Alianait puts call out for circumpolar performers
“Arctic connections have been and continue to be the main focus of the festival”
Eager to perform at Iqaluit’s Alianait arts festival?
Its organizers are seeking applications from performers who want to be part of next summer’s musical line-up.
And they’re hoping to hear from interested musicians who live around the circumpolar world.
That’s because the Iqaluit arts festival, now in its eighth year, has chosen “Arctic Connections” as the theme for its 2012 edition, which will run from June 29 to July 2.
“We just wanted to highlight that Arctic connections have been and continue to be the main focus of the festival,” said Heather Daley, Alianait’s executive director. “In 2011, 75 per cent of our performers were from Nunavut.”
Southern applicants should apply by Jan. 6 and northern performers, from Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Greenland, by Feb. 6.
A selection committee chosen from a cross-section of people in Iqaluit will again select the line-up for next year’s festival.
“I want this to be a community festival and have it representative of what the community wants,” Daley said.
Alianait is looking mainly for musicians to fill out this year’s roster — in the past it has booked performance artists such as Igloolik’s circus group Artcirq.
Organizers are asking applicants submit electronic copies of their work along with links to their websites.
While the strength of performance style and material are key for inclusion in the festival, special consideration will also be given to participants who are willing to give workshops.
“A big part of what the festival wants to promote is the interaction between artists and the audience,” Daley said. “One of the most direct ways in which we do that is through the various workshops that we offer.”
Last year the Alianait festival offered workshops on harmonica playing, throat-singing and hip hop.
Before 2010, the festival ran from June 21 to July 1 to take advantage of the many holidays that fall within that period, including Aboriginal Day, the summer solstice, and Canada Day.
But the festival’s revamped, four-day format announced for 2011, flowed from a community survey circulated in 2010, in which respondents said they wanted a shorter, more intensified format with more Inuit and world music performances.
All performers who are chosen for the festival are offered round-trip tickets to Iqaluit, accommodation, per diems and performance fees.
To learn more about how to apply, visit the Alianait website.
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