East End Arts is excited to announce a new program to support local artists, arts collectives and creatives! The deadline to apply is Sunday March 1, 2026 by 11:59PM EST.
ArtLabs – Call For Submissions
Taking place various Dates from February – November, 2026
St. Matthew’s Clubhouse, 450 Broadview Ave.
Deadline to Apply: March 1, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST
ABOUT THE ARTLABS PROGRAM
East End Arts is thrilled to be launching a new open call program for local artists and collectives looking for creative space! ArtLabs is a new umbrella program that offers free space and basic support for artists looking to launch a new idea or experiment within their artistic practice. You bring the idea, we provide the space for you to experiment and grow!
We are open to any idea that can take place in our space of St. Matthew’s Clubhouse, at 450 Broadview Ave. in Riverdale Park East. As long as you feel that you could make use of our space to explore your idea, we would love to hear it! Examples could include:
🔴 Rehearsing/workshopping a new play or performance
🟠 Practising your facilitation skills by organizing an art workshop
🟡 Putting on a show/performance on our porch or lawn in the summer
🟢 Organizing an arts market for you and some friends to sell your work
🔵 A crafting or writing meetup
🟣 An open mic or musical concert
⚪ Anything else arts-related you can dream up!
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
This call is intended for practising artists who are looking for space and time to devote to a new idea that will enrich their artistic practice. The activities under the “ArtLabs” umbrella can be open to the public if you wish (i.e. for a performance or a market), or can be private and limited to your invited collaborators. You will be the main guiding force of your proposed idea, but the EEA team will be available to support you along the way!
For our pilot season of ArtLabs, we will be prioritizing emerging artists. Our definition of emerging artist is broad and not based on age, but experience. If you are at the beginning stages of your creative career, this is probably you! For mid-career and/or established artists, we will be prioritizing applications that are about new experimentation, pivoting artistic practices, and/or trying out new ideas that have not yet been explored.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
- ArtLabs sessions will take place during the last week of every month throughout 2026. There will be week options and weekend options to choose from. Successful applicants will be given a choice of days/months based on their application and stated preferences. If your idea does not fit within this model (i.e. you want repeated dates, or weekdays), please note this in your application and feel free to still apply! We are always open to discussing program ideas and possibilities.
- Artists will be accepted on a rolling basis, so apply early to get your top choice! Our application form will be open until at least Sunday March 1, 2026, but may be extended if spots remain open. Those who apply by the initial deadline will be notified of the status of their application by March 31st, 2026.
- PLEASE NOTE that we are not offering remuneration (payment) for the artists involved as part of this program. Chosen applicants may NOT charge others to participate in their activities (no workshop fees, ticket fees, vendor fees, etc.), but can accept donations/employ a PWYC model if needed. If you wish to charge fees to participants/attendees for activities in our space, please feel free to contact us about a paid rental instead.
- The main support that we offer to artists and/or creatives through this program stream is providing our space and time free of charge for successful applicants. There is a spot on our application form to indicate if you need additional support for your idea to take flight. While we cannot guarantee extra support, we may be able to offer assistance in the following areas:
- Supplies support – this could include access to basic art materials and/or office supplies
- Marketing support – this could include social media promotion, graphic design, and outreach support
- Registration support – this could include making registration forms and keeping track of registrants
- Photo/documentation support – this could include taking photos and videos of your proposed activity/event
- Set-up and tear-down support – this could include setting up or dismantling the clubhouse space for your activity/event
- General staff support – this could include requesting that an additional EEA staff member is on site to help support your activity/event
WHAT IS OFFERED AT ST. MATTHEW’S CLUBHOUSE:
Our clubhouse is approximately 900 sq ft. and is equipped with basic items like:
- folding tables (10)
- stacking blue chairs (40)
- a projector screen & cheap projector (not suitable for performances etc.)
- a small bluetooth speaker
- a kitchenette with sink, mini fridge, microwave, etc.
- Basic kitchen utensils and supplies like bowls, plates, glasses, forks, knives, etc.
- Easels (5)
We do not currently have specialized A/V equipment or facilities for toxic and/or plumbing intensive art forms like ceramics, oil painting, some forms of printmaking, etc.
We cannot guarantee the availability of any extra equipment, but we will do our best to work with selected participants to make sure your needs are met so that your idea can succeed! To learn more about our space, visit our Rental Details Page.
HOW TO APPLY:
Thank you for your interest in ArtLabs 2026! The deadline to apply is Sunday March 1, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST.
To apply, please fill out our application form housed on Google forms found here:
If you have any questions about the application process you can email our Program Producer, Merryn, at merryn@eastendarts.ca
Below are the questions that you will find in our application form:
- Email:
- Phone number:
- Main applicant’s full name:
- Name of collective or art business:
- What are your pronouns?
- First 3 digits of your postal code:
- Website and/or social media handle(s):
- What is your primary art form?
- Please provide us with a short artist bio (max 500 characters):
- Please give us an overview of your proposed idea. (max 1500 characters)
I.e.
– How you plan to use the space/the activity you are proposing
– How many people would participate in your proposed activity (would it be just you? a small group? a large audience? All answers are welcome!)
– How the proposed activity will support your artistic professional development
– How your proposed activity might support other artists or add to a thriving artistic scene in the east end
– Why you think this opportunity is right for you - Other than the free use of our space, what other kinds of support would you hope to receive from East End Arts staff? We cannot necessarily offer everything you request, but we will do our best to support you!
- Which months would you be available and/or interested in executing your ArtLabs proposal?
- What is your preferred timeslot for executing your ArtLabs proposal?
- Please upload up to 5 examples of your previous work or performances so we can understand your practice a little better.
- Do you require any particular special equipment for your proposed activity or event?
- Do you consider yourself to be an emerging artist?
(Our definition of emerging artist is broad and not based on age, but experience. If you are at the beginning stages of your creative career, this is probably you!) - Please confirm if you are a member of any of East End Arts’ Equity Seeking Groups:
-Local East Toronto Resident
-Woman
-Trans and/or Non-Binary
-Indigenous
-Black
-Racialized Person/Person of Colour
-Person living with Disabilities and/or Mental Illness
–2SLGBTQIA+
-Newcomer
-Senior (65+)
-Youth (29 or under)
-Low Income Community Member - Do you have any accessibility needs you would like us to be aware of? Please note that our clubhouse is a physically accessible building with an entrance ramp and accessible washroom on site.
Deadline for submissions: Sunday March 1, 2026 by 11:59PM EST