THIRD SHIFT 2026 Call for Proposals
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, March 8, 2026 (11:59pm Atlantic)
SUBMIT TO: thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com with subject line THIRD SHIFT 2026
THEME: CHANNELS
NEED HELP? Application assistance is available for anyone who faces disability-related barriers to completing an online application and/or Indigenous applicants facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers within the online application process. Please contact us at thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com and we will be happy to help!
Applications are available in French and English at the bottom of this page.
FESTIVAL INFO SESSIONS
Open to everyone / Small presentation followed by Q&A
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8620591126
Meeting ID: 862 059 1126
Password: THIRD
All times in Atlantic
- Wednesday, February 18, 7pm-8pm
- Thursday, February 26, 7pm-8pm
- Sunday, March 1, 7pm-8pm
CONTACT:
Manny Travers
Executive Director, Third Space Gallery
thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com
(506)566-7434
ABOUT THIRD SHIFT
THIRD SHIFT is an annual festival of public contemporary artworks that takes place in Saint John, New Brunswick. THIRD SHIFT 2026 will take place from August 14 – 16, 2026.
Established in 2015, THIRD SHIFT holds space for new experiences and communal exchange through the exhibition of temporary public art installations, performances, and screenings. For more information about THIRD SHIFT and to see installations from previous festivals, please visit the festival website.
When we are having these calls it is important that all applicants think about their relationship to the land; THIRD SHIFT offers an opportunity to re-imagine and engage with the natural and built environment in what we now know as Saint John, and the surrounding land and waterways.
The land on which THIRD SHIFT takes place is the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq peoples. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq peoples first signed with the British crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but, in fact, recognized Indigenous sovereign title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing, equitable, reciprocal, and respectful relationship between nations—a relationship that Third Space strives to uphold. To learn more about Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages, the Native Land Interactive Map is a great resource and educational tool https://native-land.ca/.
FESTIVAL PRIORITIES
- We encourage proposals that reflect Third Space’s objectives as an alternative, non-commercial, contemporary artist-run centre: https://thirdspacegallery.ca/mandate/
- We encourage all mediums to apply. Consider ways to display your work outside of the traditional gallery setting.
- We encourage emerging artists, creatives, arts workers, and makers to apply—even if you have never made art in a formal capacity before, you are welcome.
- We aim to support efforts that are exploratory, challenging, and critical in nature.
- We encourage proposals for interactive and collaborative installations.
- We encourage applicants to propose new work as well as projects that have been started or completed elsewhere.
- We encourage proposals that are relevant to our community in Saint John, New Brunswick.
FINANCIAL COMPENSATION
Financial compensation for successful applicants are as follows. We strive to provide compensation rates above national standards as often as possible within our funding means. All rates are informed by federal and provincial standards (CARFAC, GNB & ArtsNB).
Applicants who plan to travel to Saint John are strongly encouraged to apply for travel funding through the federal or provincial arts council; Third Space will provide limited financial support, as well as funding application support to successful out-of-town THIRD SHIFT applicants.
Fees are paid out to the artists/collectives upon completion of the festival. Should an artist require an up-front payment to help alleviate costs (i.e. travel, materials), please inquire with the festival organizer directly to arrange.
Rows marked with asterisks are conditional and/or may not apply to every applicant. For example, some applicants may be selected to present an artist talk or workshop in conjunction with their project. Similarly, an artist may not be present to install their project themselves, in which case, their installation fee is not included in their final pay out.
Artist Fees:
| Type of fee | Amount | Rate informed by |
| Exhibition fee (Individual) | $450.00 | CARFAC A.1.3 Category I, Group Exhibition 11+ artists |
| Exhibition fee (Collective/group of artists) | $675.00 | CARFAC A.1.3 x 1.5 individual rate |
| Exhibition fee (Community partners/organizations) | $650.00 | CARFAC A.1.3 x 1.4 individual rate |
| *Installation fee (Artists & Collectives only) | $300.00 | CARFAC C.7.0 Installation fees, half-day <4h |
| Screening fee (per submission) | $150.00 | CARFAC A.2.1 Single screenings, <15mins |
| Project materials reimbursement | Up to $375.00 | Set by Festival as per CARFAC C.1.0.1 |
| *Workshop fee | $560.00 | CARFAC C.2.1 Solo presentations, half day <4h |
| *Panelist fee | $415.00 | CARFAC C.2.2 Group presentations, half day <4h |
| *Workshop materials reimbursement | Up to $300.00 | Set by Festival as per CARFAC C.1.0.1 |
| *Accessibility support (Artists & Collectives only) | Up to $200.00 | Set by Festival as per CARFAC C.1.0.1 |
Travel fees (currently limited to THIRD SHIFT exhibiting artists only at this time):
| Type of fee | Amount | Rate informed by |
| Travel within Atlantic Canada coverage | Up to $200.00 | Per ArtsNB’s Grant Standards & GNB’s Travel Expenses Policy: $0.58/km |
| Travel within Canada coverage | Up to $375.00 | Set by Festival as per CARFAC C.1.0.1 |
| Accommodations coverage (Artists & Collectives only) | $100 per night, up to 2 nights ($200 total) | Set by Festival as per CARFAC C.1.0.1 |
Example of an out-of-region artist’s financial compensation for participating in the festival as a THIRD SHIFT Artist, staying two nights in Saint John:
Exhibition fee (Individual): $450.00
Installation fee: $300.00
Project materials reimbursement: $375.00
Travel within Canada coverage: $375.00
Accommodations coverage: $200.00
TOTAL : $1,700.00
APPLICATION ACCESSIBILITY
Applying to THIRD SHIFT is free! In addition to the online application, THIRD SHIFT will also accept proposals via phone, video, or audio file as needed by the applicant. Please get in touch with us at thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com to arrange. This process will be a 10-15 minute recorded interview that takes place between the executive director and the applicant where we will go through each section of the application verbally. The conversation will be recorded and shared with the jury via video or transcription.
