Arts and Culture

St. John’s is a city of storytellers and creators. From music and theatre to visual art and writing, our arts carry the city’s history while shaping its future. St. John’s artists continue to share our culture with the world, connecting local heritage to a global stage.

Guided by the Municipal Arts Plan, the City of St. John’s continues to foster a vibrant and supportive environment for arts and culture.

Supports

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Grants

Every year, we give grants to artists, arts organizations, special events, and festivals. 
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Hiring Performers

We issue an annual call for performers to support our special events and festivals such as our Music @ Concert Series. 
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Public Art

The City celebrates local artists by commissioning murals and sculptures, painting traffic boxes, and welcoming submissions for the Civic Art Collection.
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Poet Laureate Program

The City of St. John’s Poet Laureate acts as an ambassador for literary arts, overseeing their integration into a range of official and unofficial civic events. 
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Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios

Owned by the City of St. John’s and operated by the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Arts and Design, this craft incubator offers 10 studio spaces where artists can create and develop their potential as emerging entrepreneurs.
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Arts and Culture Advisory Committee

The Arts and Culture Advisory Committee provides information and advice to Council on matters related to arts, culture and intangible cultural heritage.

Key Creative Sectors

St. John’s is a location scout’s dream, with stunning landscapes, charming villages, and urban appeal. With experienced producers, crew, equipment providers, and a full post-production house, we are a true one-stop shop for film and video. The city also hosts festivals such as the award-winning St. John's International Women's Film Festival.

For more on filming here, connect with the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative and review the City's Special Events Policy and Procedure Manual and the special events application form.

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.

St. John’s has long been a hub for some of Canada’s most celebrated actors and performers. Today, the city offers a vibrant mix of live theatre, contemporary dance, and circus arts, including events like the St. John's International Circus Fest.

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.

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.

Contact Us

City Hall
10 New Gower Street, St. John's, NL
P.O. Box 908, St. John's, A1C 5M2
Phone: 311 or 754-CITY (2489)
Email: access@stjohns.ca

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