Call for Submissions: Vector Festival 2024
Vector Festival is an experimental media arts festival dedicated to showcasing digital games and creative media practices. Presenting works across a dynamic range of exhibitions, screenings, performances, lectures, and workshops, Vector acts as a critical bridge between emergent digital platforms and new media art practice. The festival is proud to be a participatory and community-oriented initiative organized by InterAccess in Toronto, Ontario.
2024’s flagship exhibition, too fragile to hold, is curated by Miriam Arbus, and looks to explore the combined experiences of migrating species, weather patterns, geopolitical scrambling, and algorithmic data processing. We encourage artists to explore artworks that remind us that all is cosmic, symbiotic, interconnected, intersected and intertwined. All programming and artworks included in the festival are asked to respond to the festival thematic.
InterAccess invites submissions of artworks to the festival’s 2024 program, taking place July 11 – 21, 2024, with most exhibitions and site activations running through July 11 – August 10, 2024.
Submissions are due April 19th.
Vector Festival does not charge submission fees or provide production expenses. All artists selected for participation will receive fees in accordance with CARFAC and IMAA fee schedules, as well as support to apply for external funding.
We invite submissions of new media artworks for the following festival programs, the scope and perspective of which will respond to the submissions received:
Flagship Exhibition: too fragile to hold
New media artworks for consideration in our flagship, on-site exhibition, curated by Miriam Arbus, focused on the festival thematic, too fragile to hold.
Workshops
Proposals for online and in-person workshops teaching emerging and experimental approaches in new media and game art.
AR Multi-Site Exhibition
Artist applications to take part in a multi-site AR storefront window exhibition. Exhibited artworks will be developed with workshop support from May – July.
This program is curated by Hearth, supported by the Toronto Main Street Innovation Fund, and presented with support from Artivive.
Game Jam Residency: Deu(s ex) machina
Artist applications to take part in a game jam residency, supported by curator Bracy Appeikumoh. Residency starts during Toronto Games week (June 13 – 20) continues with workshop and thematic support for game development, ending in an exhibition opportunity during the festival.
This program is co-presented with Toronto Games Week.
Trinity Square Video: Vitrine Activation
New media artworks for installation in the Trinity Square Video vitrine located at 401 Richmond.
Sensorium: Site Activation
Proposals to activate the Sensorium Flex Space that explore the intersection of ecology and technology.
This program is open to current Sensorium Postdoc, Graduate, Faculty, and Research Associate members and is co-presented with Sensorium: Centre for Digital Arts and Technology at York University.
Screening
Time-based video, film, and moving image works for screening consideration.
Performance
Live performance proposals including, but not limited to: live coding, experimental sound art, dance, etc.
Online Artworks
Web based artworks hosted online.
Outside the Box
Any proposals that do not fit within the above programs.
Please note each festival program listed above has a separate application form with specific submission requirements.
Find each submission form at vectorfestival.org
SELECTION PROCESS
Proposals will be selected by InterAccess’s Programming Committee or program curator based on alignment with InterAccess's Programming Policy, organizational mandate, and festival thematic.
InterAccess is committed to equity and strongly encourages applications from equity-deserving communities, including artists who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, LGBTQ-identified, Gender Diverse, Two-Spirit, and Persons with Disabilities.
Reach out to art@interaccess.org with any questions.
INFORMATION SESSION & OFFICE HOURS
For insight into the application process, please join us for an information session or office hours at the following dates:
Information Session and Q&A
March 28, 2024, 5 – 6PM ET
Online over Zoom, registration required here
Office hours
- April 5, 2024, 11 – 1PM ET
- April 10, 2024, 4 – 6PM ET
- April 15, 2024, 2 – 4PM ET
Online over Discord, registration here to reserve a time or drop-in
Office hours are held in InterAccess’s Discord server, invite link provided upon registration. If appointment slots are full, feel free to check in the Discord during open hours if there are any last minute openings.
ABOUT VECTOR FESTIVAL
Vector Festival is a participatory and community-oriented initiative dedicated to showcasing digital games and creative media practices. Presenting works across a dynamic range of exhibitions, screenings, performances, lectures, and workshops, Vector acts as a critical bridge between emergent digital platforms and new media art practice.
The festival was founded in 2013 as the “Vector Game Art & New Media Festival” by an independent group of artists and curators: Skot Deeming, Clint Enns, kris kim, and Katie Micak, who were later joined by Diana Poulsen and Martin Zeilinger.
Image of Vector Festival 2023 flagship exhibition, curated by Mitra Fakhrashrafi, courtesy of Natalie Logan.