Nunavut music festival encourages stories, poetry

The stage is set for Arviat’s Inummariit music festival which includes, among other things, a writing contest. (PHOTO/FACEBOOK)

If you live in Arviat and feel creative, organizers of “Arviat Writes” encourages you to enter this story and poetry contest—part of this weekend’s 2017 Inummariit Music Festival in the Kivalliq, community of about 3,000 people.

Arviat writers aged nine to 99 can submit a story or poem. After a reading of the entries, a panel of judges will select six winners.

Submissions, which can be written in English or Inuktitut, will be accepted in two categories: “Our Nuna,” on the environment, and “Our Youth.”

And the stories or poetry can be up to two pages long—roughly 500 words or less.

The judges will select three winners in each category, who will receive prizes from $100 to $300, for a total of $1,200 in prizes in the Canada 150-sponsored event.

You must submit your entry by 5 p.m. on Aug. 25 on paper or electronically to Inummariit’s president Paul Otuk or other board members.

While the full schedule or the festival will be released later, a couple of events have been advertised including Inummariit’s “second annual lip-sync contest” on Aug. 26 at 1 p.m., with $250 going to winners who best represent Elvis, Dolly Parton or Cheech and Chong.

Judges will consider both the costumes and performances, said an announcement about the event on Facebook.

Later that night, on Aug. 26, Arviat residents can enjoy the first Inummariit guitar showdown with blues, rock, heavy metal, acoustic and finger-picking music.

Others scheduled to take the stage from Aug. 25 to Aug. 27 include Nelson Naittuq Tagoona, Gustin Adjun, Kelly Amaujaq Fraser, Sirluaq Band (Levi Katuqaq), Casey Tulurialik, John Davis Makkigak, Them Tagoona and the Iqippagit Band, as well as locals Calvin Pameolik and the Arviat Bluegrass Band.

For more information about the festival and the full line-up, go to the event’s Facebook page.