Come retreat and create on
Vancouver Island, Canada
A Position on Retreat invites you to take a purposeful pause, reconnect with your creativity, and immerse yourself in the serene beauty of Vancouver Island’s temperate rainforest.
With cozy accommodations, digital and traditional studio spaces, and the breathtaking Lake Cowichan as your backdrop, this residency offers artists of all stages a unique setting to reflect, create, and rejuvenate.
Join a vibrant, supportive community and explore one of Canada’s most inspiring landscapes.
Apply now to transform your artistic journey amidst nature’s healing embrace.
The Blue House
A comfortable, renovated character home in a central location in the tourist town of Lake Cowichan. Groceries, coffee houses, restaurants, beaches, and hiking trails are all within a five-minute walk.
The house has:
high-speed wifi
two fully equipped kitchens with with fridges and stoves, coffee makers, kettles, rice cookers, blenders, microwaves
washer and dyer
two full bathrooms
five private bedrooms
several private and shared indoor and outdoor studio spaces
The house is
a 5-minute walk from the grocery store
a 2-minute walk to a great coffee house
a 3-minute walk to a 50 km-long hiking trail
minutes walk to several restaurants
a 2-minute walk to a beach to swim
a 1-minute walk to a public library
across the street from a local fitness center
a 1-minute walk from the bus route
a day trip to amazing landscapes around the residency
Address: 30 Renfrew Ave, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0
Contact us at brad@apositiononretreat.com
Application form here
About the founders
Drs Brad and Candace Necyk created a Position on Retreat with the vision to bring artists from around the world to this beautiful, healing island.
Brad is a visual artist and writer whose practice focuses on consciousness, landscape, and flourishing. After completing his formal art training (BFA, MFA), he began a PhD in psychiatry to create art and write about mental illness and healing. Upon completion, his doctoral research was awarded the Governor General's Gold Medal, Canada's highest doctoral award. In 2024, he published a book on mental illness, visionary art, and healing titled All Sky, Mirror Ocean: A Healing Manifesto.
He was a postdoctoral fellow at York University, researching artistic applications of AI video and 3D-rendered dance films. He teaches digital art, photography, video, and intermedia at the University of Victoria and Alberta.
He practices several mediums, including painting, photography, video, 3D animation, AI video, live AI prototypes, blockchain systems-based artworks, and AR and VR experiences. He frequently collaborates with filmmakers, musicians, and dancers. One of his current projects is creating the Psychedelic Puppet Show, where he collaborates on content with Paul Stamets, Rick Doblin, Jason Silva, Ruby Singh, and more.
You can find out more about his work here.
Candace is a psychedelic researcher and professor of Pharmacy at the University of Alberta who brings a unique perspective to the residency. Her passion for exploring the island's landscapes and engaging with its healing communities adds a rich dimension to the retreat experience.
They are both passionate about the positivity created by bringing artists to Vancouver Island, allowing them to rest, retreat, connect, and bring perspectives and artwork back home.
Residency Vision
A Position on Retreat isn’t just about stepping back; it’s about taking a stance to retreat with purpose. Just as we take positions in life—whether political, social, or personal—there is a time to take a conscious position to pause and withdraw. This residency invites you to reconnect with yourself and your craft by immersing in the tranquil beauty of Vancouver Island’s temperate rainforest, a landscape as inspiring as it is unique.
Apply now for an artist residency on Vancouver Island. Create, reflect, and connect in one of Canada’s most beautiful natural settings. Your stay includes a cozy home base equipped with both traditional and digital studio spaces, with the serene Lake Cowichan and its lush surroundings as your canvas.
“Something is healing about this island.”
“Lake Cowichan is such a quiet and friendly town, perfectly positioned to explore the island’s natural beauty.”
“I feel like I am going home changed.”
Our residency is designed to welcome artists from around the world, at all stages of their careers, and across as many disciplines as we can accommodate. This diversity fosters mentorship, friendship, and collaboration in an inspiring community setting. From guided nature excursions to relaxed studio days, you’ll have the space to explore, rejuvenate, and transform.
Nestled in the vibrant small town of Lake Cowichan, you’ll be close to everything you need yet surrounded by the towering majesty of mossy forests, stunning mountain views, and the shimmering lake. Whether it’s the Mediterranean climate, the proximity to Pacific Ocean beaches, or easy day trips to neighbouring gems like Salt Spring Island and Victoria, you’ll find both inspiration and relaxation at every turn.
“Uncover new perspectives and let nature guide your next creative chapter.”
Apply today and be part of a residency that will nurture your spirit, expand your artistry, and offer a retreat unlike any other in Canada.
Disciplines
Our residency program embraces all forms of artistic expression, providing dedicated spaces and resources for both digital and traditional practices. We offer a range of experiences and equipment to enhance your practice, including group nature trips to inspire new work around the island and critiques.
