Resource Catalogue

IPAA’s Resource Catalogue is a collection of online articles and tools that inspire, educate, and support our members and the Indigenous Performing Arts community.

You can submit your work to the collection through our online form.

Artists & Industry

An Awkward Call to Arms: Open Letter Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, Cole Alvis and Michele Decottignies

This 2016 open letter, addressed to the Arts Program Office at Canada Council, promotes extended solidarity and conversation around Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Achieving Equity in Canadian TheatreDr. Michelle MacArthur | Equity in Theatre

This report investigates the absence of women from Canadian stages, provides a picture of (in)equity in Canadian theatre, makes international comparisons, and outlines a series of recommendations to increase the representation of women and other minoritized groups.

Dancing sovereignty : protocol and politics in northwest coast First Nations danceMique’l Dangeli | UBC

This thesis brings critical attention to the work of Northwest Coast First Nation dance artists through an in-depth study of how they assert, negotiate, and enact protocol through their artistic processes and performances and the ways in which their work engages with local, provincial, and national politics.

How Art Institutions Can Manage Their MetadataGregory Saumier-Finch | Society-Byte

This article covers the ways that arts organizations can manage their metadata with various tools.

Indigenous Body of WorkIndigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA)

A living list of Indigenous-led works.

Indigenous Terminology by the Dancers of DamelahamidDancers of Damelahamid | Coastal First Nations Festival

Some basic terminology to know if you are working with Indigenous folks.

IPAA Tech Bundles: Enhancing cultural sovereignty through technical infrastructureJP Longboat | Hill Strategies

A case study on IPAA’s Tech Bundle project which was initiated in January 2021 to provide a kit designed for online streaming, presentation, and related services to Indigenous Peoples throughout Canada.

Looking at Indigenous Performing ArtsPrimary Colours | Indigenous Theatre NAC, CCA

The purpose of the research report is to give respect to the history of Indigenous performing arts, to gather existing studies, and to point to the way forward/the way back for concrete actions that sustain Indigenous performing arts.

On Accountability: In Search of Lost Ethics in Performing Arts ProgrammingAngela Conquet, Merindah Donnelly, Yanira Castro, Ananya Chatterjea, Thomas F DeFrantz | Australian Performing Arts Market

This conversation highlights some concrete changes that presenters/curators need to contemplate in their programming practices and skillsets in order to present embodied cultural specificity in culturally competent ways.

Preserving their Birthright: The Legacy ProjectJill Carter & The First Circle: Tkaron:to

The gathering summary report explores ideas around how we, as a community, can and should build a protected but accessible Indigenous-stewarded repository of online resources that chart the history and development of Indigenous performing arts and culture-making.

The Role of Indigenous Artists and the Development of an Indigenous Pedagogy for Modern Artistic ExpressionJoahnna Berti | Hill Strategies, Primary Colours

This blog post explores two main questions: “the role of Indigenous artists in the community and how this role impacts training”. The report highlights how the historical development of Indigenous arts and arts learning provides the foundation of current arts-learning initiatives.

Tax Prep Basics for the Self-Employed ArtistHeather Marie Connors | Lowerton Bookkeeping

Heather Marie Connors from Lowertown Bookkeeping talks tax prep with the arts crowd.


Tools & Guides

Getting Started in Oral TraditionsElisa Hart | Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, Government of the Northwest Territories

This manual was written for adults and students in the Northwest Territories who want to research the knowledge that is part of the oral tradition of their culture.

Guiding Principles for Presenting Indigenous WorkOntario Presents

Ontario Presents’ guiding principles when it comes to presenting Indigenous artists.

How to Run an Open Space EventTransition Network

A guide on Open Space events, a powerful tool for engaging large and small groups of people in discussions. This can be used with groups from anything between 10 and 1,000 people.

Indigenous Ally ToolkitDakota Swiftwolfe | Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network

Useful information about what it means to be an Ally to Indigenous people, created by The Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network.

Indigenous Corporate Training – Free GuidesIndigenous Corporate Training

A series of guides on working with Indigenous partners in your community.

Indigenous Cultural ProgrammingDominga Robinson, Christine Van der Merwe, Chantal Amstad | Culture Days

A recording of a webinar on essential things to know about Indigenous Cultural Programming, presenters are Dominga Robinson, Christine van der Merwe, and Chantal Amstad.

Smudging DocumentJane Zhang, Mimi Chen, Matt McPherson | IPAA, TAC, OAC, CCA

Information about the practice of smudging, as it relates to performance venues.

