Residencies 2019-2020

Application for Comics Creator Residency

Posted: June 28th, 2019
Closing Date: October 31, 2019
Cartoonist Residency: Canada Comics Open Library
Timeline: 1 month during August 2019 - February 2020 inclusive
Location: Canada Comics Open Library, 585 Dundas St E, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Support: $1280

Before submitting an application, please read over the following residency requirements to make sure you will be able to commit to the workload, as well as be sure to answer the questions included below. This residency is open to those who reside in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Interested applicants that require more assistance will also be able to fill out an application form in the library during staffed hours with CCOL staff; please email in advance to set up an appointment so we can be sure an experienced volunteer will be there to assist you. Please email us at info@canadacomicsol.org if you have any further questions.

Overview

The Canada Comics Open Library invites applications for Comics Creators-in-Residence. For this project, we will be working with up-and-coming Toronto comics creators from a wide range of genres. Through these residencies, community members will be able to learn about the process of creating comics, the diverse array of comics genres and styles, while also engaging with the stories in the library collection.

Consideration will be given to comics writers/illustrators, pencilers, scriptwriters, letterers, inkers, and editors who have produced meaningful and substantial bodies of work.Artists must have published more than 2 titles, or include samples of soon to be published work. We will also consider webcomics, such as comics serialized on Instagram or another website, as examples of published titles.

We will also acknowledge self-published works, including zines, in our consideration of creators to make space for up-and-coming creators who may be underrepresented in traditional media or lack access to mainstream publication venues.

We want to especially encourage women, trans men, non-binary, and 2SLGBTQIAP comics creators. All applicants must be available to attend in-person events and functions of the residency in the Toronto branch location.

Participating artists will also gain access to resources at CCOL, including the library collection, which currently includes over 1000 titles, spanning multiple genres and artistic styles, as well as tools in the CSI community lounge (lightboard, large flatbed scanner, paper cutters, etc.). Though our collection is currently non-circulating for the public, resident artists may check items out from the collection for the duration of their residency (maximum 10 items at once). Artists are encouraged to use the library and engage with the community at Regent Park!

Residency Deliverables

The deliverables of the residency are flexible. The following deliverable requirements are a guideline for the residency.

1. An artist talk, workshop, or panel
   • An artist talk to be given in the library space to engage community members with a follow-up Q&A period
   • OR alternatively, a panel conversation on a topic or theme in comics to take place in the library space (3 panellists maximum) organized by the artist
   • OR mini-talk and workshop to take place in the library space
     • Examples of workshops
       • Collaborative drawing games
       • Creating a one-page comic (multiple genres)
       • Scriptwriting tips (multiple genres)
       • Creating a comic zine (booklet template)
       • Tools and techniques for creating comics (multiple genres)
2. The artist will select 5-10 comics in the library to be showcased in the library space during the month of residency.
   • Artists will also create a 500 word blog post about selected comics to be published on the CCOL blog.
   • CCOL will also display the participating artist’s bio and business cards for the duration of this exhibit.
3. A week-long takeover of the CCOL Instagram account during the month of residency
   • This can include images of recent projects, creator tips, recent reads, work process, initiatives in the comics industry, everyday comics observations, studio space, etc.
4. A 500 word blog post about their experience to be published within 1 month following their residency.
5. Lastly, a CCOL homepage comic (see current comic), or a parallel deliverable, such as a poster, banner, or other public comics artwork.

Suggested timeline

1. Week 1: Instagram takeover and comics display set up in library + outline and drafting of blog post deliverable about selection by the end of week 1
2. Week 2: Planning artist talk, workshop, or panel; announce to the public by end of week 2; publication of revised and edited blog post on comics selected by end of week 2
3. Week 3: Time spent at CCOL on projects; draft of homepage comic or parallel deliverable due by end of week 3; aim to have the artist talk, workshop, or panel take place by week 3 at the latest 
4. Week 4: Completion of homepage comic or parallel deliverable by end of week 4
5. Week 5-8: Blog post deliverable about the residency experience

Remuneration

Each artist will be paid the following:

• Artist talk, OR panel, OR mini presentation with workshop: $389
  • Panel option--artist must choose maximum 2 other panelists including themselves for a maximum of 3 participants: $130 per panelist.
• Prep. work for talk, workshop, or panel moderation: $241
• 2 blog posts (500 words each): $500 ($250 + $250)
• 12 panel homepage comic (1 page comic) or alternative project: $150

= $1280 for each artist

Remuneration schedule

1. One third at the start date of the residency = $426.67
2. One third half-way through the residency = $426.67
3. One third at the end date of the residency = $426.67

About the hosts

The Canada Comics Open Library (CCOL) is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that aims to be an inclusive, educational, and recreational public space for comics and graphic novels while showcasing the work of Canadian comic artists and supporting comics communities. CCOL aims to help fill a hole in the current cultural landscape with regards to comics accessibility. We hope to broadly promote the medium and creators through developing meaningful partnerships and a diverse collection. We also work with various Canadian artists and comics-related communities in Canada to promote accessibility to and recognition of the Canadian comics scene. We also want to be a part of increasing representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and marginalized comics creators, stories, and art.

The Canada Comics Open Library is located at CSI (The Centre for Social Innovation) Regent Park on the third floor of the Daniels Spectrum Building (585 Dundas St. East). For more information, visit our website Contact page.

Accessibility info

The Daniels Spectrum Building, library, and the lounge area at CSI are fully wheelchair accessible.

Application Submission

To submit an application, please provide answers to the questions below and email to info@canadacomicsol.org. Please include in the subject line: “CCOL Comics Creator Residency Application”. A CV is not required for this application. 

1. Name for publication and display
2. Pronouns
3. Why are comics important to you?
4. Please describe the kind of comics that you create
5. Please provide links or access to samples of your work (social media, website, online portfolio, etc.), or reference zines or publications that your work can be found within. Self-published works are welcome.
6. If you are selected for a comics creator residency, please list a preference for the month of the residency. Please choose at least 3 months in order of preference.
   1. The following months are available for residency placements in 2019: August, September, October, November, December; and in 2020: January, February.
7. What would your panel, artist talk or mini-workshop/presentation look like if you were a CCOL Creator-in-Residence? Please describe in one paragraph. Note: this does not need to be concrete and applicants will not be required to carry out exactly what is proposed. (200-400 words)
8. This is your chance to add anything else you find relevant in your experience that should be included in the application! (I.e. have you previously hosted workshops, drawing events, meetups, etc? Are you involved in the comics community in Toronto, elsewhere in Canada, or abroad?) (200-300 words)

CCOL staff will contact you regarding the status of your application within 60 days of your submission. Selected applicants will need to be available for discussing the details of their residency as soon as possible. We will keep all applications on file for future residency opportunities. We will carefully consider all applications and will do our best to select fair and diverse representation from those who apply.

Thank you!

This residency program is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.