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Artist in Residence call for proposals

Each year, we invite a local artist, or an artist with a connection to our Region, to share their practice with our community as our artist in residence. 

On this page:

  1. About the Artist in Residence program
  2. 2026 Artist in Residence: Musician in Residence
  3. Information sessions
  4. Who should apply?
  5. Submission requirements
  6. Selection process
  7. Compensation
  8. Resources available to the Artist in Residence
  9. Timeline
  10. Application instructions 

About the Artist in Residence program

Our artist in residence program advocates for and supports artistic innovation and excellence in various disciplines of contemporary art. 

Through this program, we aim to facilitate and develop meaningful relationships between the community and the artist. Artists may take non-traditional routes to develop their careers, and as such, we want to support local artists with diverse cultural backgrounds, lived experiences and practices.

2026 Artist in Residence: Musician in Residence

The 2026 Artist in Residence opportunity is a year-long commitment with part-time hours.  

We are seeking proposals from musicians, music educators, or music entrepreneurs to deliver an innovative, community engaged music program(s) that creates meaningful musical experiences for residents of all ages. We invite creative, community rooted proposals that use music as a tool for learning, connection, and city building. 

This call for proposals is open to artists who live or work primarily in the Waterloo Region or can show a clear, ongoing connection to the region. We will prioritize projects with a strong potential impact on the Kitchener community.  

The Artist in Residence program continues to emphasize interactive community engagement and encourages applicants to see the residency as an opportunity to advance their own practice.  

Information sessions

We will host two in-person information sessions to answer questions about this opportunity:  

  • Tuesday, March 24, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  

Both sessions will be in the Conestoga Room on the ground floor of Kitchener City Hall, 200 King Street West, Kitchener. 

No registration is necessary. Interested individuals only need to come to one session. You do not need to attend a session to submit a proposal.  

If you have any questions or require any accessible accommodation, please send us an email or call 519-783-8302. 

Who should apply?

We’re committed to creating and supporting an equity-based platform that includes diverse creative perspectives. We welcome and highly encourage applications from individuals with intersectional identities from groups seeking equity, diversity and inclusion. This includes artists from many diverse backgrounds and origins, but we specifically encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and racialized individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+ community members and people with disabilities. 

For the 2026 residency program, we invite musicians that are interested in community building. Ideal proposals may support youth talent development through hands on training, songwriting, recording, and opportunities to perform at local festivals; foster inclusive, intergenerational music making that brings together seniors, youth, caregivers, and diverse community groups in welcoming, low barrier settings; and strengthen community connections through potential partnerships with schools, choirs, service organizations, or local festivals. 

Submission requirements

Interested artists must submit a proposal package that includes the following:

  1. A resume, short personal biography or summary of relevant credentials (maximum three pages).
  2. A letter of intent (maximum 500 words), including a high-level summary of the concept, its feasibility, community impacts and how the residency would further support or advance your artistic development. This summary may be used as a narrative for administrative and public use. 
  3. Up to five (5) audio links (online streaming platform, Bandcamp, YouTube) or three (3) short video links. These materials will collectively demonstrate your credibility, preparedness and capacity to successfully complete this residency. Please note that the online submission form has a 25 MB size limit for any attachments.
  4. A community engagement plan describing how you will incorporate the community in your residency, including an outline of audiences, partners, accessibility and any risk mitigation (maximum 250 words). 
  5. A high-level budget and schedule outlining the timeline to execute your concept and how the provided honorarium will be used to support it.  

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

To ensure fair consideration for all applicants, jurors may have limited time to read each proposal. Please keep this in mind as you prepare your submission.

If you have any questions or require any accessible accommodations, please email our Arts and Creative Industries team or call 519-783-8302. 

Selection process

After applications close, the selection committee will choose an Artist in Residence based on the evaluation criteria. 

The selected artist must be prepared to enter into a legal agreement with the City of Kitchener, and, if applicable, provide an HST registration number. 

We reserve the right to end the competition at any stage. In such a case, we will notify all artists who have submitted a proposal as necessary. 

