency option

Studio H welcomes artists across disciplines and stages of practice. Two residency options help us coordinate studio resources and pair artists:

1. Textile Residencies support artists working with textile, fibre and related processes. Resources include weaving, sewing, machine embroidery, felting and fibre-processing equipment.
2. Multimedia Residencies welcome a broad range of practices, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, sound, installation, printmaking, book arts, writing, academic research, music, performance and interdisciplinary work.

Research can be part of either option. Whether you work through materials, images, movement, words, sound or combinations of media, there is room to follow questions and experiment with how you approach them.

Small collaborative groups are also welcome to apply. We discuss studio, accommodation and fee arrangements with you in advance.

Studio H is a rural, shared living and working environment. Artists manage their own meals and everyday routines and plan for transportation, materials and personal needs. 

You’ll find everything you need to know under Residencies at Studio H including Creating Here – Studio & Equipment, tools to Plan Your Residency, and a comprehensive FAQ for dates, practical information and accessibility considerations. You can also explore the stories menu and Artists at Studio H to see what others have done here or check out the reviews on the Artists Experience page. 

Find your inspiration here

Tell us what you hope to explore, why this setting interests you and what you need to make the residency work for you. The application and interview conversation help us ensure artistic fit, practical readiness and how Studio H can support your intentions.

Apply for a 2027 residency today. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. 

We look forward to hearing about your projects.