Comedy festival supports mental health in Iqaluit

A comedy festival in Iqaluit will raise funds for the Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line this weekend. There will be an Indigenous show, a francophone show, improv at the high school and a politically-incorrect no-taboo show. (PHOTO SUBMITTED BY FIRST AIR ARCTIC COMEDY FESTIVAL)

Iqaluit’s Arctic Comedy Festival, sponsored by First Air, wants to warm your soul with laughter.

The three-day comedy festival, scheduled to run from Thursday, Oct. 11 until Saturday night, will showcase Canadian stand-up talent while collecting funds for the Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line.

Those funds will be used for training and volunteer support, said Sheila Levy, director of the Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line.

“We were contacted this summer by Alterna Crack-up Comedy who wanted to do a festival in Iqaluit. They do these in Ottawa and give proceeds to a mental health service who need the funds. Comedy supports mental health and laughing together is healthy,” Levy said.

The First Air Arctic Comedy festival will be hosted by Mary Walsh, creator and star of the CBC show, This Hour has 22 Minutes.

Tyson Houseman from the Twilight movie trilogy will be a special guest, along with other Canadian and Nunavummiut comedians.

On Thursday night, the Indigenous Comedy Show were set to kick off the festival at 8 p.m at the Legion with Howie Miller, Chad Anderson and Dakota Ray Hebert. Local favourites Angnakuluk Friesen, Mary-Lee Aliyak and Peter Autut were also to perform.

On Friday, there will be two shows to choose from. In French, there is the Soirée d’humour at the Francophone Centre, starting at 7:30 p.m. The line-up features Rachelle Elie, JC Surette and local performer Wade Thorhaug.

Getting a bit rowdier at the Frobisher Inn, at 8 p.m, an open-mic night will not be for the faint of heart. Politically Incorrect is the name of this show, with the subtitle that also serves as a disclaimer: “No taboos or language limits.”

This show will feature Jen Hayward, Bibi Bilodeau, Samasuni Fortin, Bernard Choquette, Wade Thorhaug, again, and Paul Rabliaskus from the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, according to the festival website.

“The Arctic Comedy Festival gives Iqaluit performers the opportunity to work with professional comics and gain insight into the comedy industry. It’s also a chance for us to share the difficulties of trying to be an artist in Canada while living in Nunavut,” Bilodeau said.

More humour comes Saturday in the form of improvisation. The Crush Improv group will perform at Inuksuk High School in the afternoon. This is advertised as “fun for all ages” and starts at 2 p.m.

A closing reception and silent auction to raise funds for the helpline starts at 7 p.m at the Frobisher Inn ballroom later that night. The festival will wrap up with a final performance by the festival headliners and local comedians.

Tickets are still available online or can be purchased at Arctic Ventures.