Call for Artistic Creations:
2026 Concordia Student Volt-Age Exhibition
Show your creativity. Shape the energy transition.
Theme: Advancing Electrification for Shared Prosperity
Concordia students are now invited to take part in the inaugural Volt-Age Exhibition, a showcase of student creativity inspired by the clean energy transition.
Submit an existing piece or propose a new creation for display and performance at the 2026 Volt-Age Summit in downtown Montreal in May 2026.
How can art illuminate the path to a more sustainable and equitable future? The first Volt-Age Exhibition explores the theme “Advancing electrification for shared prosperity." The Volt-Age research program responds to the impacts of climate change and the need for a just transition to clean energy in Canada. Focused on electrification as a pathway to decarbonization, the program invites artistic creations that connect with the idea of electrification. Find out more about our ongoing research projects.
We welcome artistic creations in all mediums (see Eligibility for details).
Here are a few ideas to inspire your work on the theme:
- A digital collage or mixed-media piece showing how electrification connects people, cities and electrification
- An interactive sculpture exploring how electrification empowers individuals and communities
- A photography series documenting the shift to electrification and renewable energy
- An augmented reality or immersive experience imagining how a community or city could transform through sustainable electric power
- A devised theatre piece reflecting on the need for a just transition to electrification, highlighting diverse perspectives and access to renewable energy
Eligibility
The call for artistic creations is open to all current Concordia University students, including undergraduates, masters, and PhD students. Students may submit an existing work or propose a new project to be completed before the exhibition date.
Proposals are welcome from both individual artists and collectives.
Note: The honorarium is awarded per project, not per person. Some financial support may also be available for installation and/or production costs.
Volt-Age invites artworks in any medium that reflect this year’s theme, connect with electrification and align with the program’s mission.
Artistic creations can be:
- Visual art (painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, etc.)
- Textile arts and fashion
- Written works
- Film and video art
- Digital art
- Soundscapes and sound art
- Theatrical performances or performance art
- Puppetry
- Dance
- Spoken word
- Mixed media
- Other
Submission and evaluation
Submission guidelines
Application deadline: Monday, November 24, 2025 at 5 p.m.
- Each student or collective may submit only one application.
- Applicants are encouraged to consider a variety of physical spaces and indicate which would best suit their needs.
- Applications can be completed in either French or English.
Information session
Details: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 1 p.m. on Zoom
Evaluation procedure
Applications will be reviewed by a curation team made up of Volt-Age administrators and external arts professionals. Submissions will be evaluated for artistic merit, as well as their connection to the theme and the Volt-Age mission.
Awards
- The curatorial decisions will be communicated by December 15, 2025.
- We will award an honorarium of $500 to each artistic creation, with amounts potentially varying for new and existing works.
- The 2026 exhibition will include a maximum of 15 selected creations.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
The Volt-Age Research Program is committed to advancing innovative and inclusive research by embedding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) principles into every step of academic research, from design to dissemination. This commitment extends to all Volt-Age–funded events and activities.
We encourage individuals with diverse and multiple identities — including but not limited to, Indigenous peoples, people of colour, disabled people, members of the LGBTQIA2+ community, women and immigrants — to submit artistic creations. Volt-Age recognizes that BICOP artists have traditionally been disproportionately excluded from opportunities to share their work, and we aim to help elevate those voices. We are dedicated to building a community that celebrates diversity as a source of strength.
