Interval is a short-term artist residency program in digital media set up by Festival Accès Asie and OBORO, creative partners since 1999, to produce and present an artwork. Interval's goal is to support a local artist from the Asian diaspora (including artists from Central Asia and the Middle East) in the development and dissemination of a new media art project, which may take the form of an installation, a performance, or a public presentation (in person or online). The selected artist will receive an artist fee and a production budget. They will also benefit from OBORO's support in the development of their artwork, thanks to an access to studios and equipment for up to 5 days, as well as occasional assistance from the New Media Lab’s team. The selected project will be presented once, on May 10, 2025, as part of OBORO’s programming during Festival Accès Asie. 

Festival Accès Asie is an interdisciplinary, bilingual and intergenerational festival that has been celebrating Asian heritage month in Montreal since 1995. It amplifies the voices and practices of artists from the Asian continent and its diaspora working in a wide array of disciplines, including performing arts, visual and media arts, literary arts, interdisciplinary arts, and culinary arts. 

Founded in 1982 with the conviction that transcultural artistic experiences contribute to the betterment of humankind, OBORO fosters the development of art practices locally, nationally and internationally. OBORO’s sphere of activity encompasses visual and media arts, performing arts, new technologies and emerging practices. 

Eligibility critera: 

The following projects are eligible: 

• Projects that are already in progress or that have been presented in contexts other than OBORO or Festival Accès Asie
• Projects in development that require only a short production period
• Installations, performances, video, new artistic practices, digital art, music, sound art or live art practices.

The following projects are not eligible: 

• Projects led by artists residing outside of the greater Montreal area
• Research-creation projects
• Projects already presented at OBORO or Festival Accès Asie
• Projects requiring more than 5 days of production or one day of presentation 

Applications may only be submitted electronically by email at oboro@oboro.net with the subject line mentioning “Proposal for Interval 2025.” You may include links for supporting material (WeTransfer, Dropbox, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) 

Your submission must include: 

• A short artist biography (150 words)
• An artist statement (maximum 250 words) outlining your areas of interest
• An artist CV or a profile highlighting recent works (maximum 3 pages)
• A short project summary (250 words)
• A project description (max 1.5 pages) that indicates how this project contributes to your artistic practice. Please indicate the stages of development that are already accomplished, and make a detailed list of your needs (e.g., access to a filming studio with cameras - specify whether you are proficient in using them or whether you need technical support, etc.). The list of available equipment can be found on OBORO's website: https://www.oboro.net/en/lab/rates/ 
• A maximum of 10 images, or a 5-minute video presenting sketches of the proposed project or of past projects.

Conditions offered:  

• Artist fee of $1,100 for production and presentation. (Note that artist collectives are welcome, however the conditions offered remain the same.)
• Contribution up to $500 for materials, equipment rental, or to hire human resources that may not be available at OBORO but are necessary to the performance (with supporting bills or invoices)
• Access to a work studio and equipment for up to 5 days (consecutive or not) in the week preceding the presentation
• Access to OBORO’s studios and equipment for the presentation
• Occasional support from members of the New Media Lab team
• Promotion and documentation of the event. 

*Any fees for the artist(s)’s collaborators are not covered by OBORO. All other costs related to the production or presentation of the project are the responsibility of the artist and/or the producer of the project. 

Image credit: Fili 周 Gibbons, public presentation of Steps of Yu, as part of the Interval production residency in collaboration with Festival Accès Asie, May 4, 2024. Photo : Laurence Ly

Previous recipients of the Interval residency: 

Production assistance is provided in the form of access to equipment and services from the New Media Lab at a reduced rate to user members of the New Media Lab (artists or independent producers) for non commercial projects only. Candidates must provide precise information as to the reasons and context that justify their request (for example the difficulty of obtaining financing, first large scale project, sudden unexpected situation, etc.).

The application must include a description of the project from an artistic and technological standpoint, biographical information on the people involved and support material.

Applications for the production assistance may be submitted at any time via this FORM. Answers are generally given a few weeks after submitting the proposal.

For more information, contact us at lab@oboro.net or 514-844-3250 ext. 230.

In addition to its regular programming, pending the availability of resources, OBORO welcomes within its facilities presentation activities (launches, concerts, performances and other events) by artists and cultural organisations.

Assistance to presentation activities takes the form of access to equipment and services of the New Media Lab at reduced rates. This program is dedicated to supporting not-for-profit projects that are in accordance with OBORO’s mandate.

Interested individuals or organisations must send a package including the following information:

• An artistic description of the project
• Biographical information on the person(s) involved
• Audiovisual support material

Requests related to this program may be submitted at any time between September 1^st and May 31^st via this FORM. Results are generally provided within 4 weeks.

For more information, contact us at lab@oboro.net or 514-844-3250 ext. 230.