ARTSIDEOUT is a one-day multidisciplinary arts festival at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Each October, students and community artists turn 1265 Military Trail into a living gallery with installations, performances, and workshops.
If you’ve ever walked across the U of T Scarborough campus and suddenly found dancers in the hallway, poetry taped to stair rails, or sculptures tucked between classroom buildings, you’ve probably stumbled into it. For one day, familiar study spaces become creative stages filled with sound, light, and energy.
Students call it “the one day UTSC feels like a completely different place.” The festival runs from morning to night with concerts, films, and collaborative art projects, powered by volunteers, exec teams, and clubs across campus.
Held on the first Thursday of October, it fits neatly into class schedules and invites everyone passing through to stop, look, and join in. What began as a small experiment is now a Scarborough-wide celebration of creativity and community.
How ARTSIDEOUT Began
ARTSIDEOUT didn’t start as a huge festival. In 2007, a group of students tested out a small event called Art Bar Fusion Night. The idea was simple: take ordinary parts of campus (hallways, study spots, those corners nobody pays attention to) and fill them with unexpected art.
One of the founding members once joked that the team wanted the campus to look as if art had been “vomited everywhere.” Harsh visual, yes. But that exact feeling stuck. When ARTSIDEOUT became official in 2009, the bright pink branding was chosen because it was loud, impossible to ignore, and symbolic of creativity bursting across the grounds of 1265 Military Trail, University of Toronto Scarborough.
Early collaborators included UMAP (now the UTSC Music Society), UTSC Arts Council, Organize Sound, and a handful of faculty supporters who believed the campus needed a flagship creative day. Over the next decade, the festival grew from a grassroots project into UTSC’s largest arts event, supported by the UTSC student union, dozens of clubs, and rotating student executive teams.
Today, ARTSIDEOUT feels like part of the campus DNA. The energy behind it comes from the students who plan the festival each year, often balancing their courses with artistic jobs and volunteer shifts – all while bringing new ideas to the table.
Festival Themes Through the Years (2016–2025)
Below is a quick look at how the festival evolved over the past decade. Themes shape the tone each year, and you can feel the changes across campus depending on what artists explore.
2016: Expanding Identity
A year centred on identity, culture, and belonging. Installations used non-traditional spaces around UTSC, making the theme impossible to miss as you walked from class to class.
2017: Campus Showcase
This year brought ARTSIDEOUT fully back on campus with a bigger range of performances and installations across the academic buildings and outdoor spaces.
2018: Rebirth
A reflective theme focusing on healing, renewal, and transformation. Concerts, films, and mixed-media exhibits created a feeling of movement and recovery.
2019: In Between
Artists explored transitions – between years, identities, and places. The standout addition was The Journeys Project, a community installation made of illustrated “journey tiles” contributed by students and visitors.
2020: Connections (Online)
The pandemic forced the event online. ARTSIDEOUT built its own festival app and ran streamed performances, digital storytelling, and remote workshops accessible around the world.
2021: Endurance (Online)
Another digital year, this time exploring resilience. Artists shared how they coped during a year full of uncertainty, and the web festival became a space for connection.
2022: Dreams
A return to campus energy, with a theme encouraging imagination and ambitious ideas. The festival mixed in-person and accessible online experiences.
2023: Tapestry
Focused on the “woven” nature of our lives, this year included large workshop lineups and more than 18 vendors in the art market. The festival felt full and collaborative again.
2024: Selfscape
An introspective theme exploring identity and lived experience. Exhibits and performances took over the campus, with the new ASO After Dark party joining the lineup.
2025: Beyond the Circle
Held on October 2, 2025, this edition ran from 10 AM to 10 PM and pushed themes of movement and openness. The festival featured another strong mix of installations, workshops, performances, and opportunities to sell your art at the market.
Digital Campus Culture: How Students Unwind Online
Life at UTSC moves fast, and most students take their breaks online. Between classes, you’ll see people in the Meeting Place scrolling through games, group chats, Netflix, or indie titles. It’s become a normal part of how students reset during the day.
This digital downtime often shows up in creative work too. ARTSIDEOUT regularly features installations inspired by gaming interfaces, algorithms, and internet aesthetics. Many students say their ideas start with something they saw or played online before becoming sketches, videos, or full submissions.
Online play, art, and campus life overlap more than ever. It’s simply part of how students unwind, experiment, and create now.
What Online Gambling Looks Like for Today’s Students
Online gambling sits quietly within student life. It’s not a major trend, but some older students explore casino-style games the same way they try poker apps, fantasy sports, or loot-box systems. For most, it’s occasional and curiosity-driven.
