Rossland Emerging Artist Residency
August 1 - 12, 2025
Applications for the 2025 Rossland Emerging Artist Residency are now open.
Application Deadline: Sunday, May 11, 2025 - 11:59pm PST
Make art in the mountains.
The 2025 Rossland Emerging Artist Residency is a 12-day residency in Rossland, BC, developed and facilitated by Lofty Goal Project. The residency hosts a cohort of three early emerging dance and/or theatre artists (early emerging is defined as 5 years or less out of post-secondary or equivalent training) to create new work. This years residency is set to run August 1 - 12, 2025.
The aim of this residency is to provide early emerging artists with the uninterrupted time and space to dive into research for a new work in a new environment that is free of day-to-day distractions and full of fresh inspiration. Each artist will come to the residency to focus on their own work and research, but will move through the program as a cohort with the support of fellow artists in residence, residency facilitators, and the wider community.
Lofty Goal Project centers a collaborative and community oriented approach to the creative process. As artists we are always bouncing ideas off of each other, learning from one another, and challenging each other. We value the incredible mentors who have encouraged and inspired us, creating within a close network of support. We’ve structured this residency with these values in mind. It’s wildly intimidating to dive into a new process, especially one where you are working independently and at such an early career stage, but it’s an important step. The goal of this residency is to empower young artists to take that leap.
The 2025 residency is open to early emerging dance and/or theatre artists from across Canada. We define early emerging as 5 years or less out of post-secondary or equivalent training. If you have a question regarding eligibility, please reach out to info@loftygoalproject.com.
Please note that we can only accept individual artists at this time. Your project can take a larger scope but we can only support individual artists (no groups or collectives).
The sky is the limit as to your project, really. We are open to various submissions - create a new dance solo or work on sections that you imagine for a larger group piece, write a play or new music. We may be limited by certain technology features if you’re looking to work with technology. If you have any questions about whether your project fits the residency, please reach out to info@loftygoalproject.com.
Eligibility:
Applications are due by 11:59pm PST on Sunday, May 11, 2025. Your application can be submitted in a written format or in a video answer through our online form. If neither of these options are accessible to you, please reach out to info@loftygoalproject.com so we can work out an alternative.
Interviews for select applicants will be held between May 26-May 30, 2025. Applicants will be notified either way as to whether they have received an interview.
Notification of program acceptance will be sent by June 6, 2025. Applicants will be notified either way.
Application Process:
Dates: August 1 - 12, 2025
Location: Rossland, BC
Residency Details
What’s Included:
Accommodation for the duration of the program at the Wild Turkey Inn. Each artist has their own room with ensuite bathroom. A communal self-serve kitchen and dining room are fully open to artists. Food is not provided.
A minimum of 2 hours of studio space per day for 10 days at Kootenay Danceworks, plus additional time at the Charles Bailey Theatre. Common areas and outdoor spaces at the Inn are available for leisure and other aspects of your work and research outside of the studio.
Artist Fee - total amount dependent on funding.
Artists will receive archival footage and photos of their work.
Where you’ll be:
Rossland is a small town of about 4,000 people in the Kootenay region, about 1hr from Nelson. Most places in Rossland are walkable, but it’s very hilly! You can walk from The Wild Turkey Inn to Kootenay Danceworks, in downtown Rossland, in about 10 minutes. Most food options are located on the main strip in downtown Rossland.
The Charles Bailey Theatre is about a 15 minute drive from The Wild Turkey Inn.
Transportation to and from Rossland, and within the Kootenay’s, can be tricky. Support in organizing travel, as well as transportation while artists are with us, can be arranged.
2024 Rossland Emerging Artist Residency Cohort.
Expectations of the Artists:
Each artist will teach one workshop for the community during the residency. Residency facilitators will support artists in the planning and implementation of the workshop, as needed. Please note that this is a requirement of our funding and a central part of Lofty Goal Project’s priorities of connecting with the communities we work in.
Each artist will participate in a work-in-progress presentation at the end of the residency, with an audience engagement component.
2024 Residency Cohort
August 29 - September 8, 2024
Mackenzie Grantham
Madeline Setzer
Molly Jamin
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Mackenzie Grantham is a dancer born and raised in Castlegar, British Columbia. Her experience and love for dance grew through her local studio's competitive dance program. Upon graduation Mackenzie moved to Toronto to attend York University’s Dance Program. Here she trained mainly in Ballet, Modern techniques, floorwork and contact improvisation. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography and Performance, her recent endeavours include the Toronto remount of ‘Colossus’ by Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake, the remount of ‘DINO’ by Alyssa Martin of Rock Bottom Movement through the Guelph Dance Festival, and a summer of intensive training in Portland, Oregon with NW Dance Project.
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Madeline is a multidisciplinary artist who has performed, directed, and written for a wide array of film and theatre projects across Canada and abroad. She has studied at Victoria School of the Arts; VAS; Selkirk's Music and Technology program; and currently is working towards a degree in psychology. Recent credits include: Margot (Legally Blonde), Wednesday (The Addams Family), Joan (Gold Fever Follies), Emily (Ghosts of Yesterday), Lou (Gold Fever Follies), Cinderella (Disney Cruise Lines).
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Molly Jamin (She/Her) is a queer, neurodivergent writer living, learning and creating on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory (Victoria, BC.) She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Ancient Languages and Creative Writing at The University of Victoria. Molly spent her childhood in Rossland volunteering with the Gold Fever Follies and spearheading projects with the RSS drama department. She is grateful for the opportunity to return to her hometown and dig into her latest work, while giving back to her community!
Our partners
The Rossland Emerging Artist Residency is run in partnership with Rossland Council for Arts and Culture, The Wild Turkey Inn, and Kootenay Danceworks.
