Nunavik’s regional government gets behind artists’ grant

KUUJJUUAQ—The Kativik Regional Government has stepped up with $82,000 to fully support a funding program through Avataq Cultural Institute for Nunavik artists.

Previously supported by the province of Quebec’s arts program, it is now 100 per cent funded by the regional government and managed by Avataq.

The funding program has two streams, explained Olivia Lya Thomassie, program agent with Avataq, on the first day of KRG meetings, on Monday, Feb. 24.

The first includes grants for visual and performing arts—carving, painting, writing, photography and film, as well as fashion, music and traditional arts such as ulluit and basket making.

These are divided among three funding levels—up to $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000—depending on the scale of the project, experience of the artist and what aspects of the project will be covered.

The new $82,000 Aumaaggiivik artist grant program was announced at the Kativik Regional Government meeting in Kuujjuaq on Monday, Feb. 24. (Photo by Elaine Anselmi)

The second part of the grant program is for artist residencies, offering up to $10,000 for artists to create works in other parts of the circumpolar world.

The Quebec provincial arts organization, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), participated in creating the Nunavik arts grants a decade ago with Avataq, and the program has grown over the years.

Last year, CALQ transformed its grant program for Indigenous artists by centralizing funding to the Inuit and First Nations Arts Microgrant program, which is based in Montreal and has a jury made up of a panel of Indigenous artists, rather than by supporting regional programs like Avataq, explained Robert Fréchette, Avataq’s director general.

This was a concern to Avataq, Fréchette said, as there was no guarantee that Inuit would be represented on the jury and it removes a sensitivity to the region from the program.

As a result, Avataq turned to the KRG for support. And they got it.

“I’m very happy,” Fréchette said, adding that KRG management and its chairperson, Jennifer Munick, were open to the idea. “Now we can continue on the work we were building up for 10 years,” he said.

Nunavik artists are also still eligible for CALQ’s grant program. But the regional option is more catered to Nunavimmiut, said Thomassie.

“We are pretty flexible, since we know the realities up here are pretty different from down south,” she said. “For example, if someone wants to do a soapstone carving project, they have to take a boat and go and get the stone, so they can only do it in summertime. We are understanding of that situation in the North.”

Grant application forms can be filled out in English or Inuktitut.

Avataq also provides information on the rights of artists and the value of works, and provides samples of artist resumes and supporting materials for applications, Thomassie said.

“We make sure everything is complete and we’re here to support the artists from the beginning to the end,” she said.