Hello Alliance friends,
I hope you are doing well and basking in the sun!
This week I wanted to share two news pieces which caught my attention.
The first is the launch of a new program that aims to decolonize art and culture in BC called Voices in Circle: Amplifying Indigenous Cultural Voices, presented by the University of Victoria and the Farquhar at UVic.
According to the program’s press release, “this program is guided by an Indigenous and Métis Programming Circle, [and is] a change from traditional programme curation where an arts organization’s leadership are cultural gatekeepers.”
What caught my attention is that Voices in Circle seems to be a step towards not only indigenizing and diversifying artistic programming, but also in decolonizing institutionalized artistic spaces from the inside out.
I thought you’d want to mark these terrific events on your calendars:
- Juno award-winning performer, composer, activist and musicologist Jeremy Dutcher (Sept. 9)
- Inuit sisters PiqSiq, performing haunting traditional and original compositions (Oct. 12)
- Canadian Hip-Hop superstar due of Haisla and Snotty Nose Rez Kids (Nov. 30)
- a variety show featuring local Indigenous Artists (February 2023)
- Winnipeg-based multi-instrumental singer-songwriter and Sebastian Gaskin, last year’s Western Canadian Music Award-winner for R&B Artist of the Year (March 11).
Voices in Circle is supported by funding from the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and through the Province of BC through the BC Arts Council. Tickets go on sale to the public today through the UVic Ticket Centre.
The other piece of news which caught my eye was this interview with Dr. Afua Cooper, the director of Black People’s History of Canada project. In the interview, Dr. Cooper talks about her work in updating school curriculums across the country to incorporate more Black history. Her project received a grant from the department of Canadian heritage to conduct research on Black Canadian history and write a curriculum for grade levels across the country.
According to Dr. Cooper, “the idea is to centre the Black history curriculum, which hasn’t been taught in schools because it was marginalized for all these years. It wasn’t seen as an important part of academic inquiry despite the fact that Black people have over 400 years of presence in this country.”
It is high time that we make room for Black history, for Indigenous performance and expression, and for all marginalized voices in our communities. The fight towards justice and equality is long, but it gives one courage to see programs coming forth which seem to be moving us in the right direction.
Next week, Dr. Cooper will present the inaugural symposium called Past/Future: African Canadian History, Arts and Culture in STEM Education. To learn more about it, click here.
Warmly,
Anna
Kootenay Arts E-Bulletin 