Banff Centre, Scion Sessions Join Forces For Banff-Polaris Residency

Two former Polaris Prize nominees will be going on one heck of a working holiday next year.

Polaris, The Banff Centre and Scion Sessions have teamed up to create something called the Banff-Polaris Residency. Basically, two artists who have been Short Listed for the Polaris Prize in the past will receive a three-week residency at The Banff Centre in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. There, the acts will connect with other artists in residence, create synergies and commune with elk ‘n’ stuff.

“We have long dreamt of providing an artist-friendly environment where Short List alumni would have an opportunity to cross pollinate and create something altogether new,” said Polaris Music Prize Executive Director Steve Jordan. “Given their history with hosting and nurturing creative pioneers, partnering with the Banff on this project makes perfect sense. It also make perfect sense that Scion Sessions, our presenting sponsor and strong supporters of independent music, help to make the results permanent by releasing a split 7†of this collaboration.”

The Banff Centre folks are pretty jazzed, too.

“The Banff Centre is delighted to invite Polaris Short-Listed artists to create new, collaborative works in residence at the Centre,†says Carolyn Warren, VP Arts at The Banff Centre. “This is a highly creative, innovative and interdisciplinary environment where they will be able to produce new work and share it with audiences on-site and online. I look forward to seeing and hearing the results of this new residency.”

Like an all-inclusive resort for the creative process, The Banff-Polaris Residency includes 21 days of accommodation and meals, access to all of The Banff Centre’s interdisciplinary facilities, producers, equipment, and technical support, expenses for travel of the selected groups or artist to and from The Banff Centre, a film shoot, and studio time. When it’s all over, Scion Sessions will be turning the whole adventure into a limited 500-run 7″ single.

The artists, selected by both Polaris and The Banff Centre, will be announced in mid-December. The residency will take place in 2014.