THIRD SHIFT is an annual festival of public contemporary artworks that takes place in Saint John, New Brunswick and online. THIRD SHIFT 2021 will take place from August 19 – 22, 2021.
Established in 2015, THIRD SHIFT holds space for new experiences and communal exchange through the exhibition of temporary public artworks in Saint John and online. In 2020, THIRD SHIFT expanded to include digital art including animations, short films, interactive online experiences, live coding, virtual performances, and more. THIRD SHIFT will continue to support physical and digital installations (see COVID-19 FESTIVAL FRAMEWORK for more details). For more information about THIRD SHIFT and to see installations from last year’s festival, please visit the festival website.
When we are having these calls it is important that all applicants think about their relationship to the land; THIRD SHIFT offers an opportunity to re-imagine and engage with the natural and built environment in what we now know as Saint John. The land on which THIRD SHIFT takes place is the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples first signed with the British crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but, in fact, recognized Indigenous sovereign title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing, equitable, reciprocal, and respectful relationship between nations—a relationship that Third Space strives to uphold. We have an ongoing commitment to center Indigenous leadership and artistic expertise and we aim to foster meaningful relationships with Indigenous-led community groups through our festival.
To learn more about Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages, the Native Land Interactive Map is a great resource and educational tool: https://native-land.ca/