Midnight Studio: Weekend Intensive for Artists, Musicians, & Writers
On Saturday and Sunday, March 1st - 2nd, we are inviting artists, musicians, and writers from all over Vancouver to work on their beloved craft, share insights, and make meaningful connections at a cozy Kerrisdale mansion.
The Intensive is designed to progress over the course of two days, starting out with just a constellation of select artists on Saturday, welcoming more artists on Sunday, and culminating in an intimate Artist Universe Evening Exhibition for storytelling and celebration on Sunday evening.
What to Expect at the Intensive
Focused work blocks: You will have dedicated time to making progress on your own artistic project.
Group activities: Decompressing activities, discussions about what it means to live and work as an artist, and opportunities for peer-led workshops.
Free time: Do whatever you like!
How You Can Participate
Option 1: Saturday + Sunday experience. Be one of 8 artists staying at the Kerrisdale mansion for 2 days, working on your craft and partaking in a slower, more intimate Artist Intensive overall. Overnight stay is an option, if you don’t want to commute.
Option 2: Sunday experience. Be a part of a larger galaxy of 8 additional artists who will join the original 8 participants, starting on Sunday morning. You will get to participate in the Intensive, including being part of the Sunday night Exhibition, but on a shorter, faster-paced, time-frame.
Saturday arrival is at 10:00am, and scheduled activities will end at 9:00pm. You will be free to leave and come back on Sunday morning, but will also have the option of staying overnight.
Sunday activities start at 10:00am, with the additional 8 participants joining at this time. Activities will end at 5:00pm, after which we will host the Artist Universe Evening Exhibition to close off the event by 9:00pm.
What We Expect From You
You are someone who can show a portfolio of previous artworks, compositions, or demos.
Ideally, you have plans for a new project and can bring that to the retreat. But if it’s just an idea of what you want to explore, we’ll consider that too.
Accountability will be an important part of our retreat, so you will be setting goals for your work to stay on track.
Artist Intensive admission is by application. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, February 25th by 11:59pm. Applicants will be notified about the status of their application on a rolling basis, with the final batch of notices released by Wednesday, February 26th.
If you are admitted, the participation fee is $30 for Saturday + Sunday experience, or $20 for Sunday-only experience. This helps us cover the costs of providing Lunch + Dinner on Saturday, and Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner on Sunday.
What We Want You to Get Out of This
Friendships with other unique artists like yourself.
Connection with a wider creative community in Vancouver.
Motivation from setting goals for yourself and seeing other awesome projects.
Deep work on your passions.
A sense of accomplishment from sharing your art and journey with others.
Sponsors
This event was made possible with the help of these individuals and organizations:
About Us
The retreat was started as an idea by two artists and friends, Illya (www.lushheartmusic.com) and Irene (www.irenezhang.ca), and made possible in collaboration with the V2 community.
V2 is an open collective of makers and builders in Vancouver. We aim to bridge people making extraordinary things across the city.
FAQs
Why go to a group event if I can just work alone?
We are not here to tell you what kind of work environment is best for you. However, we do want to encourage you to explore working with social accountability and getting feedback from a supportive community. You might find it to be really helpful for making your best work! Or you might hate it—either way, you’ll meet some awesome people along the way.
I’m a writer. What’s the benefit of working next to a digital illustrator (or vice versa)?
Interacting with artists who work in different fields can be a great way to discover new perspectives and creative methods. A prompt used by a writer, for example, might help unblock your own creative flow.
Is food included in the admission fee? What else is included?
The admission fee includes Lunch + Dinner on Saturday, and Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner on Sunday.
If you are participating in the full 2 days and want to stay overnight, we will provide you with a sleeping place (air mattress, cot, or camping mat) and a shared room with other overnight participants. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag or blanket and pillow.
More extensive details will be provided to all accepted applicants. Reach out to illya@v2.city if you have any further questions in the meantime.
Can I leave the Intensive and come back throughout the day?
Yes, but only for short periods of time. In cases of emergency, you will be able to leave indefinitely.
Do I need to bring my own art supplies?
In short, yes.
However, you can indicate which supplies you need once you receive your acceptance, and we will look into accommodating your requests.
If you have any further questions, please reach out to illya@v2.city.