2025 Call for Independent Projects

The DesignTO Festival brings people together to celebrate contemporary design across the city January 24 – February 2, 2025.

DesignTO Festival is Canada’s largest annual design festival celebrating design as a multidisciplinary form of 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.

Independent Projects are exhibitions, events (e.g. tours, talks, workshops), and window installations that are wholly created and executed by an individual or organization during the DesignTO Festival at a venue of their choice (in-person or online).

Independently produced projects are integral to the Festival’s structure. We welcome all who want to present, discuss, demonstrate, or exhibit design in any field and/or related disciplines.

Exhibitors include artists, designers, design firms, local businesses, academic and cultural institutions, and students. Exhibitors are responsible for arranging their own venue in Toronto, including spaces such as galleries, studios, workshops, cafés, schools, lobbies, and businesses. We also welcome online events and exhibitions.

There are 4 major deadlines to participating in the DesignTO Festival as an Independent Project:

1. Submit your application form
   Deadline: Friday, October 11, 2024 by 11:59pm ET
   Apply by August 31, 2024 to receive $25 off your registration fee.
2. Pay the registration fee (if your application is approved)
   Deadline: 7 days from approval date (30 days for institutions paying by cheque)
3. Submit your event listing
   Deadline: Friday, October 25, 2024 by 11:59pm ET.
4. Pick-up your Festival materials (in-person events only)
   Pick-up days: Sunday, January 12 or Monday, January 13, 2025 – TBC

Apply by August 31, 2024, to receive $25 off your registration fee.