Emerging Curator Residency Program

Institution: Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA)
Location: Montréal, Canada
Program: Emerging Curator Residency Program 2026–2027
Residency Period: Between January – June 2027
Duration: Approx. 3 months residency + long-term project development
Project Completion: By end of 2028
Deadline: 9 March 2026 (5pm EDT)
Eligibility: Curators and cultural practitioners aged 30 or younger
Focus: Architecture, urban issues, landscape design, socio-cultural dynamics

 

The Emerging Curator Residency Program offers the opportunity to propose and curate a project at the CCA related to contemporary debates in architecture, urban issues, landscape design, and cultural and social dynamics while completing a residency at the CCA.

The CCA encourages a wide range of proposals for curatorial projects with a broad scope. Proposals must bring an innovative curatorial model to the contemporary discourse on architecture. The CCA seeks proposals that use the curatorial project as a tool to foster ideas, question relevant positions, introduce new research themes, and critique current modalities, with the ultimate goal of advancing new thinking for architecture and the built environment. Particular attention will be given to projects that intend to locate the discourse of architecture within a broader context across disciplines and practices, and that also point to overlooked areas of knowledge or engage with plural and diverse voices.

The output of the proposal may follow many trajectories, and the result may be as varied as an editorial project, a program of seminars and research colloquiums, a series of public events or workshops, a collection-based project, the production of content for the web and social media, a documentary film, or a physical or virtual exhibition. Interdisciplinary and collaborative practices are encouraged. The proposal must be explicit about the choice and relationship of format with content.

The Emerging Curator Residency Program includes a mentorship period that ensures the final candidates’ understanding of CCA culture and curatorial procedures. The CCA will select three finalists who will be mentored remotely by the CCA curatorial team over a two-month period in September–October 2026. During this time, the finalists will fine-tune their project proposal and receive constructive feedback. At the end of this two-month period, the CCA will re-evaluate the three projects and choose one that the CCA will develop and produce in collaboration with the selected Emerging Curator. The other two finalists whose projects will not be realized will have the opportunity to publish their research on the CCA website. The CCA Emerging Curator Residency Program is an occasion for motivated individuals who seek experience in reflecting on the role of architecture discourse within the context of a cultural institution. The selected candidate will be asked to complete a three-month residency at the CCA to develop and implement the project with the CCA team.

During the residency, the candidate will become further acquainted with the CCA’s institutional knowledge and vision, explore the institution’s resources and the collection holdings, and develop their curatorial vision to produce the proposed project. The CCA will provide guidance towards the project’s realization. The residency should take place between January 2027 and June 2027. The project should be completed by the end of 2028.

The CCA Emerging Curator Residency Program aims to nurture a new generation of cultural practitioners who are builders of institutions and communities.

Eligibility

Applicants may include architects, journalists, designers, critics, historians, photographers, artists, and other scholars or professionals interested in curatorial practice.

Applicants must:

• Be 30 years old or younger on January 1, 2026

• Demonstrate interest in architecture, urbanism, or related disciplines

Applicants of all nationalities and places of residence are eligible to apply.

Residency

The selected candidate will complete a residency period at the CCA in Montréal of approximately three months.

During the residency, the curator will have access to the CCA’s collection and resources.

The curator will develop a curatorial project in dialogue with the CCA’s research environment.

Application

Applications must be submitted online via the CCA website.

Deadline: 9 March 2026, 5pm EDT