Iqaluit Action Lab offers music to warm up to this weekend

Iqaluit Action Lab is putting on three concerts at Inuksuk High School this weekend.

Iqaluit residents may be tempted to stay put, like hermits, in their warm homes now that the coldest winter month is upon them.

But the same organizers who welcomed 2017 in Nunavut’s capital with a big bang are hoping Iqalungmiut resist those hermit-like impulses and come out to a free three-day concert series Feb. 3, Feb. 4 and Feb. 5.

A grant from the federal government as part of the Canada 150 Project allowed Robyn Campbell from the Iqaluit Action Lab to contract Alianait Music Festival for the concert series.

“Some people might want to hermit away with no company. But this is a great time, in mid-winter, to get out. I hope people come and have a blast, enjoy themselves and realize how lucky we are to live in such a unique community,” Campbell told Nunatsiaq News Feb. 1.

The Action Lab received a second federal grant to bolster Iqaluit’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, which included a spectacular display of fireworks Dec. 31, 2016.

For Alianait, the concert series is a great opportunity to focus on showcasing local talent, the festival’s executive director, Heather Daley said.

“When we have our summer festival, it’s a world festival so we have artists from around the world and across Canada perform. It’s a huge opportunity for Alianait to be able to give paid gigs to so many local artists,” she said.

In total, about 30 Nunavut-based artists will perform 25 acts during two evening concerts, held Feb. 3 and Feb. 4, and one matinee, on Feb. 5, Daley said.

The first night will feature contemporary music and include performances from Iqaluit’s culturally diverse population, including performances by a Zimbabwean, a gospel singer and from members of Iqaluit’s francophone community.

On Feb. 4 the focus will shift to Inuktitut music, Daley said, including a first-ever performance by the Joamie elementary school choir.

Finally, the Feb. 5 matinee will feature young performers including daycare-age throat-singers and individual performances by six high school students.

Daley said one of Alianait’s key goals when it started up in 2005 was to tap into the growing cultural diversity of Nunavut performers.

“It’s great to be able to highlight the fact that we do live in a very culturally diverse community. It encourages people from diverse backgrounds to come together in one room and celebrate,” she said.

That’s exactly what the Canada 150 Project is all about, Campbell added—bringing Canadians together in a community-building event to celebrate and explore our identity.

“The reason we’re able to do this event is because we have local leaders like Alianait capable of taking on this kind of activity. Three concerts in three days is no small feat,” Campbell said.

All three concerts are free to anybody in Iqaluit and will be held at the Inuksuk High School.

The concerts on Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 are set to start at 7:30 p.m. while the Feb. 5 concert gets underway at 2 p.m..

For more information you can visit the Iqaluit Action Lab’s Facebook page by clicking here.