Come retreat and create on
Vancouver Island, Canada
Our residency focuses on placing artists in a comfortable house with opportunities to retreat into nature.
Situated at the heart of one of Canada's most beautiful landscapes, our residency is a sanctuary for artists of all disciplines. Lake Cowichan's sparkling, serene waters and stunning mountain views create an immersive natural backdrop conducive to fostering inspiration and rejuvenating your artistic spirit.
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
fully equipped kitchen with coffee makers, kettles, rice cooker, blender, microwave
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 details
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 is 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.
Disciplines
Our program welcomes all media of artistic expression, including painting, drawing, digital photography, video, filmmaking, 3D animation, AI, creative coding, game development, XR, emerging digital practices, web3, creative and academic writing, musical composition and more.
Dr. Brad Necyk works and teaches and practices in many of these mediums and will be available to discuss any of them.
We hope to curate groups of artists who could synergize in the medium or conceptual aspects of their creative expression.
Art Supplies
There are two main art stores to pick up supplies near the residency:
Monks Office Supplies is in Duncan (about a 20-minute drive from the residency). They have limited supplies, but they do have the basics in paint.
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.
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.
Guidance towards technical resources and demos for digital mediums.
13″ inch fine art printer with per sheet printing costs
High-end digital camera and lenses.
A high-end computer for digital work, AI, and 3D rendering.
VR equipment.
Field recording audio equipment.
Duration of residency
Two-week to 3-month residencies.
Fees
Two-week: $1,300 CAD.
Three-week: $1,800 CAD.
One month to three months: $2,200 CAD/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 two weeks before the start of your residency.
Flying in
The three main options artists have done are:
Fly into the Nanaimo airport directly
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.
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.
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.
See if the bus schedule works for you. Nanaimo to Duncan and Duncan to Lake Cowichan
Vancouver Island
We are located in the Pacific Northwest, a temperate rainforest with old-growth forests, the Pacific Ocean, lakes, waterfalls, and vast natural expanses.
Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan is one of North America's most beautiful natural surroundings. It is a small town on a lake surrounded by forests and mountains. To the west, it is a 45-minute drive to the island's west side with the Pacific Ocean’s rugged beaches and old-growth forests. To the east, you can go to Salt Spring Island, Victoria, a ferry ride to the metropolitan city of Vancouver, and many lakes and forests.
We have a Mediterranean climate with warm, sunny summers from May to October and wet but mild winters. Each has its own charm. There is no better retreat in Canada.
Our program provides time and space for individual creative development and planned group nature-based activities. We aim to create an experience that fosters personal and creative growth, develops medium-specific skills, and connects more deeply with nature.
