The Canada Malting Silos are part of a heritage industrial building, which has been recently restored and repurposed for arts, culture and community programming. Last year was the first time the site was mapped for artistic presentation. We are delighted to continue to transform this site into a place for community gathering, artistic and cultural expression, and dialogue on climate action. 

Nuit Blanche is Toronto’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, transforming public spaces into artistic landscapes. The festival, featuring local, national and international artists, draws over 1 million visitors from across the GTA each year.  

Theme: Water Treaty

In alignment with Nuit Blanche’s curatorial theme Poetic Justice under the main theme, Translating the City, we are seeking cross-disciplinary proposals to be projection mapping onto the east or west side of the Canada Malting Silos that explores the idea of a renewed treaty with water. 

Water is a force of connection, sustenance, memory, and change. It shapes landscapes, carries histories, and moves through our bodies in cycles both ancient and continuous. Yet, in many parts of the world, water is treated as a resource to be extracted, controlled, or commodified—its rhythms disrupted by pollution, flooding, and drought. Our relationship with water is one of growing imbalance, revealing the broader ecological and colonial systems that have severed us from its deeper meanings.

How might we enter into a renewed treaty with water—one rooted in reciprocity, reverence, and care? How might we move beyond narratives of crisis and scarcity to recognize water’s agency, intelligence, and poetry? How might we listen to the stories water carries and allow it to reshape our ways of being?

As the European Union and Canada deepen their collaboration through initiatives like the EU-Canada Ocean Partnership under the Green Alliance, this call for proposals becomes more than just an initiative—it is a testament to our shared responsibility to protect the planet’s biodiversity. At the heart of this commitment lies water, the lifeblood of all ecosystems, shaping landscapes, sustaining species, and weaving together the delicate balance of life on Earth.

We invite artists to engage water as a collaborator, witness, and teacher. Submissions may explore water’s capacity for shape-shifting and renewal, its role in cultural and spiritual traditions, its histories of resistance and survival, and its potential to guide us toward new futures.

Eligibility 

We are seeking proposals that meet the following criteria: 

• Artists currently residing in Canada or the EU
• Artists with technical knowledge on working with 3D models and projection mapping software (e.g. Resolume, Touch Designer)
• Proposals that directly respond to the theme Water Treaty
• Optional: Available to travel to Toronto for Nuit Blanche (October 4, 2025) to support with installation and/or participate in a live panel. 

Artwork Specifications

• 7–10-minute pieces on loop, durational works that unfold over 12 hours and/or interactive and responsive works that change throughout the night.
• Original or repurposed digital, animation, multimedia, experimental film, mixed-media and/or interactive artworks that can be mapped and made site-specific to the east or west side of the Canada Malting Silos.
• Optional interactive components might include responsive environments, generative or algorithmic works, mobile or web-based interactions and/or data-based interactions.
• Works suitable for public spaces and audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
• Sound is optional and better suited to the west side of the Canada Malting Silos. 

Artist Fees 

• Artist fee: $10,000 CAD (~6,700 EUR)
• This fee covers all costs related to the development and delivery of the artwork to our technical team.
• All production costs (i.e. technical equipment, staff, set-up) are separate and will be covered by OCAD University and the EU Delegation to Canada.
• Optional: Travel and accommodation costs will be covered if the artist is required to be in Toronto, Ontario for Nuit Blanche. 

Technical Specifications

The following resources offer technical specifications for the site:  

• Photos and videos from Nuit Blanche 2024
• 3D model of the Canada Malting Siloes
• Building specifications of the Canada Malting Siloes

Collaboration Framework

Once selected, artists will participate in: 

• Collaborative Process: Participate in a collaborative process with our team (comprised of members from the EU, OCAD U and our technical partner, Future Talk) to develop the artwork. This will include monthly meetings in June and July and bi-weekly or weekly meetings between August-September depending on the project's needs.
• Storytelling: Collaborate with the EU and OCAD U teams on marketing and storytelling initiatives, using personal social media platforms to share the project.   
• Recognition and Signage: Collaborate with the EU and OCAD U teams to identify possible opportunities within the artwork and surrounding the artwork to acknowledge funding partners.
• Panel Discussion: Participate in a virtual panel with other artists, scholars and/or policy professionals to discuss different dimensions related to new water treaties.

Application

• Name and Address
• Links (Website, Social Media)
• Project name
• Project Proposal: Artistic vision and response to theme, Water Treaty (max 500 words)
• Artist Statement: Artistic practice and approach (max 300 words)
• Collaboration Approach (max 200 words)
• CV, including exhibition and presentation history (max 3 pages)
• Storyboard and/or 10-15 second snippet that offers the jury insight into the proposed creative vision
• Up to 10 minutes of footage of previous works with a document outlining a list of the artworks (title, year, location, presenter)

Artists must submit their completed project proposal via this online application form by May 9, 2025 @ 11:59PM EST. If you require assistance or accommodations with the application, please contact us at: eupopcanada@gopa-pace.com 

Evaluation Criteria 

The applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of artists, cultural workers and scholars from OCAD University, EU Delegation to Canada and the Bathurst Quay community. 

• Thematic alignment and ingenuity (30%): Creativity and relevance of the project
• Artistic quality (30%): Quality of past work and the proposed project
• Impact (20%): Impact of project on artist growth, community and dialogue
• Technical Feasibility (20%): Technical experience and the ability to execute

Timeline

About Global Centre for Climate Action, OCAD University 

Affiliated with OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, the Global Centre for Climate Action is a research-creation centre at Canada’s Malting Silos that brings together artists, designers and researchers from around the world to host public events, exhibitions and programs that engage people in creative action and dialogue towards a renewed climate future.

About the EU Delegation to Canada 

Established in 1976 in Ottawa, the Delegation of the European Union in Canada is the EU’s diplomatic mission with a mandate to strengthen EU-Canada ties, covering all bilateral policy areas. The EU is at the forefront of global efforts to combat climate change, implementing ambitious policies and legally binding targets aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050.The EU also promotes cultural diplomacy and effective multilateralism, fostering cooperation and understanding between Canadians and Europeans.