Sonic Visions Academy @ Mexico
Offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts, this program is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any Program and Faculty at Concordia. The Field School offers an opportunity to participate in workshops, seminars and activities on experimental music, media arts and new technologies led by recognized artists and academics. Additionally, students will engage in self-proposed research-creation projects, explore the city and culture of Morelia, and showcase their artistic and research work internationally.
About the program
The Sonic Visions Academy Field School @ Mexico 2026 is a unique academic and experiential program that offers undergraduate and graduate students from all Faculties at Concordia University—including music, communication, computation arts, sound art, design, dance, engineering, film studies, theatre, art history, Hispanic cultures, art education, environment and sustainability, and more—an exceptional opportunity to immerse themselves in research-creation, experimental, interdisciplinary music and media/emergent arts practices.
Held in Morelia, a UNESCO World Heritage city, the Field School will take place at the Mexican Center for Music and Sound Art (CMMAS) and partner institutions, including the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM – ENES Campus Morelia) and Montrer University. Participants will engage in seminars, workshops, masterclasses, and individual mentorships with internationally recognized artists and researchers, including Dr. Rodrigo Sigal, Dr. Francisco Colasanto, Prof. Simon-Pierre Gourd, Dr. Ricardo Dal Farra, and Prof. Tonalli Nakamura. Students will develop and present self-proposed research-creation projects that blend artistic inquiry with technological exploration. The program places a strong emphasis on collaboration and exchange with peers from Mexican institutions, fostering intercultural dialogue and shared creative processes across disciplines. Through these collaborations, students will build networks that extend beyond the program's duration, linking Canadian and Mexican academic and artistic communities in meaningful ways.
Participants will also engage with Morelia’s vibrant artistic and cultural scene through visits to historical sites, museums or concerts, while working within an international environment that values experimentation and interdisciplinary thinking.
The Field School will culminate in public presentations at CMMAS, where students will share their creative and research outcomes through public concerts, panels, or talks. Additionally, a selection of the students’ works will be showcased in a dedicated section of Visiones Sonoras 2026, a major international festival and conference dedicated to sound and digital art.
The program will be held in Morelia, Mexico, mainly at the Mexican Centre for Music and Sound Arts facilities (CMMAS) in downtown Morelia, and the UNAM/ENES campus Morelia - the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM which is the largest university in Mexico, with 41,000 academics and 356,000 students.
Dates & Course
Dates: Arrival date: May 15, 2026
Field School program activities: May 16, 2026 to May 23, 2026
Departure date: May 24, 2026
Undergraduate course: FAFS 398; MUSI 498; EAST 461/462/498
Graduate courses: FAFS 660 (Master); 860 (PhD)
Estimated cost
Program fee: Concordia will charge program participants 3 credits of Concordia tuition and a program fee of $550 to cover accommodations and breakfast in Morelia.
Available Funding
Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Award: The Faculty of Fine Arts invites applications for the Peter N. Thomson Family Field School Awards. The Award offers an amount of $1,300 for thirty (30) eligible Fine Arts undergraduate or graduate students accepted to a Field School hosted by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Please consult the Peter N. Thomson Field School Award webpage for application instructions.
Quebec Mobility Bursary: To help with the costs of going abroad, Concordia students may receive a $1,350 CAD Quebec Mobility Bursary. To be eligible you must be a Concordia student enrolled in a full time bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree program and approved to participate in the Field School.
Important to note:
- Field school applicants do not need to submit a Quebec Mobility Bursary application as it is part of the on-line field school application, and you will automatically be considered for the Quebec Mobility Bursary.
- The bursary will be applied to student accounts. Details on the payment of the bursary will be sent to successful applicants.
Contact Concordia International if you have questions about the Quebec Mobility Bursary.
Accomodation
Students will be staying at the Hotel Mision Catedral Morelia, located in the beautiful tourist area of downtown Morelia, facing the main square and the cathedral in the Colonial Historic District.
https://www.hotelesmision.com.mx/destinos/michoacán/hotel-mision-catedral-morelia
The area includes numerous restaurants very close by (many just a few metres from the hotel) serving local and international cuisine. Rooms will be double occupancy.
We have stayed at this hotel during previous Field Schools and have always received excellent service. Wi-Fi is included. The hotel is conveniently located just a few blocks from CMMAS, our main host, which is easily accessible by a short walk.
Host Institutions
CMMAS, Mexican Centre for Music & Sound Arts is in Morelia’s downtown historical district with labs/studios, classrooms, and a well-equipped auditorium ready for presentations or performances.
PARTNERS: ENES-UNAM, Mexico National Autonomous University, the largest university in Mexico with 41,000 academics and 356,000 students; and Montrer University, where Concordia students will be able to meet local students to share ideas and projects.
Application Process
To be eligible to participate in the field school, you must meet one of the following criteria.
- Be enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program, with a minimum 2.7 cumulative culmative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 24 credits toward your current degree program by the time you leave for the program.
- Be enrolled in a Master’s degree program, with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 9 credits toward your current degree program by the departure date.
- Be enrolled in PhD degree program, have a 3.7 cumulative GPA (CGPA) and have completed at least 9 credits toward your current degree program by the departure date.
- Faculty can override GPA requirement on an individual basis as part of the selection process
- Student may not repeat this Field School for credit.
All students interested in applying to this program must attend an information session given by Concordia International prior to submitting an application.
Date: Friday, January 23, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Zoom ID: https://concordia-ca.zoom.us/j/3654810697
We will also have a separate session with the General Delegation of Quebec
in Mexico and representatives from the Federal Government.
Concordia Students
- Log into the Concordia Mobility portal to access the Concordia Field School Application.
- Submit the Concordia Field School Abroad Application by the application deadline of February 9, 2026. The application can be accessed through the Concordia International CSEP Mobility Portal.
- Your application must also include:
- A copy of your most recent transcript. An unofficial Concordia transcript.
- Applicants must submit a letter of intent (one page) outlining their expectations and motivation for attending the Field School, and a portfolio (maximum two pages) including references or information about their training in any field, experiences, publications or artistic works, as applicable to their education.
- A sample of your creative or scholarly practice. This could be either (or a combination of both):
- 2 sound art/music work or 5 still images of artwork or an audiovisual piece, or equivalent, and artist’s statement.
- A sample of scholarly or creative writing, minimum 5 pages double-spaced.
Please note that each file must be 20MB or less and must be in PDF format.
- Final admissions decisions will be made by the program monitor, Dr. Ricardo dal Farra.
- By March 6, 2026, admitted students must make a non refundable $275 CAD on their Concordia student account towards costs of the field school.
- Students admitted to the program will have to attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting held by Concordia International through the following Zoom link: https://concordia-ca.zoom.us/j/3654810697 Date: TBC
All information on this website is subject to change without notice. The program is subject to cancellation at any time and for any reason. A minimum of sixteen participants will be selected to participate in the program.