Every town has a story worth telling. Tomorrow's Tales is your opportunity to work with a professional musician or writer to capture yours — commissioning an original creative work that reflects your community's history, identity, and vision for the future.
Newfoundland and Labrador has always been a place of storytellers. From oral traditions passed down across generations to the songs, poems, and stories that have reflected life in communities across the island and the Big Land, art has always been part of how people here come together, celebrate where they're from, and make this province a vibrant place to live. Tomorrow's Tales is an exciting opportunity to champion the arts and add your community's unique voice to that tradition through song or story.
Offered through a partnership between Municipalities NL and Business & Arts NL, the program is open to MNL member municipalities across the province. Participating municipalities will receive funding and hands-on support to find the right artist, develop a creative brief, and bring a new work into the world that will reflect your community, engage the public, and demonstrate the vibrancy of your region. No previous experience commissioning art or working with artists is required; you will be supported through every step of the process.
The commissioned work could take many forms: an original song that becomes the soundtrack to your community's next chapter or unofficial anthem; a short story rooted in local folklore or a defining moment in your town's history; a personal essay or dialogue that captures the texture of everyday life in your community; or an experimental piece of writing/music that imagines where your town is headed. Whatever form it takes, the work will be shaped by your community's own stories, voices, and ideas.
The result is something lasting, a piece of music or writing that celebrates what makes your community distinct, engages your residents, and puts your town on the map in a new way. Once complete, your Tomorrow's Tale is yours to share in whatever way works best for your community. Consider how the work might align with existing events, festivals, or programming already on your calendar, or how it could support broader tourism and placemaking goals to help increase impact. A debut performance or public reading, a feature on your municipality's website, or a social media campaign are all ways to celebrate your community and the artist.
Program Steps:
Interested municipalities can submit an expression of interest to participate by October 9, 2026 at 11:59pm. Up to three municipalities will be selected to receive:
Participating municipalities will be expected to:
We’re holding an online information session on Monday, Sept 28 at noon. Register for the info session here to learn more about the potential of this project, speak with the teams at Business & Arts NL and MNL, and ask questions.
Or you can reach out with your questions to: rnorman@municipalnl.ca
The selection committee will include representatives from several regions and be composed of professional artists, community organizers, and other stakeholders.
Applications will be evaluated on the following:
Selected municipalities will be notified by October 16. The full artist selection process, including writing a Call for Artists, circulating it, evaluating submissions, and selecting a successful candidate, typically takes between two and four months. Many artists will need several months' notice to make time in their schedules for research, residency, and creation. Selected artists may begin their work in late winter or spring 2027, with final works delivered by the end of summer 2027.
Yes, you may apply with a local artist in mind. However, doing so does not guarantee that you will be selected.
Yes. Business and Arts NL works extensively with the arts community across the province and will be available to help you spread the word about your opportunity and select the right artist for your project.
Yes, though some municipal staff involvement is required. A designated municipal representative will need to lead the project — managing communication with MNL and BANL, committing the municipality to program requirements, and overseeing key milestones. Day-to-day coordination, community outreach, and event support can be shared with or delegated to a community member or volunteer, and projects can be scaled to suit your capacity. Business & Arts NL will provide guidance and support throughout to help make the process manageable for your team.
No. Applications must be submitted by a municipal representative with the authority to commit the municipality to the program. Individuals who submit a municipal application will be ineligible to apply as an artist in the same program cycle.
Yes! Absolutely. Municipalities selected to participate will receive guidance and support from the team at Business and Arts NL to help design a project that is the right scale for your team and community. They’ll share tips and tricks to help make the process work well for you, the community, and the artist.
Artists will be paid their fees and reimbursed for travel costs directly by Municipalities NL. Towns will not be expected to incur additional cash costs related to this project.
The travel costs are designed to support an artist travelling from outside of the community to meet with community members, explore, and get well-acquainted with the stories and aspirations of the community, so up to $4,113 is available per artist to cover travel to and from the location, and up to two weeks’ accommodation/per diem.
Selected artists will seek out conversations, sites, events and materials that may inform their project. Here are a few examples:
The artist fee included in this project is for research and creation only. If you’re thrilled with the final product and would like to explore ways to print, publish, or sell copies, we can offer guidance on appropriate licensing fees for those rights.
A $5,000 artist fee is a reasonable fee to cover research and writing of a 4,000 - 7,500 word short story, a 4-minute work for singer-songwriter, or other works (poetry, essay, composition of similar size and scope.)
Yes, only municipalities that are members in good standing of Municipalities NL are eligible to apply.
No, you don’t have to be registered through Tomorrow’s Towns to be eligible for this opportunity.
Yes, municipalities that participated in Our Creative Home are eligible to apply for this opportunity.
