Arts for Equity: Labrador Creative Arts Festival
Exploring Creativity in Labrador: Our Arts for Equity Journey
This fall, our Arts for Equity Project brought us somewhere extraordinary: Labrador, a place where stories, culture, and artistry run as deep as the landscape itself. We were fortunate to plan our visit to coincide with the 50th Labrador Creative Arts Festival, a milestone year for the longest-running children’s arts festival in Canada. The timing could not have been more perfect. Over the course of our visit, we had the privilege of connecting with practicing artists from communities all across Labrador, each one bringing their own histories, traditions, and creative passions to the conversation.
What we found in Labrador was more than inspiration—it was a powerful reminder of why equitable access to the arts matters, and how creativity can be a bridge between generations, identities, and lived experiences.
Conversations with Labrador’s Artists
Our interviews opened doors into worlds shaped by craft, community, and resilience. Each artist welcomed us with generosity, offering insights into their creative practice and the ways Labrador’s land and people inform their work.
Each conversation left us with a richer understanding of what creativity looks like in Labrador—how it adapts, evolves, and thrives in ways both unique and universal. Themes of cultural preservation, intergenerational knowledge, and artistic sovereignty echoed throughout our interviews, reminding us that equitable arts practices must always honour local voices first.
The Festival Atmosphere
The Labrador Creative Arts Festival itself was a celebration unlike any other. Young people filled the space with curiosity and courage, presenting plays, artwork, music, and ideas they had developed with guidance from guest artists. Watching students express themselves on stage, through film and visual art, all tied in with the core values of our project: when young people have the tools and support to create, they tell stories that challenge, inspire, and endure.
Marking the festival’s 50th anniversary added a layer of reflection—half a century of nurturing youth creativity in Labrador is no small achievement. It speaks to the power of long-standing community commitment and the belief that the arts are essential to identity and wellbeing.
Why This Work Matters
Our time in Labrador reinforced the importance of arts equity—ensuring that all communities, especially those in remote or underserved regions, have access to creative resources and opportunities. The artists we met are not only creators; they are mentors, cultural stewards, and advocates. Their work enriches their communities and strengthens the cultural fabric of Labrador.
As we move forward with the Arts for Equity Project, these conversations will guide us. They remind us that equity work must be collaborative and grounded in lived experiences. It must listen first.
Leaving Inspired
We left Labrador filled with gratitude—for the artists who shared their stories, for the festival organizers who bring youth creation to life year after year, and for the communities who welcomed us so warmly.
We can’t wait to return.
Interviewed Artists
Pete (Peyton) Barret, Artist
Mavis Penney, Artist, Knowledge Keeper
Regan Edmunds, Artist
Emily Best, Artist/Community Leader
Raeann Brown, Inuit Artist / Storyteller
Click here for a full list of the artists featured at the Labrador Creative Arts Festival in 2025.
Photo gallery from our trip:
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- Ady capturing the Big Land
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- North West River
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- We were excited to see this public art project initiated by Business & Arts NL
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- Artist: Charlene Rumbolt
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- Ash teaching everyone how to rug hook.
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- Wayne Broomfield- explorer, photographer and artistic director for national geographic from Makkovik, Nunatsiavut joins us to try rug hooking.
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- Jamie Felsberg from Arts NL, ANIMATEUR Carolyn Guillet, and filmaker and photographer Jennie Williams join us to help make the rug.
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- Students, volunteers, teachers and visiting artists all stopped by to contribute.
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- Grand Finale of the 50th Anniversary of the Labrador Creative Arts Festival
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- Fashion Designer April Allen
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- The Legendary Tim Borlase
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- Singing together, practicing for the finale.
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- Elizabeth (Tshaukuesh) Penashue
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- We had the pleasure of taking a walk with Elizabeth (Tshaukuesh) Penashue and she taught us how to make a healing tea, start a fire and shared stories of her childhood and family life.
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- She also shared ways to use all of the animal hunted, including the ears and bones.
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- Stan Nochasak, originally from Nain, Nunatsiavut, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) shares his skills with the children of the festival.
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- Dr. Heather Igloliorte has curated some pieces of art from Northern Labrador for the 50th LCAF
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- This year’s button design by Starla Penashue
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- Artist Pete Barrett showing us around her studio and sharing her lived experience as an artist in Labrador.
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- Pete works with many materials to create and generously shared her work with us.
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- Pete’s newest skill is making paper fabric.
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- What a milestone!
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- The team enjoying the crisp Labrador air.
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- The team with Jamie Felsburg
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- Artwork by Laura Taylor
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- Final collaborative project given as a gift for the Festival’s milestone celebration.
This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. Ce projet a été rendu possible en partie grâce au gouvernement du Canada.
