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Tranzac Performance Residency Program

Tranzac is inviting artists, groups, curators, ensembles and organizations to apply to our performance residency for April 2025 - September 2025.

  • Deadline to applyJanuary 16, 2025
  • Notifications regarding residenciesMarch 2, 2025
  • Residency periodMarch 31, 2025 - September 29, 2025
  • Residency orientationMarch 9, 2025 - March 20, 2025

Tranzac’s intimate Southern Cross Lounge (capacity: 58, approximately 35-40 seated) has long been home to many residencies that are at the heart of Tranzac’s programming and identity. These artist-led performance residencies take place in two-hour time slots; shows are PWYC (pass the hat) and Tranzac also pays artists 10% of the bar profit (with the exception of community groups/jams). Sound is DIY (do it yourself), but Tranzac has a full backline, including drums and a piano; a sound orientation workshop and tech support for the first event in a residency series will be offered to successful applicants as part of their orientation.

Monthly performance residencies can be used as an opportunity to explore themes in curation, presentation, performance, or collaboration; to experiment with new arrangements, accompaniment, or genres; to road-test new material before recording, share new work, build audience and community, and more. All ideas welcome, in your application, please let us know what you would like to do with your proposed performance residency. Proposals should be for projects that are ready to share in front of a live audience.

Please note all events in the Southern Cross are unticketed (PWYC) pass the hat events; no one is turned away for lack of funds and the Southern Cross is also Tranzac’s main bar area, where people come in from other rooms to purchase drinks.

Tranzac is host to many communities and disciplines. Our multifaceted approach to programming, as well as the high volume of events we host, means that there is a limited built-in audience for any given event. It is therefore the responsibility of successful applicants to promote their residency. Applicants will be asked how they plan to advertise and draw an audience. Tranzac has a promo form through which submissions are posted to our website, newsletter and social media, as well as a corkboard where you can hang posters.

FAQs

  • A sound orientation workshop prior to the start of your residency
  • To be paired with a Tranzac sound technician for your first event to gain familiarity with the Southern Cross board and backline
  • The opportunity to practice your DIY sound set-up during daytime hours
  • Six monthly performance slots (*holidays and full building rentals may require rescheduling or missing a month) in Tranzac’s Southern Cross
  • 10% of bar sales after each performance
  • Money from “the hat” (a jug to be passed around during events)
  • Promo through Tranzac’s website, newsletters, and social media
  • This is a performance residency (not a development residency or rehearsal residency) - events are all open to the public
  • Time slots are two hours long
  • Time slots include: 7 pm - 9 pm and 9:30 pm - 11:30 pm (weekdays) and 12 pm - 2 pm, 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm, 5 pm - 7 pm, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm and 10 pm - midnight (weekends)
  • In your application you are welcome to mention what days/times you think might work best for your residency and we will do our best to accommodate successful applicants and match them with appropriate time slots, but availability of specific requests varies
  • All performances in the residency are PWYC/pass the hat, not ticketed (NOTAFLOF); we do not charge cover at the door for Southern Cross shows
  • The Southern Cross has DIY sound. Some amount of familiarity with basic audio equipment is expected. There will not be an audio technician or Tranzac event support person available to assist or troubleshoot during events.
  • Tranzac’s Southern Cross does not have a built-in or walk-in crowd
  • You will be expected to do monthly promo to bring people out to your events (Tranzac has a promo form; we also recommend that you will promote your residency through your own website/newsletter/social media/posters/flyers etc. as well)
  • Switchover times between events are short (there is typically a shared 30 minute window for tear down/set up) so it’s best to stick with a simple setup whenever possible
  • Tranzac is a vibrant hub for the performing arts with three events spaces (the Southern Cross, Main Hall and Living Room) so there will often be simultaneous programming in other rooms
  • Tranzac underwent a soundproofing renovation but there is still some sound bleed between rooms so you may hear some sound from other performances; please close doors during shows whenever possible
  • The Southern Cross faces a residential street (Brunswick Ave) and we strive to maintain a good relationship with our neighbours by keeping music and conversations quiet/at a reasonable volume
  • The Southern Cross is a small room, so performers do not need to rely on volume to be heard. In the interest of protecting the hearing of the audience (and staff) we ask that you keep your performance to under 100db.
  • We welcome applications from artists who are new to Tranzac and those who are familiar with our programming/have played here before (if you are new to Tranzac please come by for a visit)
  • Tell us about yourself and your artistic practice (who is part of your project?, what creative communities do you belong to?, what kind of music or poetry, comedy, etc do you create?)
  • Let us know what special guests you are planning to invite to participate in your residency (a full list of proposed guests is not necessary but can contribute to a strong application)
  • What do you think makes your residency a good fit for Tranzac’s Southern Cross? Why would you like to do a residency at Tranzac and why do you think your concept will work well in this space?
  • Let us know how you plan to engage with your audience and bring an audience out to your events - how will you spread the word about your residency series?
  • If you’re unfamiliar with performances in the Southern Cross, we recommend that you attend a few performances to see how other artists use the space/run events here
  • Write about how your proposed performance residency will impact not just your artistic practice but also your wider community
  • For artistic samples, you can share links to your best work and/or links to works in progress that are related to your proposed performance residency; for curators/events with many participating artists you can choose two strong examples from artists involved in your residency plan

Assessment process

In your application you will be asked to describe the proposed activity of your residency and to provide two samples of your work (two links, no downloads please).

Applicants will be assessed by a peer jury made up of artists, Tranzac staff and board members on the basis of the impact on the artist/group, the impact on the wider community(ies) the artists is part of, and the viability of the proposed performance residency as part of Tranzac’s performance residency program in the Southern Cross.

Considerations include:

  • The impact of the proposed residency on the participant’s artistic and career development, and/or the artistic communities they are involved in
  • Is the proposed residency a good fit for Tranzac’s performance residency program? Is the concept viable given the time and space constraints and DIY setup of the Southern Cross?
  • Does the proposed residency or something similar already have a home at Tranzac or elsewhere?
  • Consideration will be given to supporting artists and artistic communities who have not previously intersected with Tranzac

About Tranzac’s residency program

For decades Tranzac has been hosting regular live music events in the Southern Cross that have gradually evolved and expanded into one of the largest performance residency programs of its kind in North America. Most Tranzac Southern Cross residencies are monthly two hour time slots, with the artist(s) involved often acting as composer, performer, collaborator and curator for the series of events, and inviting in other guest composers and artists.

Tranzac’s current performance residency roster includes 70+ artists, ensembles and jams, contributing to the 1000+ performances and events that occur annually in the Southern Cross. A few residencies also take place down the hall in the Living Room (capacity: 49), which is primarily a rental space. Though the bulk of Tranzac’s residencies remain musical, we have been expanding the program to include poetry, comedy and multidisciplinary events as well as diversifying the range of music/types of music/genres of music that the program supports.

After this residency period, which runs April 2025 - September 2025; we will repeat the call for new residencies for October 2025 - March - 2026.

Apply Now!

Questions?

Contact Sarah Greene at