OPEN CALL FOR EMERGING YOUTH ARTISTS PARTICIPATE IN THE 2025 DXC SUMMIT TORONTO, 3-5 APRIL 2025

Jan 16, 2025 - Feb 9, 2025

Building on the first collaboration efforts at Nuit Blanche in Toronto, Ontario in October 2024, the EU Delegation and OCAD University are extending their partnership within the framework of the renowned DXC Summit 2025 by supporting emerging artists in the EU and Canada to showcase their work and engage in dialogue alongside civic, policy and creative leaders.

The Delegation of the European Union to Canada (EUD) and OCAD University invite emerging youth artists (18-29) from Canada and the European Union (EU) to apply for an exciting opportunity to participate in the Democracy Exchange Summit, taking place from April 3-5, 2025, in Toronto, Canada. The DXC Summit is Canada’s flagship event for dialogue on democracy and civic involvement. This year’s Summit will focus on the role that citizens and people play in a democracy, in cities and countries, underscoring the need to address global issues through collaborative and action-oriented approaches.

As part of the Summit’s opening night on April 3, 2025, selected artists will showcase their works during the DXC Opening Night Exhibition, lead a complimentary workshop on n April 5, 2025, and participate in the duration of the summit contributing to critical conversations on the role of art in strengthening democracy and civil society.

Theme: ‘Counterbalance’

Artists are essential to the health of democracy. Through their work, they bring voice and perspective to reflect and translate reality, critique its very nature and propose creative alternatives to the status quo. As power structures shape and shift, artists act as a counterbalancing force, championing transparency and accountability towards our shared humanity and responsibility to the land and its ecologies. Yet, across the globe, artists are increasingly encountering institutional and technological limitations to sharing their work – raising urgent questions about the role of artistic expression in fostering open dialogue and supporting democratic values.

What happens to democratic cultures when this vital voice is suppressed? When does censorship conflict with artistic expression and freedom? How might we navigate, circumvent, or even reimagine these forces of suppression? And how might censorship itself become a site of artistic innovation—an invitation to reimagine and push the boundaries of expression and democracy?

We invite emerging youth artists to present work that responds to the realities, politics and impact of emerging modes of suppression on the culture of democracies. Selected works will be featured in an exhibition at the opening night of DXC, and artists will lead an interactive workshop during the summit to further unpack their ideas and optionally participate in a panel discussion. All artistic mediums are welcome to apply, however, preference will be given to interactive, multimedia, digital, installation, social practice and/or performance artworks.

Through this initiative, we aim to elevate the voices of young artists, foster critical conversations, and deepen our shared understanding of how art can resist suppression and re-imagine democratic possibilities.

Why apply?

As a selected artist, you will receive:

A cross-border and cross-disciplinary opportunity for exchange and artistic enrichment with fellow artists across the European Union and Canada.

Visibility and exposure: you will have the opportunity to showcase your work at Canada’s leading forum on democracy and civic engagement. You will also gain significant exposure through the EU-OCAD partnership’s dissemination and engagement activities.
Workshop participation: you will have the opportunity to lead a 1-hour workshop that compliments your artistic proposal on April 5, 2025, engaging directly with audiences and fostering deeper community engagement.
Financial support:
- Honorarium: artists or collaborative groups of artists will receive 2,000 EUR (~ $3,000 CAD) for participation in the opening night with their artwork and conducting a workshop on April 5^th. A single honorarium will be allocated when two artists present a collaborative work as a team. Artist fees are inclusive of material costs.
- Travel and accommodation support: travel and accommodation expenses will be covered, subject to EU rules and procedures.
- Production and workshop material budget: up to 1,000 EUR (~$1,500 CAD).
- Shipping fees: up to 500 EUR (~$750 CAD) for transporting artworks (if applicable).
Artists are also invited to participate in the entire Summit free of charge.

Eligibility requirements

We invite applications from:

Emerging youth artists from Canada and/or from the European Union: artists or collaborative teams of two artists aged 18–29 residing in Canada or an EU country. Artist duos and/or Canada/EU collaborators are encouraged to apply.
Diverse and inclusive voices: We strongly encourage applications from visible minorities, Indigenous communities, and any traditionally underrepresented identities and communities.

Expectations from selected artists

Availability to travel and be in Toronto from April 3-5, 2025, for in-person participation in the event and associated activities.
Engage in pre-Summit activities: selected artists must attend and engage in online preparatory meetings, interviews, promotional activities, progress reviews and contribute to the project’s reporting.
Online engagement: applicants must be willing to actively engage using their online networks and social media and collaborate on the event’s media strategy.

Signing contractual terms: selected artists will sign a contract with GOPA PACE, the consultancy that manages the partnership between the EU and OCAD University as part of a wider EU public diplomacy project in Canada. Artists must adhere to GDPR compliance and legal requirements regarding data and copyright.
Artists will be required to grant all necessary rights for the dissemination of their artwork in any activities directly related to this project.

Artwork specifications

Artworks are required to fit within, and should not exceed, a 10×10 ft floor plan footprint.
Preference will be given to multimedia, installation, interactive, social practice and/or performance artworks.
Power, lighting, furniture and AV support will be made available to artists in consultation with our technical team.
Workshops should complement the artwork, run for 1-hour duration and be suitable for up to 20 participants.
Artworks must be physically transportable via airplane.

Submission requirements and timeline

All interested individuals or groups will have to complete their application and submit the following documents by February 9th, 2025, via the online application form.

The project proposal (max 1000 words) including:

The artist’s statement
The description of the proposed project and alignment with the theme
The description of the 1-hour workshop and its connection to the artwork/ A short description of installation needs(installation space will be a maximum of 10ftx10ft; access to power, lighting and furniture provided) and workshop material needs.
Curriculum Vitae (CV) (Max 3 pages): For all artists if applying as a collective or a group.

Applicants should submit up to five relevant portfolio samples, videos and/or renderings of their proposed work (in digital format) with a description (title, year, medium, presenter, role).
The budget plan of expected costs for exhibition and workshop production material budget and logistics (up to 1,500 EUR/~2,250 CAD max).

An online information session will be held on January 24th, 2025 9:00 a.m EST to present the call and answer all questions regarding this opportunity and submission requirements. Please register via the online form by January 23th, 2025.

Evaluation criteria

Applications will be reviewed by an Evaluation Panel comprising representatives from the EU Delegation, OCAD University, and the EUPOP III Project Team. Evaluations will be based on:

Thematic alignment and ingenuity (30%): Creativity and relevance of the project
Artistic quality (30%): Quality of past work and the proposed project
Feasibility (20%): Practicality of transporting and presenting the work in Toronto, Ontario
Community engagement (20%): The concept of the proposed workshop

Notification of results

The selected artists (one Canadian artist and one EU artist, or one EU artist and one collaborative group) will be informed of the outcome by the end of February 2025 and may be asked to provide further relevant information. They will be requested to sign a contract with GOPA PACE. Unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the outcome of the process as well.

If you have any questions or require any application accommodation, please contact eupopcanada@gopa-pace.com