Paris XR Residency
April 1st to 30th, 2025

The 2025 call for application is now open!
Deadline for applications: January 31st, 2025

1- About the Paris XR residency

1.1 – Introduction

Launched by the Forum des images’ NewImages Hub and the Institut Français du Canada, the first edition of the creative development residency “Paris XR Residency” will take place from April 1st to April 30th, 2025, in Paris, France.

The programme is open to creators, to all extended realities projects, from British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Northwest Territories or Saskatchewan to work on the development of an immersive project prototype and to immerse themselves in the French XR and cultural ecosystem in order to enrich their project’s development and expand their professional network. The programme is designed to provide a unique opportunity to strengthen connections and create new synergies between France and Canada in the field of digital innovations. During the residence, the selected artist will work on the development of their project and test it with diverse audiences. The creator will also participate in the NewImages Festival and will have the opportunity to take part in networking events through the XR
Market and the Industry Days of the festival. Moreover, the artist will participate in diverse cultural events such as public talks and meetings with different key actors of the local Parisian sector such as production and distribution studios, other creators, museums, galleries, etc.

1.2 – Purposes

The goal of the residency is to develop the prototype of a digital project, to foster the discovery of the digital ecosystem of France, as well as meaningful collaborations. At the end of the residency, the creator will be required to provide a report on their experience, work, and the progress of the project during this period.

1.3 – Advantages

The selected creator will be provided with:

  • A roundtrip flight Canada- Paris
  • 4-weekresidency programme in Paris
  • 4-weekaccommodation in Paris
  • A workplace at Universcience
  • A 1950€ grant(Corresponding to the per diem and the participation in diverse conferences/masterclasses during the residency)
  • Full access accreditation to participate at the NewImages Festival of the Forum des images
  • Connection opportunities with the local ecosystem
  • Participation to diverse events in Paris

1.4 – Equipment and support

 

This residency ensures, notably, for the selected artist:

  • Access to a workplace on a regular basis.
  • Access to state-of-the-art computer equipment
  • Technical support: occasional technical assistance to help the artist advance their project
  • Mentorship to provide feedback and assistance on the project and the artist’s approaches and help facilitate the use of resources
  • Provide networking opportunities within the digital and immersive art and cultural community.
  • Opportunities to present the project prototype with the audience.
  • Access to other campus facilities, depending on their disponibilities
  • The artist will be supported during the residency by the staff of the professional workplace institution and the team of the Forum des images.

2- Eligibility

2.1 – Applicants profile

This programme is open to any artist, creator, or project leader in XR writing-research.

  • Aged 18 year and over
  • Living in British-Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, Northwest Territories or Saskatchewan and having Canadian citizenship or the permanent residence.
  • Speaking English
  • Experienced professional with previous projects in the digital art and/or immersive field

2.2 – Eligible projects

This programme is open to all types of XR projects (360 or interactive virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, installations involving immersive technologies, sound design or 4D technology, etc.).

2.3 – Exclusion from participation and visibility

Any candidate for a residency with an eligible project who is under investigation or has been judicially convicted for acts of violence, particularly of a sexist or sexual nature, will not be given the possibility to participate in the selection process, neither any visibility for the duration of the procedure or the penal sentence, out of respect for the victims. This applies to our Swapcard platform, our website, our social networks, and our communications. Consequently, the eligible project will be removed from the programme if the investigation, conviction, or accusations are known before the selection; and it will be removed from our website and Swapcard platform if the accusations become known afterward, for the year of the concerned edition.

The modalities of this exclusion from visibility are as follows:

2.3.1 The disclosure of the investigation or penal conviction decision may be made public by the national media. This disclosure can also come from the victim or their lawyer, who may contact the NewImages Festival team for this purpose. The team will offer to involve an association or an organization for the defense of victims of violence.

2.3.2 The individuals in question will be contacted by the NewImages Hub team, who will inform them about the exclusion from visibility measure concerning them and their potential recourse (if it is proven that the accusation is inaccurate or if it has ended after a final decision of dismissal, acquittal, or by serving the sentence)

3- Application process

3.1 – About the call for applications

Application:

In addition, please note that:

  • Incomplete entries will no be considered
  • Your answers and data are auto-saved, so you can close and/or return to the form from the same device and browser (excluding private windows)

We strongly advise you not to wait until the last days of the call for applications to submit your project, in order to avoid any technical issues.

