Collaborations between artists and scientists have always been at the heart of the FEELed Lab. Many of our researchers–students, faculty, and community–engage both artistic and scientific methods, knowledges and partners, and many of us have interdisciplinary training and experience that cross arts-sciences boundaries. We believe that robust feminist and anticolonial environmental and climate justice knowledge and action requires all hands on deck!
Artistic-scientific collaborations push possibilities in both areas of research. They provide opportunities for researchers to share knowledges and methods, while finding exciting spaces of overlap. Researchers are given the chance to explore interests and skills that are sometimes outside of (or even denigrated in) their traditional disciplinary research cultures. Big conversations about values, impact and the ‘why’ of research can be convened. The inherited boundaries and assumptions of our own disciplines can be challenged. New modes of communication and engagement with publics can emerge.
With the support of the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) at UBCO, the FEELed Lab is thrilled to be the host of a series of Artist-and-Scientist-in-Residence (ASiR) programs as part of FCCS’s Woodhaven Eco Culture Centre program. We are piloting the first iteration of the ASiR in March 2026, and we plan to continue this program (at least) through the winter term of 2027 and 2028.
All ASiR collaborations will take up questions of environmental or climate justice, broadly construed, in line with the values and research areas of the FEELed Lab. We particularly look forward to supporting projects that engage with local or regional ecologies.
The specific objective of the ASiR is to provide a professional artist and a professional scientist:
(a) who are in the initial stages of a collaboration dedicated time together to explore common interests, exchange methods and knowledge, and potentially develop a larger collaborative initative to pursue post-ASiR; – OR –
(b) who are at the end of a collaborative research project dedicated time together to work on knowledge mobilization (e.g. writing/editing of papers, public-facing communication, video or sound work, etc.)
During the ASiR, the artist-scientist collaborators will also offer an opportunity for the wider FEELed Lab, UBCO and local community to engage with their research.
The artist-scientist collaborators spend up to two weeks living in Woodhaven’s dedicated Artist-in-Residence two-bedroom apartment, with full access to the artists’ studio outbuilding and related research-creation facilities and equipment.The ASiR covers transportation to and from Kelowna as well as limited research expenses, and offers an honorarium to its participants.
ASiR 2026: Nina Vroemen and Julian Self: Phase, Salt, and Story at Kɬlil̕x (Spotted Lake)
ASiR 2027
ASiR 2028
Calls for future ASiR initiatives will be announced through the FEELed Lab newsletter (the FEELed Guide) and UBCO FCCS regular communication channels. Keep your eye out!
The FEELed lab 