Residency Program

The Music Gallery invites you to apply to the fourth edition of our residency program in partnership with Social Art Studio Space! 

The program runs in January and February 2026. Each year we host dozens of artists during a series of 4-day residencies. Selection is by lottery. The application process is free and takes approximately 5 minutes.

The purpose of the residency is for artists to take up space! We encourage artists to be big, be weird and explore their processes.

The residency is a pressure-free environment, with no expectations for outcomes or performances. This residency is designed with limited structure so you can stretch out and be you. A number of past residency participants have gone on to present in Music Gallery’s public events.

This program is a way for the Music Gallery to offer creative spaces to our extended music and arts communities. We welcome artists practicing in any discipline including but not limited to: visual artists, writers, culinary, composers, musicians, sound artists, dancers, filmmakers, textiles and more. Participants can be at any stage of their careers. We also welcome activists, teachers, students and creative thinkers who are interested in exploring and expanding their work in a way that needs physical room to grow.

Eligibility:

Lottery selection means that we do not qualify artistic merit within our applicants (there is no portfolio review or previous residency experience required). While the lottery determines who participates, the more information provided in an application will make it easier for us to organize selected artists in a given week.

Those who need space and whose logistical parameters align for the program are eligible.

How to apply: 

Applications are collected through an online form, linked below. There is no application or participation fee for this program. We ask that you be as specific as possible with your needs as possible, understanding they may change.

Key Program Information: 

• Each selected artist will be granted 4 days of access (Monday-Thursday, ~10am-5pm)
• An applicant can consist of one individual or a group of people (a band, collaborators, etc). Each individual/group can only apply once.
• This is a self-directed residency, and the time in the space is for you. 🙂 
• During the intake process for selected artists, we will invite participants to opt in to casual sharing/exchanges (1-2 hours at the end of the week) and we structure the program in response.
• We ask that artists working with loud instruments and amplification be mindful of the building as a shared workspace—sound travels easily between different rooms and floors!
• There is no portfolio review or previous residency experience required to partake.

Venue Information:

In 2026, the residency program will take place at:

Social Art Studio Studio Space (S.A.S.S.)
180 Shaw Street (Basement), Toronto

Accessibility information: 180 Shaw Street is accessible by ramp access, and the S.A.S.S. residency space can be reached by elevator. An accessible washroom is available, and is adjacent to the residency space.

Select venue images appear below.

Technical Information:

• Artists should supply their own specialized equipment, software, instruments, and so on, for their intended activities. The Music Gallery will endeavor to provide basic audio equipment (monitors, mixers, cabling), and instrument access (pianos, drum kit).
• Participants will need to operate their equipment during their residency. The Music Gallery can provide general support, but not dedicated technical support. 
• Successful applicants will have access to bursaries for transit (single-use Presto cards) and family care (financial contributions to self-coordinated care arrangements).

Residency Timeline:

• October 8: Application period begins
• October 29: Deadline for applications
• Mid November* : notification goes out to all applicants*
  • Successful applicants will be required to confirm their participation by a designated date. Failure to respond will result in the spot being offered to a different applicant.
• December 1: Intake and scheduling of residency artists
• January-February: Residency program
• February: Evaluation and Feedback