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| Canadian Inuit Performing Arts | |
|---|---|
| Name | Canadian Inuit Performing Arts |
| Region | Arctic Canada |
| Languages | Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English, French |
Canadian Inuit Performing Arts
Canadian Inuit performing arts encompass a range of stage, musical, dance, and screen traditions originating among Inuit communities across Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Rooted in centuries-old practices and revitalized through contemporary education, festivals, and media, these arts intersect with institutions, artists, and productions that bridge regional, national, and international audiences.
Inuit performing arts developed alongside communities in the Eastern Arctic, Western Arctic, and subarctic regions, influenced by contact events such as the Dorset culture and Thule people migrations, later affected by interactions with Hudson's Bay Company, Moravian Church, and Roman Catholic Church missionaries. Colonial policies like the Indian Act and residential school systems intersected with Inuit cultural survival, leading to revival movements associated with leaders and activists including William Noah, Leona Aglukkaq, Natan Obed, and scholars such as Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Morrison Glazier. Community hubs in cities such as Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Inuvik, Kuujjuaq, Nain, Pangnirtung, Arviat, Pangnirtung School and institutions like Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and Qikiqtani Inuit Association have shaped policy and funding alongside arts bodies such as Canada Council for the Arts, Canada Arts Training Fund, Canadian Heritage, and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
Traditional forms include throat singing, drum dancing, storytelling, and theatricality embedded in practices such as shamanism-related song, mask performance, and song duels. Oral traditions fondly preserved by elders like Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk, Eva Aariak, Lucy Tulugarjuk, and Pitsiulak Ashoona influenced pedagogy at community centres and cultural camps linked to organizations including Qaggiq Theatre and regional cultural committees in Kinngait, Cape Dorset, Iqaluit and Tuktoyaktuk. Ceremonial regalia seen in performances reflect materials and motifs recorded by collectors like Knud Rasmussen, Fridtjof Nansen, and chronicled in museums such as Canadian Museum of History, Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, and Inuit Heritage Trust.
Contemporary theatre and dance engage companies and creators blending Inuit languages with performance conventions. Pioneering ensembles and venues include Tawâskweyâw Centre, Western Arctic Performing Arts, Qaggiq Theatre, Stimulus Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, and festivals such as Toronto International Film Festival residencies, Edmonton Fringe Festival presentations, and collaborations with institutions like National Arts Centre and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Key works and playwrights intersect with theatre-makers such as Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Taqralik Partridge, Zacharias Kunuk, Aki Sogunro, Jordan Tulk and companies like Artcirq, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Santee Smith projects and choreographers engaging with dancers from Nunavut Arctic College and touring with support from Société de développement des entreprises culturelles and Ontario Arts Council.
Inuit music ranges from traditional katajjaq to contemporary fusion across artists, bands, producers, and labels. Prominent performers include Tanya Tagaq, Silla and Rise, Leela Gilday, Lucie Idlout, Susan Aglukark, Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk (as cultural resource), Kelly Fraser, Silla & Rise, The Jerry Cans, and collaborations with producers from Canada Council for the Arts projects and venues like WOMEX showcases. Throat singing duos and collectives are hosted by collectives such as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami programs, community festivals, and platforms like CBC Music, Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and labels including Arts & Crafts Productions and Nettwerk.
Inuit narratives expanded into film, television, and web series through filmmakers and actors engaged with productions screened at festivals including Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Hot Docs, and broadcasters like CBC Television, APTN, NITV, and IsumaTV. Notable films and creators include Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner by Zacharias Kunuk, works by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Ava Kay Jones, Sarah Delaney, Natar Ungalaaq, Mark Nabi, and actors such as Shirley Woodward, Paul Apak Angilirq, Natar Ungalaaq, Nadia Ekeruche, with distribution through institutions like Telefilm Canada and partnerships with Netflix and PBS for limited screenings.
Training and institutional support appear in programs at Nunavut Arctic College, Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), University of Toronto Indigenous initiatives, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, National Film Board of Canada Inuit film programs, Canada Council for the Arts funding streams, and community-run centres in Iqaluit Community Centre and Inuvialuit Cultural Centre. Festivals and events supporting Inuit performing arts include Alianait Arts Festival, Toonik Tyme Festival, Alianait Arts Festival, Niqitsuituq, Qaggiq Festival, Legends & Legacies Festival, Karasjok Festival exchanges, and touring showcases organized by bodies such as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Circumpolar Cultural Institute and ArcticNet partnerships.
Prominent artists, ensembles, and companies span theatre, dance, music, and film: Tanya Tagaq, Zacharias Kunuk, Aputi Aputik, Lucie Idlout, Susan Aglukark, Kelly Fraser, The Jerry Cans, Artcirq, Qaggiq Theatre, Natar Ungalaaq, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Nivek Johnson, Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk, Leela Gilday, Silla and Rise, Silla & Rise, Paul Apak Angilirq, Naujaat Voices, Kiraak Dance Collective, Inuit Performance Ensemble, Qikiqtani Inuit Association-affiliated groups, Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, Isuma Productions, Native Earth Performing Arts, National Arts Centre collaborations, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity alumni, CBC Arts featured creators, APTN commissionees, Telefilm Canada-supported directors, Toronto Metropolitan University graduates, University of British Columbia Indigenous programs alumni, and cross-cultural collaborators from Greenlandic Music Scene and Sámi Theatre.