The festival would operate a mixed financial model, with a charge to attend the weekend and Canterbury anniversary day events, which would include live music, food vendors, workshops and artist talks - but during the week people could view the artworks for free, Archer said.
The charge was needed as The Arts Centre attempted to make art accessible and cover its costs, he said.
The Arts Centre recently laid off a number of staff as it struggled with reduced funding.
Festival curator Koji Miyazaki said the approach to showing work would be a bit different from how art galleries operated.
Smaller works would be displayed in The Arts Centre's great hall and larger pieces installed in the north quad.
In the south quad there will be a suspended, permeable performative work which is a sculpture-dance collaboration between Robyn Webster and Fleur de Their, in which dancers will weave in and out, animating the installation.
