The Nest - a creation, rehearsal, and teaching space in our community

Available for rent

The Nest is an affordable, safe, well-resourced space for creation, rehearsal and teaching located in the East End of St. Johns, NL at 410 East White Hills Road. Theatre, music, dance - even yoga and other movement classes - The Nest is a great resource for the community!

Key features:
  • A laminate-topped 16' x 24' sprung floor rehearsal deck.
  • Both natural and dimmable LED lighting.
  • A greenroom relaxation area.
  • Wi-Fi.
  • Air-conditioning.
  • Projector, upon request.
  • Sound system with two speakers, 8-channel mixer and two wired microphones w/stands, upon request and pending availability.
  • Access to a kitchen equipped with recycling station, Keurig, kettle, fridge, toaster, microwave, dishwasher, cups/glasses, plates and cutlery.
  • Repeated or longer-term renters can store props/costumes/set pieces, pending space availability.
  • Free parking.
  • Additional areas for table work, prop and costume construction, upon request and pending availability.
  • Additional tables (4) and chairs (24) available

Accessibility:
  • There is one (1) blue zone parking spot available, next to a concrete ramp up to a powered button-entry entrance door to the first floor lobby.
  • There is an elevator to the second floor.
  • All of the doors on the second floor are manual entry only.
  • There are two (2) steps as part of the entry to The Nest.
  • There are two washrooms on the second floor, shared with other tenants in the building, labelled "Men's" and "Women's", with additional signage on the "Women's" washroom designating its use as a gender-neutral and accessible washroom.

Rates:
As of July 1st, 2024 , rental rates and conditions for The Nest are as follows: 
  • $25/hour + HST with a 3-hour minimum rental
  • Daily and weekly rates are also available 
  • Times will be charged as booked with no refunds or cancellations with the exception of building closures due to inclement weather
  • Key holders will also be required to remit a $50 deposit which will be returned upon the return of keys (and fob if applicable)
  • Reduced rates available on a case-by-case basis - please email [email protected] to inquire.

Other things of note:
  • The PerSIStence Theatre offices also share the space - during weekdays, staff may need to travel discreetly through the rehearsal area in order to access the kitchen and washrooms.
  • Renters are expected to leave the space as they found it - clean, garbage and recycling removed to kitchen, dishes/glassware/cutlery into the dishwasher.
  • Live public performances are not permitted in The Nest, except for live streaming, which is totally cool.
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How To Book:
  • Send your request to [email protected]
  • We'll get back to you ASAP
  • If your request is urgent, you can also try reaching us at 709-743-4274 (voice only, no text)

How to Get Here:
  • The Nest and the PerSIStence office is located 410 East White Hills Road, at the corner of East White Hills and Robin Hood Bay Road.
  • The building is off the Outer Ring Road highway a few minutes North of Quidi Vidi Lake in the same building as the Leon's Furniture Warehouse.
  • Enter the building from the main lobby at the front of the building, it has glass windows. Take the stairs or elevator to the 2nd floor and follow the signage to The Nest.
  • While the main lobby doors are unlocked during working weekdays, the building has an alarm and security system with cameras and you must connect with us for entry after working weekday hours.
  • If you type “Persistence Theatre” into Google Maps then we do pop up as Persistence Theatre Company.
  • The closest bus stop is via Metrobus Route 9 (STOP ID: 6100) on Robin Hood Bay Rd - opposite Molson Bottle Depot (2 min walk), but please note that Route 9 does not run on weekends. On weekends the closest bus stop is via Metrobus Route 2 (STOP ID: 1455) on White Hills Road below the RCMP building (30 min walk). 

Call us at 709-743-4274 if you'd like to arrange a time to drop by and have a look! 

The Nest Creation Centre was funded through the generosity of the Government of Canada's Community Revitalization Fund
and with the support of Baine Johnston Properties.
St. John’s is home to a rich, diverse, and vibrant urban Indigenous community. Located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Beothuk, the lands and waters in and around the City have traditionally served as a gathering place for the Mi’kmaq. The broader region of Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. We honour and pay respect to the past, present, and future caretakers of these territories.

We also must acknowledge the labour theft extracted from people of African descent, used to build European wealth and economies globally, and in the Canadian nation state, including Newfoundland and Labrador’s shipbuilding and cod fishery industries, through the violence of trans-Atlantic enslavement.

We thank both First Light and the office of the Vice-Provost of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism at Memorial University for crafting and sharing these words that provide us with important perspectives.