Alianait 2011 packs more fun into fewer days

Iqaluit storyteller Elisha Kilabuk reads July 2 from his new children’s book called The Qalupalik, a story about magical creatures who live under the sea ice. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Organizers of the 2011 Alianait Arts Festival say its new format made for the festival’s best year yet.

The seventh edition of Iqaluit’s summer festival wrapped up July 3 after a four-day run – less than half the length of previous years.

“The fact that we concentrated the events made for a really full festival,” said Alianait director Heather Daley. “We’ll have to go back and hear from the community, but it feels really good. We had great artists.”

More than 20 performers took the stage in Iqaluit this past weekend, including festival favourites Simeonie Keenainak and Beatrice Deer, along with southern newcomers the Mamaku Project, Fraid Knot and the Good Lovelies.

Daley said the festival reached more people this year because of the option of both indoor and outdoor entertainment.

The big top circus tent set up outside Nakasuk school hosted children’s activities, workshops and performances free of charge during the day, while Nakasuk school gym hosted the ticketed evening shows.

That helped protect the audience from the elements; Alianait’s tent was almost swept away by strong winds in 2010.

But Alianait 2011 had many of its own memorable moments, including the launch of Tulugak: Inuit Raven Stories, developed by Sylvia Cloutier and featuring Inuit artists from Greenland, Nunavik and Nunavut.

Daley said one of her favourite performances was at the gospel sing-a-long held at the parish hall July 3, where visiting string musicians got up to accompany a group of Inuit singers for a “very special” impromptu collaboration.

The festival got a few last-minute musical guests as well; a Nuuk, Greenland band called Stone Rock attended the festival — not scheduled to perform — but the heavy metal group had the audience on its feet when they won Alianait’s Battle of the Bands competition.

“They blew people away,” Daley said.

Alianait’s final concert drew a full house July 3, closing with popular Pangnirtung accordion player Simeonie Keenainak, accompanied by fellow accordionists Stephen Innuksuk and Roger Alivaktuk.

“It’s an honour to play with these young accordionists, who will carry on the tradition of accordion music in the Baffin region,” Keenainak told the crowd.

“But just so you know, I plan to live another 100 years,” he joked.

Daley says she would still like to see more seats filled at Alianait’s ticketed events.

This year’s fest offered lower ticket prices than in past years — $15 advance or $20 at the door — but Daley said some people still have trouble paying to see live music.

For the price of a pack of cigarettes, Daley said the festival’s concerts are a great value.

“We can’t do everything for free, but there’s a real value paying for high quality performers,” she said.

“If we’re going to have a performance arts centre here in Iqaluit it won’t be sustainable if the community isn’t willing to support it financially.”