UTSC also shares reminders about responsible play, which helps keep things grounded. In conversations around digital media or behavioural science classes, students often bring up randomness, reward cycles, and the design of chance-based games. A few ARTSIDEOUT pieces in past years even explored similar ideas through art.
For most students, online gambling is just one small part of their broader digital routine – something they look at, think about, and sometimes fold into creative work.
What Makes ARTSIDEOUT Unique Each Year
Part of what makes ARTSIDEOUT feel like a real anchor for UTSC student life is the way the festival keeps reinventing itself without losing its core. You can expect:
- Site-Specific Installations. Pieces installed across the campus, from the Meeting Place to unexpected corners of the IC and SY buildings.
- Performances All Day. Dance, spoken word, theatre, pop-up ensembles, drag, jazz, and everything in between. The mix depends on who applies that year.
- Workshops From Community Artists. Many workshops are free, and they’ve ranged from printmaking to steel-pan sessions to improv classes. These usually fill up fast.
- The Art Market. The art market is one of the most popular areas. Local creators and UTSC students set up tables to sell your art – prints, zines, jewelry, ceramics, crochet, and whatever else someone’s been working on during exam procrastination season.
- Student Leadership. The festival is planned entirely by UTSC students. The executive team is split into admin, artistic, and community groups. These roles often lead students into UTSC job applications, arts admin internships, or campus leadership opportunities.
- Open Submissions. Any student or community member can apply. Studio art, performance pieces, digital media, film, club projects – the festival makes space for all of it.
How Students and Community Members Take Part
Whether you’re an artist, a first-year student testing things out, or someone who just loves being part of creative events, there are several ways to jump into ARTSIDEOUT.
Showing Work on Campus
Artists can submit paintings, installations, video art, performances, or club-based pieces. Many take advantage of the rolling submission period, which gives people time to refine their work during the semester.
Tips for first-time applicants:
- Prepare a short description of your piece
- Have sample images or sketches ready
- Don’t wait until the last week – spots fill up fast
- Ask past exhibitors for advice (most are happy to talk)
Joining the Executive Team
These roles are tied closely to artistic jobs and work study opportunities. Students join teams that handle programming, marketing, logistics, community partnerships, and digital content. Many grads mention ARTSIDEOUT on job applications because they gained experience leading events for thousands of attendees.
Volunteering on Festival Day
This is where a lot of students get their first behind-the-scenes look at art event work. Volunteers help with:
- Installation and teardown
- Artist support
- AV and sound
- Workshop registration
- Guiding visitors around campus
If you’re new to UTSC, volunteering is one of the quickest ways to feel connected.
Taking Part in the Art Market
The market usually opens applications in July or August. Vendors include UTSC students, Scarborough artists, and small creators from the GTA. Items often sold:
- Stickers and prints
- Jewelry
- Crochet and textile work
- Handbound books
- Photography
- Mini sculptures
- Digital art and zines
It’s one of the most welcoming entry points for emerging creators.
Key Festival Dates at a Glance (2016–2025)
| Year | Date | Theme | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Oct 6 2016 | Expanding Identity | In-person |
| 2017 | Oct 5 2017 | Campus Showcase | In-person |
| 2018 | Oct 4 2018 | Rebirth | In-person |
| 2019 | Oct 3 2019 | In Between | In-person |
| 2020 | Oct 1 2020 | Connections | Online |
| 2021 | Oct 7 2021 | Endurance | Online |
| 2022 | Oct 6 2022 | Dreams | Hybrid |
| 2023 | Oct 5 2023 | Tapestry | In-person |
| 2024 | Oct 3 2024 | Selfscape | In-person |
| 2025 | Oct 2 2025 | Beyond the Circle | In-person |
What We Know About ARTSIDEOUT 2026
As of now, there’s no official theme or confirmed program for 2026. Based on every past year, we can expect it to land on the first Thursday of October 2026, running across the grounds of 1265 Military Trail.
If you’re hoping to participate next year (as a vendor, volunteer, or exhibitor) the safest approach is to start checking for updates in spring. Calls for submissions, executive hiring, and volunteer sign-ups usually appear between May and July.
You can follow updates here:
- Website: artsideout.ca
- Instagram: @artsideout_
- Facebook: @ARTSIDEOUT
- X/Twitter: @ARTSIDEOUT
If you’re someone watching UTSC news closely, you’ll usually notice the early buzz around campus.
Quick Tips for First-Time Visitors
- Arrive early. Parking fills fast near the IC Building and Student Centre.
- Check the Art Market first. It’s the best spot to meet student creators and maybe buy a print before it sells out.
- Grab a coffee at Tim Hortons. It’s right beside the main walkway, and during the festival, it becomes an unofficial art hangout.
- Say yes to workshops. Even beginners are welcome – that’s the whole spirit of ARTSIDEOUT.