The Culture Rooms


Date: Jun 21
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Where: Level 2 & 3 Atrium

Experience what makes the people and this place so unique. MUSIC: When we are not talking, we are singing. And dancing. And having a time. Learn why music runs in our veins and try out an instrument or two yourself. Have you ever played an ugly stick? LANGUAGE: Did you know we have our own dictionary? Become acquainted with local authors. Learn some new words, like sleeveen or callibogus. And discover place names that will make you giggle, such as Come By Chance or Blow Me Down Provincial Park. NATURE: Mother Nature is highly respected here. Her high winds, dense fog, deep snow and horizontal rain have made us a hearty bunch and have defined our fashion sense. Learn about our spectacular hiking trails. Touch a piece of iceberg. And find out what capelin weather is all about. HISTORY: Come find out what brought people to these shores hundreds of years ago and what has made us such a resilient and creative lot. Try your hand at splitting a cod or bring a turn of water. Learn about resettlement and the salt cod trade. GENEALOGY: Many visitors have "roots" in this province. Some come with a clear understanding of where their families came from, while others only know that somewhere in their past there was a generation that started here. This kiosk shows you how to begin!

Events & Programs

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

How do place, identity, and art intersect, and what do their points of intersection tell us about this place we call home?

In this talk, Rhea Rollmann will explore the significance of queer and trans art in Atlantic Canada with particular emphasis on the work of Erica Rutherford as well as iterations of queer and trans art in NL. There will be an opportunity for questions after the talk.

Tickets: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling 709-757-8090.

About the Presenter:

Rhea Rollmann (she/her) is an award-winning journalist, writer and audio producer based in St. John's, NL, and is the author of A Queer History of Newfoundland (Engen Books, 2023). She is a founding editor of The Independent NL and her journalism has appeared in Briarpatch Magazine, CBC, Xtra Magazine, Chatelaine, PopMatters, Riddle Fence, Macleans and more. Her academic work has been published in the Journal of Gender Studies, Labor Studies Journal, Canadian Woman Studies, Journal of Work and Society, Canadian Theatre Review, Canadian Review of Sociology, Screen Bodies and elsewhere. She also has an extensive background in labour organizing and queer/trans activism, and she is Station Manager at CHMR-FM, a community radio station in St. John's.