Overview
The Non-Verbal Co-Learning Engagement is a 6-week program designed to explore non-verbal (not spoken) communication approaches in contemporary art spaces. This program supports artists whose practices prioritize gesture, text, sign language, or silence as creative tools. Participants work collaboratively with grunt gallery staff to deepen their understanding of access challenges and possibilities for non-verbal contemporary art practices.
Eligibility:
This program is limited to artists residing in the Greater Vancouver Regional District or Metro Vancouver. Priority is given to artists who self-identify as Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Non-Verbal, Neurodiverse, or as practitioners of non-verbal communication in their work. The program also supports Trans and Queer artists who are exploring silence and adapting to a silent or non-verbal practice as they undergo voice changing transitions. Additionally, Indigenous artists from Host Nations (Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh) are prioritized.
Deliverables
Deliverables include:
- Attendance at weekly co-learning check-in sessions (1 hour, online)
- Participation in the production of a response with grunt gallery (e.g., interview, video, or other format) that will be archived and shared publicly.
- Participation in 1 grunt staff meeting and 1 grunt accessibility committee meeting.
- Participation in a closed roundtable conversation between other professional non-verbal artists (2 hours, online).
Fees:
Artists receive $2,000 CAD for participation. Artists may work on projects in progress or new projects and use these funds at their discretion (no need to report to grunt). Artists do not have to produce any completed work nor provide materials or artwork to grunt gallery.
Artists are expected to commit to up to 8 hours of co-learning sessions with grunt staff where they will share and chat about barriers and challenges facing non-verbal artists as well as possibilities in non-verbal/gestured expression, and brainstorm ways to better support their practices within formal gallery spaces. An opportunity to meet with grunt gallery’s program director, curator and/or exhibition manager will be made available where the artist can discuss their practice, and receive feedback on how they can present their work when applying for exhibitions and other programs within contemporary gallery spaces. Artists are asked to visit at least one exhibition at grunt gallery, and respond to the space either in conversation or in making. Any travel costs and access supports for this will be paid for by grunt gallery.
The program is designed to be spacious and allow participants to shape the program.
Application information
Winter 2025 Engagement:
Call for Applications now open
Deadline: January 10, 2025
Free Info Session: Jan 8, 2025 – Register by email, aep@grunt.ca, or using google forms. *ASL Interpreters booked
Winter 2025 Engagement Dates (6 weeks): February 4 – March 14, 2025
Application Options:
- Download plain text application (email)
- Use Google Forms application
- Annotated application questions (online)
- Listen to application questions:
Future Deadlines:
- 2026 Engagement – Opens Winter 2025. Deadline: January 9, 2026 (Coming Soon)
- 2027 Engagement – Opens Winter 2026. Deadline: January 8, 2027 (Coming Soon)
FAQ
Q: Why is this called an “Engagement” and not a “Residency”?
A: grunt gallery does not provide maker or production space. The co-learning model focuses on shared knowledge and learning rather than production.
Q: How much do you pay artists?
A: Participants are compensated $2,000 CAD for their time, contributions, and deliverables. Artists who participate in the closed roundtable will receive half-day CARFAC fees (relative to the year).
Q: What do my fees support?
A: That is up to the artist. The engaged artists can use the funds however they want and do not need to report to grunt gallery how they use the funds. Any work done with the gallery that requires access professionals (such as interpreters or interveners) or travel will be covered by a grunt.
Q: Why do you list Deaf and deaf artists?
A: The captial D Deaf artist is culturally Deaf and uses a signed language as their primary form of communication. They might also be DeafBlind, or DeafDisabled. A lower-case deaf (or hard of hearing) artist may self-identify or be identified as deaf due to their hearing loss or medical diagnosis while choosing not to use or not having access to a signed language. They may be late deafened or may be prohibited from using signed language in their daily lives. We acknowledge that practicing silence, being non-verbal, and being Deaf are very different. This is a call to a broad range of art practices, and while there may be some overlap, we acknowledge that being deaf is not the same as being Deaf and that one can be Deaf and have a practice not connected to Deaf culture. Someone can be hearing and process audio but not being able or willing to speak. This co-learning initiative is designed to be expansive.
We welcome a multitude of identities in this program; however, the engaged artist must have a silent or non-verbal art practice to be considered eligible.
Q: Is there an exhibition?
A: No. This is not an exhibition opportunity but a knowledge-sharing and supporting program where artists will receive a fee to continue their own explorations and development within an ongoing non-verbal practice while being in conversation with grunt gallery about what it means to have a non-verbal practice and navigating non-verbally in a primarily verbal space.
Q: What are the gallery’s accessibility details?
A: General access information is available in our website’s footer on every page, but here is a video walkthrough of the space, which includes a visual description. The staff at grunt gallery are mostly hearing and verbal individuals. Most of our staff and contractors are practicing artists, and our centre is artist-run. We have two hard of hearing staff members, one of whom uses ASL as an additional language and tends towards non-verbal communication in writing whenever possible.
Please let us know if you require a translator, intervenor, or other access support. Service dogs with certification are welcome in the space. Please note that non-certified support animals cannot be supported in the space for staff and visitors and their access needs.
For full access details, to discuss needs and inclusion, or for help with your application, please email access@grunt.ca or aep@grunt.ca.
Previous Artists and Work
View our previous non-verbal engagement artists’ works in the grunt archive.
- 2024: Kelsie Frazer (Non-Verbal Artist)
Return to the Accessible Engagement Project Page