Towards Braiding Elwood Jimmy and Vanessa Andreotti with Sharon Stein

This document explores modes of relational engagement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, scholars, and communities; outlining guidelines and practices for ethical and respectful engagement with Indigenous senses and sensibilities that can help us to work together.

Voluntary Addendum Ad Hoc Assembly

The Voluntary Addendum is a tool offered by AHA to the community in 2020 to expand the protections implicit in PACT/CAEA’s Not In Our Space program. Offered clauses can be added to artist and organizational contracts to better define relational accountability.


Land, Treaties & Acknowledgements

Beyond Territorial Acknowledgementsâpihtawikosisân

A thoughtful unpacking of the role of territorial acknowledgements.

First People’s Map of B.C.First People’s Cultural Council | Government of B.C.

A map with information on First Nations languages and communities in B.C.

Land Rights HistoryJeanette Armstrong | UBC

A primer on Indigenous land rights in B.C.

Native-Land Digital MapNative Land Digital

A work-in-progress map of territories, treaties, and languages across Turtle Island.

Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres

Learn about Friendship Centres and find one in your community.


Workshops, Courses & Opportunities

Canadian Roots Exchange

Canadian Roots Exchange (CRE) is a community of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth committed to building honest and equitable relationships. They have an annual gathering as well as initiatives in various communities across the country.

KAIROS Blanket Exercise Kairos Canada

A participatory history lesson that you can bring to your workplace or community.

Membertou Heritage Park

A community located on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia that offers workshops, exhibits, and facility tours.

Reconciliation Canada WorkshopsReconciliation Canada

Reconciliation Dialogue Workshops and Reconciliation Learning Experiences that you can bring to your organization or community to create a safe place to engage all peoples in dialogue that increases understanding of our shared history.

Reconciliation Through Indigenous EducationUniversity of British Columbia

A free, online 6-week course from UBC that is geared toward educators. Enhance your understanding and knowledge of practices that advance reconciliation in the places where you live, learn, and work.

Truth and Reconciliation Through Right Relations Leadership IntensiveBanff Centre

This intensive program at Alberta’s Banff Centre involves learning through ceremonies, lectures, outdoor walks, creative arts practice, application of theory, individual reflection, and group activity.


Read & Learn

4Rs Youth Movement – Resource4Rs Youth Movement

Changing the relationship between Indigenous and non­-Indigenous young people.

Building diverse & Equitable Non-Profit Boards: A Panel Discussion with Sector ExpertsMarina Dawson | Charity Village

A panel discussing the implications of Statistics Canada’s findings in their survey exploring the diversity of charity and nonprofit boards in Canada, as well as how organizations can build a more diverse and equitable sector.

Diversity of charity and non-profit boards of directors: Overview of the Canadian non-profit sectorStatistics Canada

A crowdsourcing survey of individuals involved in the governance of charities and non-profit organizations to learn more about the diversity of those serving on their boards of directors.

Four Directions Teaching ToolJennifer Wemigwans

FourDirectionsTeachings.com honours oral traditions by creating an environment where visitors are encouraged to listen with intent as each elder/ traditional teacher shares a teaching from their perspective on the richness and value of cultural traditions from their nation.

Indigenous TerminologyUniversity of British Columbia

An introduction to Indigenous terminology.

Introduction to Reconciliation WebinarThe Tamarack Institute | Reconciliation Canada

An introduction to reconciliation through a webinar with the Tamarack Institute and Reconciliation Canada.

OISE Developed Guide for K-12 Education University of Toronto

To help educators find materials that centre or focus on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit worldviews, experiences and knowledges for teaching in the K-12 classroom.

Reconciliation Canada – Useful LinksReconciliation Canada

Visit Reconciliation Canada’s useful links list, toolkits about how to start a reconciliation conversation, national narratives on reconciliation, and more.


Accessibility Resources

Accessibility LabsTheatre Passe Muraille

A 7-part short documentary series on Theatre Passe Muraille’s experiments in accessibility practices exploring artistic and dramaturgical integration as well as more efficient budgeting.

Contrast Checker

This tool is built for designers and developers to test colour contrast compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Disability Justice & Programming – Mobility Accessibility and People ManagementOrchestras Canada

The first portion of this session covers a Disability Justice framework for understanding accessibility. The second part discusses making the performing arts more welcoming to folks with mobility disabilities and dives deeper into how organizations can manage people, on and off stage, with accessibility front and centre.

Network ConnectorCreative Users Projects

Network Connector is an online community for Deaf and disabled artists and their friends and family to discover community and connect with other like-minded creatives.

Readability Analyzer

This program estimates the readability of a passage of text using the Flesch Reading Ease, Fog Scale Level, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and other metrics.