Silverfish is seeking emerging Toronto-based artists and writers to participate in our 2023 Artist and Writer Program. This year we welcome guest editor Cason Sharpe, who will lead the editorial vision for the publication, and facilitate workshops alongside the Silverfish collective. This program pairs artists and writers to produce new work through interdisciplinary collaboration. Selected participants will develop their practices through reading groups, critiques, peer editing, and collective making. Participants will have the opportunity to host public workshops in their chosen medium and exhibit their work in an exhibition co-presented by Trinity Square Video in late 2023. The program will culminate in the production of Silverfish 003, published in partnership with Hearth.
This year’s program is all about Hole. We are seeking artists and writers whose work engages diverse interpretations of this theme including but not limited to the erotic Hole (“I’m just a hole sir,” shame, Is the Rectum a Grave?, and all that shit), the underground Hole (fox hole, rabbit hole, wormhole, YouTube hole, K-hole, Hole like Courtney Love), and the [redacted] Hole (missing information, logical inconsistencies, loopholes, plot holes, holes we poke in stories). So many Holes. Who wants to help us dig?
The workshops will take place in-person at Trinity Square Video and online on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00pm throughout May and June 2023. The workshops require a weekly 2hr commitment over the course of 9 weeks (with one week off at the half-way point). Participants can expect a 3-5 hour workload outside of group workshops for independent and paired studio time. Participants will be paid a $550 contribution fee for the creation of new work, will have access to a materials budget, and will receive a 1-year Trinity Square Video Producing Membership and $1000 in Trinity Square Video Credit.
Silverfish is committed to prioritizing emerging and marginalized voices, particularly those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC, and/or youth (artists and writers under 30). We encourage applicants to self-identify in their applications.
Eligibility
To qualify for this program you must be:
- An emerging artist and/or writer based in Toronto
- Excited to expand your practice by incorporating new skills outside your main discipline
- Interested in exploring (or continuing to explore) the theme of Hole through your writing or artwork
- Interested in facilitating a public workshop on the topic of your choosing
- Available to attend all program workshop sessions
How to Apply
Applications should include a letter of interest (500 word max) and a CV. If applying as an artist: include a portfolio of up to 10 images OR 2 videos. If applying as a writer: include a writing sample of no more than 5 pages or 1000 words. Please identify in your letter whether you are applying as a writer or artist and tell us a bit about your practice, your interest in the program and the 2023 theme. Note that applications should not include a distinct project proposal, as finished works will arise from collaboration throughout the program. We are looking to hear how you will explore the theme in your work, and what skills you will bring to your collaborative project.
Applications should be sent to silverfishdigital@gmail.com by 5 April 2023. Applicants will be notified of the results by mid-April.
If you have any questions or need any assistance in the application progress please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Workshop Facilitators
Program workshops will be led by guest editor Cason Sharpe and Silverfish Committee member B Wijshijer.
Cason Sharpe is a writer currently based in Toronto. His fiction and criticism have appeared in Canadian Art, C Magazine, Public Parking, In The Mood Magazine, Brick, PRISM International, and the Hart House Review, among others. His first collection of stories, Our Lady of Perpetual Realness, was published by Metatron Press in 2017. Named a Queer Writer to Watch by THIS Magazine, Cason has presented work at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Vancouver Art Book Fair, the Prairie Art Book Fair, and the Hamilton Film Festival.
B Wijshijer a.k.a shrimpychip, is an artist and arts facilitator currently based in Tkaronto, Canada. Wijshijer makes silly sneaky videos, performances, installations, digital images and digital props. They have led workshops at arts centres, including Factory Media Arts Centre, Ed Video, Interaccess, and Mediale. This will be their second year facilitating with Silverfish.
About
Silverfish is a collective based in Tkaronto/Toronto, focused on cultivating sustained dialogue between contemporary artists and writers. Our publication and workshop program prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration, experimentation, and process, working within a framework of relational, non-institutional pedagogy. Silverfish is a proponent of organic, scattered, and occasional publishing. On an annual-ish basis, we organize a workshop program rooted in peer-based skill sharing in which emerging artists and writers collaborate to reflect on pressing themes and critical discourses within contemporary art and culture. The workshop program culminates in the publication of our print and digital periodical, which features experimental and expansive approaches to artistic practice and art writing. We are committed to providing a unique platform and paid opportunities for emerging artists and writers, and prioritize creating opportunities for those within 2SLGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
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