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.
