Arts & Culture

Moncton's Commitment to Culture

The City of Moncton’s commitment to cultural initiatives stems from the community’s passion for arts and culture, artistic enjoyment and creative exploration. In the past two decades, the municipality has established a solid cultural program, adopted cultural policies, and increased its level of investment to arts and culture.

In the recent past, Moncton City Council further solidified its commitment to the cultural development of Moncton by clearly identifying arts, culture and heritage as a key priority in its Economic Development Strategy, in its adoption of the Percent for Public Art policy and Art Acquisition Policy and in its overall municipal strategic plan Vision 2010.

Moncton’s unique cultural composition has also played a key role in the growth of our cultural scene. Our city has often been recognized as a microcosm of Canadian society. The strong presence of our two main linguistic groups, and several other cultural communities in Moncton, has strengthened our cultural vitality and has lead to the artistic and cultural effervescence Monctonians enjoy today.

Cultural Initiatives

Moncton City Council is also committed to promoting initiatives that benefit all of its citizens and to fostering the cultural development of the entire community—including youth, seniors, francophone, anglophone, culturally-diverse and neighbouring aboriginal communities.

Past ambitious and innovative projects lead by or supported by the City of Moncton include:

• the $2-million purchase by the City of Moncton of the Capitol Theatre in 1992, and its restoration from an old abandoned movie theatre to one of the most vibrant and dynamic cultural centres in Moncton; and significant sustained funding to the Capitol Theatre; 
• the $450,000 revitalization of the space fronting the Centre culturel Aberdeen into a beautiful art park to commemorate the VIIIe Sommet de la francophonie in 1999; 
• a $150,000 capital contribution for the renovation of a heritage building into a new production building for Théâtre l'Escaouette in 2002; and 
• ongoing operational grants, event support and assistance to numerous initiatives and cultural organizations.

Cultural Support

The City of Moncton endeavours to increase public awareness and appreciation of arts and culture through various promotional tools, presents or facilitates cultural community events and encourages the development of partnerships with the business community to increase visibility of arts and culture groups, and provides substantial financial and in-kind support to community-based organizations.