Call for Mentors: Art Apprenticeship Network Fall 2026 — BC Alliance for Arts + Culture

Overview

The Art Apprenticeship Network (AAN), a program by The Shumka Centre at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, funds student apprenticeships with established artists, curators, and cultural workers in Metro Vancouver. The program aims to create paid work opportunities, social connection, and hands-on experience for emerging practitioners through a part-time apprenticeship model, delivered in partnership with TD.

Key Dates

• Application deadline: August 12, 2026
• Apprenticeship period: October 15 – December 31, 2026

How It Works

• You submit a well-defined project proposal with clear responsibilities and required hard/soft skills for the Student-Apprentice
• We share opportunities with senior-level Emily Carr students who indicate interest
• You review applications from interested students and select the best match
• Your Student-Apprentice works up to 150 hours or 10–15 hours/week, contributing to your project while receiving mentorship
• Student-Apprentices are paid by the Shumka Centre (mentors incur no participation costs)
• Mentors are not responsible for reimbursing project-related expenses

Mentor Eligibility

• Artists: Must have active studio practice or be developing applied projects/collaborations; must be well-established and able to commit adequate time to mentoring. Both individuals and collectives welcome. Apprentice roles may include studio production, fabrication, administrative tasks, documentation, post-production, packaging, shipping, or archive management.
• Artists must have completed basic academic training in a relevant field or be recognized by peers with publicly shared work within the last three years.
• Cultural Workers: Must be affiliated with an arts organization with a well-defined project (curation, public programming, exhibition design, art handling, or administration) and able to commit adequate time to supervise and mentor. Mentorship must be led by a single individual.

Selection Criteria

Access is competitive and limited to 10 spaces for this cycle. Applications are evaluated based on clarity and feasibility of project scope, the applicant's ability to define the Student-Apprentice role and expectations, quality of proposed mentorship and learning opportunities, and value of the Student-Apprentice's contribution to the project. Projects must fall within an area where the Mentor has sufficient knowledge to provide meaningful guidance. The program does not support projects where a Student-Apprentice is asked to independently deliver specialized work the Mentor is not equipped to direct or evaluate.

Application Requirements

• Project proposal (2 pages max) as a link, outlining the project, timeline, Student-Apprentice responsibilities, and required hard and soft skills
• Curriculum vitae as a link
• For independent artists and curators: portfolio link with maximum 8 images or 2 videos with title, date, media, and dimensions/duration
• For other cultural workers: brief bio or website link
• All mentors must provide a safe, respectful, and appropriate learning environment; note any workplace, studio, site, access, equipment, supervision, or training considerations in the proposal

Diversity & Inclusion

The Art Apprenticeship Network is invested in creating opportunities that celebrate diversity and intersectionality in sexuality, gender, culture, race, ethnicity, religion, and ability. A special invitation is extended to practitioners from diverse backgrounds, including individuals of Indigenous identity.

Contact & More Information

For further questions, visit the Mentors – FAQ page on the Shumka website at http://shumka.ecuad.ca/