Evaluation criteria

In order to be eligible, the applicant must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • reside or work in Waterloo Region or have a clear, ongoing connection or affiliation with the region
  • demonstrate commitment to their practice

The Artist in Residence will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • strength and clarity of concept and overall proposal
  • artistic merit of the proposal and/or past work
  • feasibility of the proposal within the outlined budget and resource limitations
  • impact on current artistic development
  • impact on Kitchener community

The selection committee may find that none of the submissions fulfill the project criteria. In this case, we may re-open the selection process.

Selection committee

City staff will assemble the jury to reflect resident demographics and to include the following participants:

  • two members with music community or industry engagement experience
  • one member of the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC), a volunteer, resident-based group that includes past artists in residence and a range of artists and arts sector professionals

The committee reserves the right to interview a short list of up to three artists prior to finalizing the selection. No City of Kitchener staff members are involved in the selection process. 

Compensation

The selected artist will receive an honorarium of $10,000 in two installments. Artists are encouraged to propose a project of a scale that reflects this level of compensation. You may wish to use the Living Wage rage for Waterloo Region as a guideline.

This is a part-time, year-long position where the artist will have the flexibility to plan a time commitment that reflects the needs of their proposal. 

Upon acceptance, the artist will enter into a contract with the City of Kitchener. 

Resources available to the Artist in Residence

The Artist in Residence will have access to advice and expertise from ACAC during monthly committee meetings. The artist can attend these meetings regularly or as needed. 

They will also receive guidance, practical input and help from City staff on developing feasible and implementable community activities and ways to realize project objectives. 

In addition to the honorarium, the resident artist will have a budget of up to $2,500 to support pre-approved, out of pocket expenses such as collaborative contributors or mentor fees, supplies, or other resources required to support the project. 

Other in-kind resources available include: 

  • coordination of writing, editing, design and printing of promotional materials directly related to the residency project (event invitation cards or posters, brochures, signage, etc.) 
  • help from City staff in promoting any activities or events 
  • exploration of opportunities to coordinate with City of Kitchener festivals and events for any aspect of the Artist in Residence's project
  • access to City Hall venues and community centers for Artist in Residence events if needed (based on availability)
  • connections with potential collaborators to support project goals 
  • support in meeting accessibility needs of the artist, as needed
  • liability insurance coverage during the term of the residency 

Timeline

This is the proposed project timeline. Please note that the timeline is subject to change.

  • March 12, 2026: in-person information session, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • March 24, 2026: in-person information session, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
  • April 28, 2026: applications close at 5 p.m.
  • May 2026: jury selection
  • August 10, 2026: presentation to Council and legal agreement
  • September 2026: residency begins
  • August 2027: residency finishes 

Application instructions

Applications are dur at 5 p.m. on April 28, 2026. We will not consider incomplete or late submissions.

The submission time is 5 p.m. based on the City of Kitchener's clock. Please give yourself extra time prior to the submission closing time to ensure the submission is delivered successfully before the closing time and to avoid an internet traffic jam. We encourage you to consider attachment size limits with your submission if submitting online or by email.

You can apply:

If you have any questions, please send us an email or call 519-783-8302.

Online

To apply online, please complete our application form. 

Please review the submission form before beginning your application to familiarize yourself with the requirements. You can save the application and come back to it later. 

Apply online

Email

If you prefer, you can send the application package to us by email at ArtistInResidence@Kitchener.ca. Please use the subject line “2026 AIR application”. 

Delivery or mail

To apply by delivery or mail, please submit one (1) unbound, 8.5 x 11” hard copy of your package before the final deadline to: 

2026 AIR Application 
c/o Economic Development, 6th floor, City Hall 
200 King Street West 
Kitchener, ON 
Canada 
N2G 4G7 
Attention: Karoline Varin, Arts and Creative Industries Program Administrator. 

We are not responsible for damage to, or loss of, support materials. Materials will not be returned.  

Contact Us

City of Kitchener
200 King Street West,
Kitchener, Ontario
Telephone: 519-741-2345,
TTY: 1-866-969-9994
mailto:info@kitchener.ca