The Bentway Artist Residency is an annual, self-directed onsite program focused on advancing creative research and experimentation around a specified project theme or approach that responds to the features and/or functions of The Bentway Phase 1 site.

This year, The Bentway has teamed up with Toronto Dance Theatre to create a residency opportunity dedicated to dance in public space. The 2023 The Bentway Artist Residency: Dance in Public Space invites three (3) artists with a focus on dance, movement, and/or embodied practice to participate in a three-month, open-ended, and research-based project that furthers their practice, provides learning opportunities with dance and public art practitioners; and in turn, contributes to the evolution of The Bentway as leading a creative movement to re-imagine the opportunities of urban spaces.

The production of artwork and/or a performance is not central to the program or required. However, each residency project is expected to create meaningful opportunities for community engagement and feedback through the presentation of ongoing research, or any combination of research and culminating artwork and/or performance, in a public forum. Residents are encouraged to consider the lasting legacy of their work and the ways it can deepen the impact of visitors’ experiences, understandings, and connections to The Bentway in years to come.

The Bentway Artist Residency: Dance in Public Space aims to:

support dance, movement and embodied practices through independent site research in order to investigate our relationships to public space and spark new connections and understandings;
embed professional development and learning opportunities in partnership with local organizations for residents to further cultivate their practice in the public realm;
expand audiences through inclusive and thoughtful community dialogue, public presentation, and participation in the resident’s research and experimentation.