Le Labo Centre for Francophone Media Arts of Toronto has the special responsibility to help connect the artistic and the francophone communities of Toronto. Central to Le Labo’s mandate is to support creation, production and innovation in the Media Arts Sector in addition to fostering artistic collaboration and providing exhibition opportunities. In addition to providing access to a media production studio space with professional state-of-the-art technology, the Labo’s annual programming includes residencies, exhibitions, installations, workshops, conferences and artist talks.
Le Labo invites you to attend exhibitions, installations, artist talks and fundraising events dedicated to promoting the excellence of contemporary creations by Francophone artists throughout the year.
LE LABO PROGRAMMING
Le Labo is dedicated to promoting the work of its members and to help foster their growth and development in Media Arts.
LE LABO: A MEETING POINT
Networking: The Labo family welcomes new members regularly and offers artists opportunities to become involved in the Toronto arts community, to develop new skills and support them in their career goals. Le Labo’s events are friendly occasions to meet other artists and the general public.
News: Members have the opportunity to publish their news in the Labo’s monthly newsletter and social media networks which help to increase their visibility.
Call for submission: Le Labo receives calls for submission from many organizations and individuals. We are happy to serve as an entry point to professional artists recognized for their expertise. These calls are exclusive to Le Labo’s members.
Mentorship program: Le Labo’s Mentorship Program helps emerging artists in Ontario to develop and refine their skills in collaboration with an established artist on a specific theme.
PROMOTION AND EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES
Annual Group Exhibition opportunity: All Members of Le Labo are invited to participate in our Annual Group Exhibition. During the exhibition, artworks are presented for sale to the general public during a fundraising event to benefit both the artists and Le Labo.
Membre du mois: The “Membre du Mois” events are a free event that is open to the public in which one of the Labo’s members is honoured. The “Membre du Mois” will have “carte blanche” to present their work (past, present and/or in progress) as well as have a discussion about what motivates them in their artistic pursuits. The “Membre du Mois” event is a unique opportunity to bring together the Labo’s members and the general public and share ideas and projects in a friendly and casual environment.
Exchanges: Le Labo regularly organizes exchange programs with other Media Arts organizations such as the Société des arts technologiques (SAT) in Montréal. Le Labo’s regularly offers one of its selected Members to participate in the Sudbury the Foire d’art alternatif (FAAS), a major event in Ontario’s visual arts scene.
WORKSHOPS AT LE LABO
Le Labo continues to strengthen its Media Arts workshop programs which are open to the public (Members, artists, and Francophiles) and to educational institutions with the goal of fostering emerging artistic talent in the field.
• Digital arts workshops are open to everyone and focus mainly of on the media arts and professional development. Media arts workshops are focused on digital creation tools and the professional development sessions are meant to guide artists in the evolution of their careers. In addition to our regular programming, Le Labo also provides various on-demand workshops. Please contact us at info@lelabo.ca about your specific training and educational needs.
• Our educational workshops are aimed at raising awareness about the Media Arts in schools and the community. Le Labo is happy to accommodate your needs and offer workshops in your desired location that are facilitated by experienced professional artists who are experts in their field.
“SOIRÉE BIDOUILLE” HANDS-ON EVENING WORKSHOPS
With constant technological evolution comes the potential for creative opportunities that knows no limits! In order to discover original methods for creating projects – why not try out some new equipment in a collaborative environment and create an original project at the same time? Le Labo invites its members to evenings of experimentation with new equipment. With the guidance of our technical manager, these are casual events where the goal is to gain hands-on experience with new technology and equipment.
ANNUAL ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING, ARTIST TALKS AND LECTURES
Each year, Le Labo offers a theme-based Call for Submission that is open to all. Artistic projects are selected by Le Labo’s Programming Committee.
In order to facilitate engagement with to the contemporary arts, Le Labo is committed to creating a dialogue between the artists and the public. To help foster these encounters, several of our organized events are recorded and made available through our website and Vimeo channel.