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Upcoming Events & Calls for Artists/Poets

Find events and opportunities for artists including calls for public art. Find events and opportunities related to our Poet Laureate programs.

Upcoming Events:


Poetry in the Harbour featuring Kayla Czaga and special guests Jacqueline Bell and Sho Miller
Wed., September 10 at 7pm 
FREE | Drop-in | Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Shaw Lobby (Entrance at 80 Commercial St.) 
Join Poet Laureate, Neil Surkan, and special guests for an evening of poetry. September's event features poet, Kayla Czaga, and special guests, Jacqueline Bell and Sho Miller. 

Kayla Czaga holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and currently serves as the online poetry mentor for Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. Her debut collection, For Your Safety Please Hold On (Nightwood Editions, 2014) won the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award from the League of Canadian Poets. It was also nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Poetry and the BC Book Prizes’ Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. Dunk Tank (House of Anansi, 2019), also a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, was described by David O’Meara as “sparkling with recollection’s rich details…exhilarating.” Her third collection, Midway, will be published by House of Anansi in spring 2024. Czaga lives with her wife on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen People (Victoria, B.C).

Current Calls for Artists/Poets:

Call to Youth for 2026 Street Banners - Now Open!

Deadline: 11:59pm Pacific Time, September 28, 2025
This program offers youth artists an opportunity to submit proposals for original banner artwork that will be hung in Nanaimo’s downtown area. More info. 

Call for Urban Design Roster 2026-2028 - Now Open!

Deadline: 11:59pm Pacific Time, October 12, 2025
This program offers artists and designers an opportunity to be involved in civic urban design and small-scale artwork related to city infrastructure. More info. 

Call for Temporary Public Art 2026 - Now Open! 

Deadline: 11:59pm Pacific Time, October 26, 2025
The Temporary Public Art Program offers artists of diverse backgrounds and skillsets the opportunity to create artwork for public spaces in Nanaimo. More info. 

Call for Youth Poet Laureate 2026-2028 - Now Open! 

Deadline: 11:59pm Pacific Time, October 19, 2025
The City of Nanaimo is seeking nominations for our next Youth Poet Laureate (ages 13-24), who will serve as a literary ambassador, creating opportunities for the community to appreciate strong youth voices. More info. 

Questions?

Please reach out to the Culture & Events team using the info below.

Contact Us

Culture & Events
250-755-4483
cultureandevents@nanaimo.ca

Last updated: July 21, 2025

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