You may submit your application in English or in French. Please note that the selection process will take place in English, so your application will be translated.
FESTIVAL FRAMEWORK
Tentative schedule:
Friday, August 14th: Third Watch, mini festival of audio-visual works
Saturday, August 15th: Evening exhibition of installations, performances, etc.
Sunday, August 16th: Morning and afternoon of artist talks, panels, and workshops
FESTIVAL ACCESSIBILITY
THIRD SHIFT takes place in various venues and various outdoor locations with differing terrain. Third Space is committed to organizing a barrier-free festival and will work with applicants to select project locations that meet accessibility requirements.
Third Space can arrange for closed captioning, ASL interpretation, translation of artworks at the applicant’s request, or any other accessibility requirement up to $200. Please indicate if you expect to utilize one or more of these services in your proposal, or if you require access to accessibility funds.
PLEASE NOTE
- Artworks will not be for sale, please submit proposals for non-commercial artwork only
- Applicants may only submit one proposal for consideration
2026 FESTIVAL THEME: CHANNELS
THIRD SHIFT: CHANNELS aims to explore, dissect, and interact with the overlapping avenues where we work, create, and play. The theme, “channels”, suggests a variety of ways in which we navigate the world around us, whether it be through waterways, roads and desire paths, internet streams, radio signals, love letters, circuits, emails, among other things.
We are seeking proposals for artwork that explores different ways of communication, interaction, and connection, or presents ideas in unique or abstracted manners, like the intersections of language, movement, and togetherness. Proposals may also present artwork that refers to physical or geographical channels, such as such as shared experiences in rural areas or with borders, the proximity to waters and navigational systems, explorations of reality and consciousness, or investigations of real and perceived power dynamics. We encourage applicants to share experiences of navigating the channels of a situation, community, or industry, and/or critically examine our personal and collective connections.
This theme is intentionally broad and, as such, can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. The proposed projects can take almost any form, from installation to performance. We encourage applicants to interpret the theme creatively. We value experimentation and collaboration.
HOW TO APPLY
Submit your application by Sunday, March 8, 2026 (11:59pm Atlantic)
Send the following documents to the email address thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com with the subject line THIRD SHIFT 2026
-
- Completed application form
- Relevant images/video/audio (you can include work you are submitting if it has been started or completed, similar work you have made in the past, sketches or mockups of your proposed project, or use any image/video/audio clip that will help the jury visualize your proposal)
Third Space will also accept proposals via phone, video, or audio file if email or text-based format is not accessible to the applicant. Please get in touch via email at thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com or give us a call at (506)566-7434
Application assistance is available for anyone who faces disability-related barriers to completing an online application and/or Indigenous applicants facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers within the online application process. Please get in touch via email at thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com or give us a call at (506)566-7434.
You may submit your application in English or in French. Please note that the selection process will take place in English, so your application will be translated.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
- The Executive Director and Third Space Board President review the proposals to flag anything that does not align with our festival priorities and application criteria.
- The Executive Director sends the applications to the THIRD SHIFTJury, comprising past THIRD SHIFT artists representing diverse identities and communities.
- The Jury selects between 10-15 proposals to recommend based on the following criteria:
-
- Impact / artistic merit (in terms of content)
- Site specificity / relevance to local communities
- Exploratory, challenging, and critical in nature
- Interactive and/or engaging (in terms of presentation format)
- Centres an underrepresented issue or identity and is culturally sensitive, well-considered
- Connection to theme
INFORMATION ABOUT THE JURY
- Each jury member must sign a confidentiality and conflict of interest agreement.
- Notes about the jury discussion will be kept on file, applicants may request feedback on their application.
- If the jury has any questions or concerns, the Executive Director will contact the applicant to clarify any necessary details about their proposal before making a final decision.
NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
- Late April 2026: All applicants will be notified of the status of their application.
- Early May 2026: Applicants whose proposals were recommended by the jury may be asked to submit a detailed work plan by this date.
- Mid May 2026: Successful applicants with approved projects will be officially invited to take part in THIRD SHIFT!
NEW TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS? NO PROBLEM!
We encourage folks who are new to the process to attend one of our info sessions to chat about THIRD SHIFT and clear up any questions or concerns. Application assistance is also available for anyone who faces disability-related barriers to completing an online application and/or Indigenous applicants facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers within the online application process. Please get in touch via email at thirdspacesubmissions@gmail.com or give us a call at 506-566-7434.
Not sure how to get started? Check out this example of a THIRD SHIFT Application!