Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category

Ode’min Giizis 2011: honouring culture + pushing boundaries 4th Annual Festival of Indigenous arts, June 15-19, Peterborough, Ontario

photo by Elizabeth Thipphawong

In the spirit of excitement and inclusion, The 4^th Annual Ode’min Giizis festival of Indigenous arts and culture welcomes artists from across Canada and around the world, June 15th-19th in Peterborough, Ontario. Coupling artists, young and older, emerging and established, local and visiting, traditional and contemporary – the festival offers the chance to experience and learn from open, creative conversations about how we move forward together, across cultures, across differences.

Click here for the detailed daily schedule. Otherwise, here’s a quick run-down:

The Ode’min Giizis Festival begins Wednesday June 15 with Opening Celebrations (dance, music, and conversation). On Thursday, we present an excerpt of an exceptional new contemporary dance piece called The Creator’s Game, choreographed by Santee Smith, artistic director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. The presentation will take place at the Peterborough Memorial Centre before the Peterborough Lakers Lacrosse game. On Friday June 17, parents and children are invited to take part in Bimaadiziwin: the Art of Living in a Good Way. Evening entertainment will include Theatre Sports with Toronto’s hilarious comedy troupe Tonto’s Nephews.

On Saturday June 18, all are welcome to begin one of the first days of summer with a Sunrise Ceremony, and to join in the lively, welcoming Community Procession beginning at 11am at Peterborough City Hall, culminating in a day-long Traditional Gathering with dancing, drumming, storytellers and more at Del Crary Park. Haven’t had enough? Check out this year’s IndieGenius Outdoor Concert (on Hunter Street) featuring musical collaborations with Indigenous musicians from the four corners of the earth. On Sunday June 19, the Festival hosts an Iroquois Lacrosse (Dewa:ao gajihgwa;e / The Creator’s Game) Program Clinic for youth.

For dates, times, locations, and/or opportunities to participate go to the Ode’min Giizis website or call 705.745.1788.

Cafe Daughter, presented by Gwaandak Theatre, is an inspiring one-woman memory play about a bright Aboriginal-Chinese girl growing up in rural Canada in the 1950s/1960s, against a backdrop of discrimination. Yvette Wong loves books on Egypt and dreams about becoming a doctor. Her Cree mother tells her not to reveal her native ancestry. Will Yvette come to terms with her full identity, while pursuing her dreams of university?.
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• Dawson City, Wed. May 4, Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, 7 pm
• Mayo, Thurs. May 5, Mayo Curling Club, 7 pm
• Pelly Crossing, Sat May 7, Pelly Crossing LINK Building, 2 pm
• Guild Theatre Porter Creek, evening shows May 11-14, 8 pm. Tickets $20/$18 students/elders at www.yukontickets.com or at door. (Limited seating!) Pay-what-you-can matinee Sat. May 14, 2 pm.
• Watson Lake, Tues. May 17, Watson Lake Rec Centre, 7 pm.
• Teslin, Wed. May 18, Teslin School, 7 pm
• Haines Junction, Thurs. May 19, St. Elias Convention Centre, 7 pm.
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Check out Gwaandak Theatre’s School Study Guide downloadable from their website

Gwaandak Theatre is a not-for-profit Yukon professional theatre company founded by playwrights Leonard Linklater and Patti Flather. Our theatre is dedicated to developing and presenting new works of theatre highlighting Yukon, Aboriginal and diverse voices since 1999.

For more information: www.gwaandaktheatre.com

At 2 pm today (April 24, 2011), Human Cargo is performing its newest play Night at the Factory Theatre in Toronto, ON. Reneltta Arluk, who plays Gloria Muktar in the play, describes her wonderful experience.

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Native Earth Performing Arts and Red Diva Projects: Tombs of the Vanishing Indian.

Marie Clements’s Tombs of the Vanishing Indian has been co-produced with the award-winning Red Diva Projects. Provoked by museum statistics which suggest that 90% of visitors come to view or experience peoples that “no longer exist”, Tombs of the Vanishing Indian is Marie Clements’s groundbreaking response, proof positive that Aboriginal people are indeed, still here.

For more information, check out the following resources: (i) Marie Clements’s website, (ii) NEPA’s website, and (iii) Red Diva’s website, and (iv) Buddies in Bad Times Theatre’s website.

Toronto, Ontario. March 7-27.

Tickets: $25, purchase at 416.975.8555 or www.totix.ca or www.nativeearth.ca

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The Coastal First Nations Dance Festival is a celebration of the stories, songs, and dances of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast. The festival showcases the rich cultural traditions practiced by dance groups from BC, the Yukon, Manitoba, Alaska, and Washington State.

Times: Wednesday & Thursday 10am School Shows, Friday 7:30pm Evening Signature Presentation, Saturday & Sunday Weekend Showcase 1pm-4pm.

For more information, visit the Dancers of Damelahamid’s website!

Full Circle’s Talking Stick Festival – now in its 10th year – has been featured in Vancouver’s Georgia Straight, an excellent community-based weekly publication.

“For her full-length contemporary-dance piece Fragments, Lara Kramer drew on the experiences of aboriginal children forcibly committed to Indian residential schools.”

Click here to check out the article on the Georgia Straight’s website.

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“Sursuriwka-Willow Bridge” on February 19th and 20th in Yokohama Japan!

To learn more about this super interesting collaboration check-out both IPAA’s Events Page and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s website.
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Full Circle Performance presents its 10th annual Talking Stick Festival!

Full Circle: First Nations Performance presents the 10^th annual Talking Stick Festival: a 14 day, citywide celebration of Aboriginal performance and art. 

More information upcoming! Check out our Events listing, or visit Full Circle’s website to keep updated.