Application Deadline
Rolling deadline, with final applications due Wednesday, September 15, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

***Matchmaking will take place on a rolling basis. Guest designers should apply early to increase the likelihood that they will be matched with their preferred host venue.***

The DesignTO Festival brings people together to celebrate contemporary design across the city, January 23 – February 1, 2026.

DesignTO Festival is Canada’s leading and largest annual design festival that celebrates design as a multidisciplinary form of creative thinking and making, with over 100 exhibitions and events forming Toronto’s design week each January. Since 2011, the DesignTO Festival has welcomed over 1 million visitors, showcased the work of over 6,500 artists and designers, and reached over 2 billion people through print and digital media.

If you have a project you’d like to showcase, then we want to hear from you!

We have a range of host venues across Toronto interested in showcasing your creative project.

How this works:

By applying to this call for guest artists and designers, you agree to produce a creative project to be showcased during Festival Week, January 24 – February 2, 2025. The duration and type of participation is entirely up to you. Here is an outline of options:

• A window installation runs the whole duration of Festival Week, and is visible to the public 24 hours a day from the outside of the venue. Depending on the space, the installation may also be viewable from inside the venue during regular business/gallery hours.
• An event runs one day during Festival Week, for a set period of time. For example, events can include a talk, tour, product launch, film screening, party, or workshop.
• An exhibition runs more than one day during Festival Week. It is open to the public during regular business/gallery hours, and may include a window component. It can start before Festival Week, and end after Festival Week. It may also include an opening or closing reception, artist/designer’s talk or tour.

Host Venues

A package of available venues (with photos and descriptions) is available for your review and selection. After reviewing the available host venues, we ask that you identify your top 3 venue choices with your application.

Each project listing includes the following:

• A listing on the online Festival Schedule (one page with up to 6 images, 300-word description, and associated reception or other events)
• A listing on the Festival mobile app (one page with up to 6 images, 40-word description, and associated reception or other events)
• Inclusion in one ‘What to do’ daily e-newsletter
• DesignTO venue signage (e.g. Festival window cling, not project-specific)

To learn more and see examples of these benefits click here.

Fees & Commitment

Host Venues commit to paying the Festival registration fee and provide the venue free of charge to the Guest Designer. As the artist/designer, you are responsible for all costs related to creating, producing and mounting your creative project, including signage.

You are also responsible for collaborating and communicating with your host venue, which includes communicating the details of your project, including all logistics, with the owner/manager of the host venue, and coordinating the project’s successful execution.

***NEW THIS YEAR*** There is a $25 + HST fee to apply to the Call for Guest Designers.

Application fee payments will be accepted online as part of the submission process. Payments can be made by credit card or pre-authorized debit. DesignTO uses Zeffy to process payments. This is a Canadian platform that is 100% free to non-profit and charitable organizations. During checkout, Zeffy will ask you to support their platform. You are under no obligation to do so. ​From the dropdown menu, you may select “Other” and enter a contribution of $0.

Matchmaking Timeline