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Program Information
Image of Faculty Matt Madden (left) and Bishakh Som (right)
Overview
Banff Centre’s Graphic Novels and Visual Narratives residency considers how creatives use this unique media as a place for personal narrative, memoir, and exploration.
In this self-directed residency, you will have the space to work away from the constraints of everyday life, delve deep into your creative project, and take advantage of the artistic community of your peers. You will have opportunities for consultations with faculty and guests, Matt Madden, Bishakh Som, and professional guest/s who specialize in comics, illustration, publishing, and writing; and the option to engage in readings and group sessions, that allow creators to explore techniques, aspects, and devices that you may find useful in your practice. With all program elements being optional, this flexible program allows you to choose the amount of support you are looking for.
What does the program offer?
This two-week residency provides thematic teachings from faculty members and professional guests, Q&A sessions, public events, and one-on-one workshopping. Mentors will discuss ideas, experiences, and obstacles that participants may be encountering with their practice in the genre of visual narratives and graphic novels.
Who should apply?
Experienced writers, graphic novelists/cartoonists, writer/illustrators, or writer and illustrator pairings looking to explore the future of visual and literary techniques and focus on works in progress. We welcome writers from all ages (18+), backgrounds, gender identities, and expressions.
Note: While the language of Banff Centre is English, this residency welcomes applications and projects in Spanish, French, and Bengali.
Faculty
Matt Madden
Matt Madden is a cartoonist and translator who has also taught in art schools around the world. He is known for his playful and inventive comics like the metafictional romp Ex Libris and 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style (Penguin), a comics adaptation of Raymond Queneau's Exercises in Style which led to his initiation into Oubapo, The Workshop for Potential Comics, in 2005. In 2013 he was named Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. He has also done translations from the French and Spanish, including Aristophane's The Zabîme Sisters (First Second) and Edmond Baudoin’s Piero (New York Review Comics). He wrote two comics textbooks in collaboration with his wife, Jessica Abel, and the couple were series editors for The Best American Comics from Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt for six years. From 2012 to 2016, he and his family did a four-year residency in Angoulême, France at La Maison des Auteurs. They are currently living in Philadelphia where he is doing translations and working on new comics when he’s not looking after his kids or playing guitar.
Photo credit: R. Carter Studios
Faculty
Bishakh Som
Bishakh is an Indian-American trans femme visual artist and author. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Autostraddle, The Strumpet, The Boston Review, The Georgia Review, Black Warrior Review and The Brooklyn Rail, amongst other publications. Her graphic novel Apsara Engine (The Feminist Press) is the winner of a 2020 L.A. Times Book Prize for Best Graphic Novel and a 2021 Lambda Literary Award winner for Best LGBTQ Comics. Her graphic memoir Spellbound (Street Noise Books) was also a 2021 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Bishakh has illustrated two books about architecture: The Prefab Bathroom: An Architectural History, (McFarland Press) and Cocktails and Conversations: Dialogues on Architectural Design (AIA New York). Bishakh’s artwork was featured in solo shows at ArtLexis Gallery and at Jaya Yoga Center and in group shows at The Society of Illustrators in New York, the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College, Issyra Gallery, the Grady Alexis Gallery, De Cacaofabriek in the Netherlands and most recently at Art Omi in Ghent, NY. You can see her work at www.bishakh.com.
Photo credit: Shirya Samavai
Faculty
Andy Brown
Andy Brown founded Conundrum Press in post-referendum Montreal. Originally publishing an eclectic mix of spoken word, comics, zines, short stories and novels, he focused the mandate of the press to exclusively literary graphic novels in 2010. Conundrum continues to thrive as one of a handful of Canadian publishers to focus on this field.
Professional Guest
What's Included
Single Room
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Your program fee includes a single bedroom on the Banff Centre campus for the duration of your program.
Get connected with other artists on campus and focus on your projects in a creative environment while we take care of the day-to-day essentials.
Full Flex Meal Plan
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Using a credit-based system to dine on campus, our flexible meal plans allow you to select meals according to your own needs during your stay.
The Full Flex meal plan includes $58 credit per day, equivalent to breakfast, lunch and dinner at our buffet service.
Writing Studio
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Each participant will be allocated a small studio as a private writing space.
Showcase Your Work
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This program offers opportunities to showcase your work-in-progress
Gym Membership
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Your program fee includes free access to the climbing gym and fitness suite as well as discounted rates for classes at the Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Centre.
Box Office Discounts
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Enjoy special artist rates for ticketed performances or complimentary access to events.
Participant Resources
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Enrich your experience and get to know other artists on campus by taking advantage of the activities and support provided by our Participant Resources team.
Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives
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The Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives - Current Services
We are delighted to offer the following services for Banff Centre Participants, Artists, and Faculty:
- Open hours: 9:30 am to 1 pm, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Library accounts for borrowing materials
- Digital Library
- Research assistance, by appointment
Please email library@banffcentre.ca or archives@banffcentre.ca for more information or assistance.
Fees & Financial Assistance
Application fee: $65 ($35 for applicants who identify as Indigenous)
*Financial Aid of 100% is available to cover tuition, and 50% is available to offset food and accommodation costs.
*All accepted participants will receive the above financial aid package. Application fees are not refundable.
Help fund your experience at Banff Centre. View a compiled list of national and international opportunities here.
Banff Centre will issue official tax receipts for eligible tuition fees and financial assistance and awards as required by the Income Tax Act. You will receive a T2202 (Tuition and Enrolment Certificate) for eligible tuition fees paid and a T4A (Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income) for applicable financial assistance and awards.
How to Apply
Learn more about the steps to Complete Your Application.
Resume
A one to two page resume or C.V. describing academic, professional, and other relevant experience.
Cover Letter
A one-page cover letter explaining why you are interested in this program, what you hope to achieve by attending it, and how the program theme relates to your practice.
Project Summary
Provide a 500-word summary of the proposed project. These summaries will be used as a narrative for administrative and public use.
Portfolio
Please provide one sample of relevant work (5-6 pages of comic/ graphic novel).
Adjudication
Adjudication is based on artistic merit, the potential impact of the program on artists’ practice and careers, project feasibility and the capacity of Banff Centre to help realize the project, and the project’s fit with Banff Centre’s values and strategic directions as described in its strategic plan. Banff Centre respects the need for artists to plan ahead for their visit; applicants will be notified as soon as adjudication is complete.
This program is not open to current faculty members of any other Banff Centre programming.
International Applicants
Banff Centre welcomes domestic and international applicants for this program. Please note, Banff Centre programs do not meet Canadian Student Visa eligibility requirements, you must obtain a Visitor Visa to enter Canada. Accepted individuals are responsible for identifying and complying with the immigration requirements to enter Canada as a visitor from their country of origin. Current wait times to receive a visa are much longer than normal, so applicants who require a Visitor Visa should check the current expected processing times prior to applying.
Eligibility
Applicants must be ages 18+ at the time of the program start date.
Disclaimer
All programs, faculty, dates, fees, and offers of financial assistance are subject to change. Program fee is subject to applicable taxes. Non-refundable fees and deposits will be retained upon cancellation. Any other fees are refunded at the discretion of the Banff Centre. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
Contact Admissions
For questions on preparing your application, please contact Admissions:
Toll Free Number (Canada + USA)
1.800.565.9989
Phone
403.762.6180
