MISSION
Studio 303 supports artists engaged in critical and experimental processes, in dance and interdisciplinary performance – with a particular attention to minority artists and practices, specifically Queer and racialized.
Vision
A home base for independent dance and performance artists, nurturing a flourishing performance ecosystem that stimulates and sustains artists whose experimental practices contribute to society in improbable and visionary ways.
Values
— Prioritising artists. Centering the needs of off-center creators, we respond attentively to the artists we serve, who are not only our clientele but our co-creators in building a more inclusive and welcoming performance ecology.
— Embracing the strange. We align ourselves with artists who may be seen as unconventional or unexpected, those who transgress or challenge boundaries of discipline, identity, methodology, and more.
— Nurturing relationships. We prioritize relationships over transactions and seek to cultivate and spread this ethos within the systems we participate in.
— Cultivating self-reflection. We keep questioning our own motives and institutional power, striving to be self-reflective and transparent, rather than self-serving.
Activities
Studio 303 fosters artistic practice and professional development through four main services, encouraging and supporting artists to:
- LEARN by participating in professional workshops, evening classes or Labs.
- CREATE during Regular residencies for local artists, either simple (during the Summer) or with tech (during the Winter holidays) and Special residencies such as RELAY and In the Shade in 2025-26
- GET TOGETHER at our community events and networking opportunities such as SPARK Series, Taking the Leap, public events and reading circles.
- RENT our studio for rehearsals, video or photoshoots, classes or independent productions.
How we work
Our structure follows an integrated vision, where each activity feeds another. Artists often move through various roles: teaching one year, being a resident the next, taking workshops or participating in events etc. This fosters continuity for returning artists with whom we nurture a long-term relationship, while also providing various entry points for those who wish to join the 303 community.
Programming – As a space dedicated to experimental performance, we embrace working with artists who escape definition and seek alternative models of artistic creation. Each season’s artists (residency, presenting and teaching) are programmed by invitation or by open call (with selection committees composed of associate artists and members of the 303 team). Each year, we make it a priority to nurture our relationships with artists who have previously worked at Studio 303, while also welcoming new faces, ideas and practices. The majority of international artists come to Studio 303 through partnerships with other organisations.
Engagement – Our role within the performing arts community has evolved over the years, in parallel with the changes in the milieu. Today we are more than ever committed to feminist, queer, anti-oppressive and anti-racist and decolonial philosophies and practices. We work behind the scenes, through dialogue and partnership, to contribute to a healthier professional environment that promotes equity and transparency. We continuously reimagine creation and networking processes, in order to help artists find their place within the performance ecosystem while respecting their identity and vision.
Team – Studio 303 has 5 to 6 permanent staff, working an average of 26 hours per week, including two director positions. We operate with a gentle hierarchy, tending towards horizontality. The Board of Directors is composed of 8 to 10 members, at least half of whom are independent artists. Our Board acts as an outside eye (with multiple perspectives), which supports and challenges the codirection while ensuring that Studio 303 adheres to legal and ethical standards.
Land Acknowledgement — Studio 303 is situated on land that has been a site of meeting, exchange, and creativity for many Indigenous peoples, including the Kanien’kehá and Anishinaabeg Nations, for millennia. We recognize and respect the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and these territories which were never ceded to European settlers who colonized it. As guests on this land, we honor the past and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples and commit to working in solidarity with Indigenous communities.