Our technical resources include high-end digital cameras and lenses, VR equipment, a projector, and audio-video tools for reviewing and presenting video projects. For traditional media, we provide well-equipped spaces with easels, desks, and ample wall space to fully immerse yourself in your craft.
Dr. Brad Necyk, whose experience spans painting, drawing, digital photography, video, film, 3D animation, AI, creative coding, XR, and other emerging digital fields, enjoys discussing different artistic mediums and ideas.
Art Supplies
There is one main art store to pick up supplies near the residency:
Opus Art Supplies is in Victoria (about 1.5 hours from the residency). This is an exceptional art store with almost anything you could hope for. Artists often drive or take the bus for a day trip to Victoria to check out the city and pick up supplies.
Many artists will ship to the residency from Opus or their art store of choice. Address for shipping:
30 Renfrew Ave, Lake Cowichan, BC, V0R 2G0
Equipment and experiences
We aim to offer the following experiences, equipment, and learning opportunities:
Bi-monthly nature trips to explore and produce new work around the island.
Resident initiated group nature trips.
Bi-monthly critiques or art-sharing sessions with Brad.
Guidance towards technical resources and demos for digital mediums.
High-end digital camera and lenses.
4K HDR Projector
VR equipment.
Field recording audio equipment.
Optional: pay-for-use 13” printer and PC desktop computer
Duration of residency
Two-week to 3-month residencies.
Discounted winter fees until March 2025
Two-week: $1,000 CAD.
Three-week: $1,500 CAD.
One month to three months: $2,000 CAD/month.
Fees from April 2025 onwards
Two-week: $1,350 CAD.
One month to three months: $2,400 CAD/month.
Taxes included in residency fee
Please plan your total budget before applying, including:
You can either rent a car to travel around the island (check https://www.expedia.ca) or take a $75 ride from the airport or ferry from me.
Art supplies
Food (often $500 CAD for a month)
Upon acceptance, there is a $400 non-refundable confirmation deposit, and you are expected to pay your full residency fee one month before your residency starts. The full fee becomes non-refundable upon receipt.
Flying in
The three main options artists have done are:
Fly into the Nanaimo airport directly for a 45-minute drive to the residency.
Fly into Vancouver and take the ferry to Nanaimo. Many choose this option because it is a beautiful way to begin their trip and can often be cheaper. It is a 30-minute cab or Uber ride to the ferry, and a walk-on ferry ride is $18.
You can fly in or take the ferry to Victoria, but it is a longer trip of 1.5 hours to drive to the residency.
For ferry info, see BCFerries
The closest ferry terminal to the Vancouver Airport is Tsawwassen Terminal, which takes you to Duke Point Terminal in Nanaimo, a 50-minute drive to the residency.
Getting to the residency
There are three options to get to the residency once on the island:
Rent a car for your stay. We do recommend this as you will then be able to travel around the island. We often direct artists to Expedia to compare prices between car rental companies. Also, check between cities such as Nanaimo and Victoria, as costs can differ.
We connect the cohort by group text a month in advance. This is an opportunity to discuss sharing the costs between the group to have one or two cars. It is also recommended to travel on hikes with two or more artists.
Arrange a ride with Brad for $75 from Nanaimo. He will pick you up at the Nanaimo airport or ferry and bring you to the residency.
If you fly into Victoria, you will take a 10-minute cab ride to the Brentwood Bay ferry and a 20-minute ferry ride to Mill Bay, and Brad will pick you up there and bring you to the residency. Brad can only pick up or drop off residents between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., so please plan your arrivals and departures accordingly.
See if the bus schedule works for you. Nanaimo to Duncan and Duncan to Lake Cowichan
FAQs
Can I bring a pet? No pets. While we love animals, we cannot accommodate them because of communal living. Each resident has varying levels of allergies and comfortability with animals.
Can my partner attend? We can accommodate partners, but they will pay a residency fee. We can discuss a fee reduction based on each situation's needs.
Should I rent a car? It depends on what you want to do during your residency. Many artists do not rent a car and spend much of their time in Lake Cowichan, use the bus system, and do a few nature trips with Brad.
However, many want to explore the island’s beauty from west to east, north to south! In this case it is advised to rent a car.
We do connect artists before they come, and many have paired up and shared the costs and use of a car.
Are there exhibition opportunities? While this is a long-term goal for our residency, we currently do not offer exhibitions along with your residency.
This is Canada. Will the winter be freezing? No. Vancouver Island has a unique climate compared to the rest of Canada. Our “winter” months are roughly from November through February. Temperatures often range from 5 to 10 degrees, and it is a mix of overcast skies, stretches of sun, light rain days, and only a week or so of snow.
We find winters very quiet, inward, and creative. But you can be out hiking and enjoying your days as the climate feels very livable. Everything is wet, green, and alive!
Is cannabis legal? Yes, and there is a dispensary in town.
What do I need to bring? We should have all the linens and kitchen supplies you would need. We hope to be as prepared as an Airbnb. You will need to bring your own art supplies and food