By registering, you acknowledge that you are the author of the submitted project and/or you are authorized to submit the project by all the other right holders. The Forum des images and the Institut Français of Canada cannot be responsible in any way for any claim, conflict or lawsuit in connection with the registration of the project

3.2 – Application form

Before you register, we invite you to read carefully what information, and documents have to be provided in the presentation file required in the registration form (in the same order than below):

  • Application form-Residency XR 2025 (in english only) at: https://paris-xr-residency-west-canada-2025.paperform.co/
  • A copy of identity card or passport
  • A biography and a CV/Resume
  • A portfolio of your previous projects
  • A cover letter
  • An elaborated synopsis of your project
  • A projected work plan for the residency
  • Project stills (if any)
  • A reference letter (optional)

4- Selection and commitments

4.1 – Selection of the committee

All eligible projects will be evaluated by a committee made up of representatives of the Forum des images and the Institut français du Canada.

4.2 – Notification and official announcement

The name of the selected creator will officially be announced in February 2025. Applicants will have been notified in advance by e-mail of the selection board’s decision concerning their application

4.3 – Obligations of the laureate

A contract mentioning all commitments on both sides shall be signed between the selected creator and the partners. Before the residency, the selected creator undertakes to share a projected work plan for his/her residency with the partner.

During/after the residency, the selected creator is asked to:

  • Execute the work / production plan;
  • To participate in conferences/masterclasses with local partners;
  • To take sometime in Paris, before the end of the residency, to write a report on the residency;
  • To showcase the outcome of their residency work (prototype, work-in-progress) at NewImages Hub (Paris) (to be determined together);
  • To include partners’ logos in credits and all communication materials (Institut français du Canada and the Forum des Images);
  • To allow partners to showcase the project for promotional purpose in their year-round line-up
  • Mention and tag all the partners organizing the Paris XR Residency in all online and written communication content and to add their logos when possible (Forum des images and Institut Français du Canada).

Besides, regarding the project:

  • Mention and tag all the partners organizing the Paris XR Residency in all online and written communication content and to add their logos when possible (Institut français du Canada and the Forum des Images).
  • To authorize partners to use, including but not limited to, reproduce, edit, adapt, publicly transmit, publicly broadcast, etc., project materials such as images, texts, sound recordings, or videos for promotional/educational purposes or to include the project in their annual programming.

5- Timeline

Monday, February 10 2025 (11:59, GMT) : Call for applications closes.
Friday, February 14 2025 : Pre-selection between partners.
Tuesday, February 18 2025 : Pitching session with the pre-selected candidates.
February : Notification of the awardee and the non-selected applicants.

6- Contact

Feel free to contact us if you any further question:

For questions regarding the application or the residency: [email protected]

Some more information

Paris highly focuses on high-tech values and is a central hub for the development of cultural and creative industries, particularly in digital innovation. The city is a recognized innovation cluster (audiovisual, animation, special effects) and one of the leading destinations for cutting-edge technologies (artificial intelligence, NFTs & blockchain, quantum). The Forum des images is a non-profit organization that has been fulfilling its cultural missions since 1988. Through a multidisciplinary programme (cinema, new images, video games and comics strip), the Forum des images is committed to making culture and art accessible to all. The Paris XR Residency project illustrates this commitment and aligns with Forum efforts in the field of digital arts since 2018. Indeed, 2025 will mark the 8th edition of NewImages Festival, an extended reality festival featuring local and international XR artists, attracting more than 4000 visitors annually, including the general public, XR professionals, and school groups, all welcomed in a specially curated mediation setting.

The Embassy of France in Canada, now via the Institut français du Canada, has been committed to immersive creation since 2019. In Western Canada, it has been developing a specific immersive focus “XR Fall”, every year since 2022, in Vancouver (with an artistic residency, exhibition, professional meetings), with various partners in France and Canada (including Forum des Images since 2024). It is also developing artistic residencies via the Résidences Ouest-Ouest programme: in 2025, these will also offer creative residencies in quantum sciences, and musical creation with AI.