Arts and Culture

The arts are a pillar of our identity in St. John's.

With its strong cultural heartbeat, St. John's has one of highest concentrations of working artists across Canadian municipalities. Arts and cultural industries are an important engine of economic growth.

Arts and culture:

drives innovation and tourism
improves quality of life
contributes to that feeling that this is where exciting things happen

The City's Municipal Arts Plan helps to guide our work.

Supporting The Arts

The City of St. John's has various programs and initiatives to foster the development of the arts and artists.

We annually give grants to artists, arts organizations, special events, and festivals.
We host special events and provide resources to artists.
Our Arts and Culture Advisory Committee keeps Council focused on arts and culture.
We hire artists:
- We have an annual call for performers at City festivals and special events.
- We have a public art procurement program.
- We recognize the importance of poetry through our Poet Laureate program.
- We celebrate local music with our Music @ concert series.

Incubating Artisans

Many artists are entrepreneurs and business owners as well as creators. The City played the lead role in the creation of the Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios, a craft incubator with 10 studio spaces. Artisans rent out a studio where they will work and sell to the public to grow their business. They get workshops and training so they can maximize their potential as emerging entrepreneurs. Now operated by the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art and Design, the facility is still owned and maintained by the City.

Key Creative Sectors

St. John's is a hotspot for creativity. Our outstanding artists continue to showcase our culture on the world stage. Find out more about planned special events, activities and festivals happening in our community and follow What's Happening St. John's on Facebook and Twitter.

Film

Breathtaking landscapes, small village settings, urban appeal… St. John's is a location scout's dream. With a full roster of experienced and talented producers and crew members, equipment providers, and a full post-production house, our City is a “one-stop shop” for the film and video industry.

The Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative offers a full post-production house, as well as filmmaking courses, workshops, and funding opportunities.

St. John's is also the home base for several film festivals, including the award-winning St. John's International Women's Film Festival – the second longest running women's film festival in the world.

For more information on filming in St. John's, please see the Special Events Policy and Procedure Manual and the special events application form.

Music

Music is practically synonymous with St. John's! The longstanding traditional music of the province is rooted heavily in the folk music of Ireland, England, and Scotland. But St. John's has a thriving and growing music industry that reaches well beyond those roots. We have outstanding musicians in every genre: pop, rock, hip hop, jazz, blues, classical, heavy, and more!

Theatre and Performing Arts

St. John's has been the centre of development for some of Canada's most well-known actors and performers. The City continues to offer not only excellent live theatre experiences, but also training and festivals in growing disciplines such as contemporary dance and circus arts, like the St. John's International Circus Fest! Groups such as Dance NL and APTNL are great resources for the performance arts.

Visual Arts and Craft

An exciting, diverse, and supportive visual arts community adds even more colour to St. John's. With a well-developed fine craft industry and a progressive community of contemporary visual artists, St. John's has something for everyone. We have a number of commercial art galleries and artist-run centres.

Writing and Publishing

You need only look to the long and shortlists for prestigious literary awards the world over to see the reach of our local writers and publishers. Storytelling is in our blood. With award-winning publishing houses right in St. John's, we have plenty of avenues to bring those stories to a national and global audience.