Nunavik theatre group has busy year on the road

Ivujivik students perform a play in their community’s school. (Photo courtesy of Adamie Kalingo)

A theatre group is travelling Nunavik, spreading the joy of acting and traditional language.

The Aaqsiiq group touts itself as Nunavik’s first theatre company. Based in Kuujjuaq, they’ve made 14 trips to different communities in the region over the past eight months.

“What is important is not only to give theatre workshops,” said Gabriel Léger-Savard, Aaqsiiq’s general co-ordinator, “it is also about involving Inuit artists for them to become role models, leaders.”

The group has travelled to Ivujivik five times, where it was nearly able to build a new local troupe.

“We did shows every time we went,” said Léger-Savard in a French interview. “In April, we did our biggest show. What was even nicer is that in those shows we involved elders in the process.

“The goal is to develop the region culturally, on a longer term.”

The challenge, he said, is the team is small and it’s difficult for Aaqsiiq to meet every community’s demand for cultural activities.

“We want to do things well for now,” Léger-Savard said, “maybe in 10 years we will be in every community, but for now we should develop in each community with a different approach that works with their reality.”

One of Aaqsiiq’s main goals is to use theatre as a way to teach Inuktitut.

“Not only does it teach language, but it teaches how to speak, how to express, how to identify emotions,” he said.

The group also develops its own unique professional plays. Currently, it is working on a play titled Aukkauti.

Based on a true story set in 1899, it depicts Aukkauti, who killed his friend Qummainaq’s son. In return, Qummainaq decimated Aukkauti’s family. A domino effect of tragedy then unfolds.

The play was authored by Lisa Koperqualuk, Adamie Kalingo and Daniel Gadbois and is still being revised after years of work.

“We did a big gathering in Ivujivik with the elders of Ivujivik, Akulivik, Puvirnituq and Kangiqsujuaq,” said Léger-Savard, “we discussed the events and we were able to reach a consensual storyboard.”

Now the three authors are working on the first draft of this play, making sure every word they use is historically accurate to the dialect at the time.

“We gathered elders to revise the script, having in mind the dialect and the vocabulary,” said Léger-Savard.

“We’re conscious that we are one of the only organizations like this in Nunavik,” he said, adding “we have the weight of our mandate, we want to make an impact.”

While Aaqsiiq won’t be travelling anymore this year, more workshops are planned for next year.