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What to expect at the 2024 Great Northern Arts Festival

By: Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

INUVIK (LJI) – The Great Northern Arts Festival returns to Inuvik this week with an updated format and changes intended to make participation “a lot smoother” for creators. Several Yukoners are booked to perform between July 10 and 15.

One such change is the festival’s online platform, which made more than 30 workshops for all ages available for purchase last week. About half of those are already sold out, according to festival executive director Adi Scott.

“We’re just trying to make the festival more sustainable in terms of hours that people need to put in,” Scott told Cabin Radio, “alleviating that load of booking workshops and organizing workshops on site on the day.”

Workshops that still had space as of Saturday evening include learning to work with muskox hide and seal skin, a pre-school painting session, a caribou hide-stretching workshop and lessons in finger drumming, poetry writing and beading.

The festival’s 2023 edition was called off because of “major staffing issues.” In part to address that, this year’s event runs for five days from July 10-15 instead of the old 10-day format.

Scott said some participants had requested a shorter duration to make taking time off work easier. Despite the tight schedule, she said there is enthusiasm within the town for a “slow yet sustainable” comeback.

“At the organization, it has been kind-of tough because it’s been learning from the ground up, but it’s been super rewarding,” she said, praising this year’s team.

“Everyone’s stoked that it’s back because it was cancelled last year. Over Covid, it didn’t really happen obviously. This year, we’re trying to bring it back – just a little bit smaller.”

There are seven people on the Great Northern Arts Festival board, including some artists and crafters. More than two dozen staff and volunteers will help bring the festival to life.

Though there are some returning artists, most performers this time around are new. You can find a schedule on the festival’s Facebook page.

Leela and Jay Gilday, Bria Rose N’ Thorns, Neel Dani, Gwaandak Theatre, the Yukon’s Pan-African Group Association and the Yukon Circus Society will be in attendance.

This year’s theme, “from ashes to arts,” is intended to celebrate the resilience within northern communities throughout last year’s wildfires.

“We just wanted to highlight and celebrate the people who had the bravery and resilience of protecting our homes. The people who struggled with being displaced because of that, too,” said Scott.

Scott thanked the Town of Inuvik, Gwich’in Tribal Council and Inuvik Community Greenhouse for their continued support, and said the board will take feedback from this year’s festival to make its strategic plan more sustainable in the years ahead. 

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