Survival of the Artist: Women in the Arts During a Pandemic

Start: 2021-03-08T12:30:00-05:00
End: 2021-03-08T13:30:00-05:00

Special Events Talks

NAC Popular Music and Variety
Arts Alive

Mar 8, 2021 - 12:30 PM EST

The National Arts Centre is celebrating International Women’s Day with free online events centered on women’s voices and experiences. This panel discussion begins the day with extraordinary Canadian women in the performing arts on how the pandemic has affected their lives and careers.

The English panel, at 12:30 p.m., will include artist and creator Nicole Brooks (Toronto); theatre artist Heidi Susanne MacDonald (Rosebud, AB); performer, musician, playwright, producer, director and motivational speaker Sylvia Cloutier (Kuujjuaq, Nunavik); and singer-songwriters Leela Gilday (Yellowknife) and Irish Mythen (Ireland/PEI). The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Jillian Horton (Winnipeg), an internist, musician, medical educator and author of the recently released book We Are All Perfectly Fine: A Memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing, as well as host of the NAC speaker series Arts, Medicine and #Life.

Nicole Brooks (Toronto), a filmmaker, director, performer, singer, playwright, composer, curator, teacher and ‘art-ivist’ who has devoted more than 20 years producing innovative content for the stage and screen, with a focus on narratives that illuminate the peoples of the African Diaspora. She is the creator, composer and librettist of and actor in Obeah Opera.

Sylvia Cloutier (Kuujjuaq, Nunavik) a performer, actor, musician, playwright, television and theatre producer, director, motivational speaker and mother currently residing in Montreal. Over the course of her illustrious 25-year career as a singer, she has performed nationally and internationally both as a solo artist and in collaboration with many esteemed artists and ensembles, including Madeleine Allakariallak, Tafelmusik and the NAC Orchestra.

Leela Gilday (Yellowknife), a singer-songwriter born and raised in the Northwest Territories who writes about the people and the land that created her. She has toured festivals and concert halls with her four-piece band through every province and territory in Canada. She has played in the United States, Greenland, Australia, New Zealand and several countries in Europe.

Heidi Susanne MacDonald (Rosebud, AB), an actor, director, playwright, poet, and a nurse working at Drumheller Hospital in Drumheller, Alberta. As a queer Christian artist, she continually seeks out stories of intersectionality and inclusivity for all people.

Irish Mythen (Ireland/PEI), whose latest release, Little Bones, gained a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations and two wins — Touring Artist of the Year and Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Nomination for Solo Artist of the Year.

*This discussion will be in English only.*

Artists

Featuring Sylvia Cloutier
Featuring Sylvia Cloutier

Sylvia Cloutier originally from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik (Northern Quebec) living in Iqaluit, Nunavut, is a mother, performing artist, producer, director, well known for performing Inuit throat singing and drum dancing. She has collaborated with many artists all over the world including Think of One from Belgium; Tafelmusik, a Toronto based baroque orchestra; Montréal based DJ Geronimo Inutiq and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Cloutier is the co-founder of a performance company Aqsarniit producing shows that promote Inuit culture for special events such as the Nunavut Celebration at the Museum of Civilization in April 1999, Toonik Tyme and Alianait festival in Iqaluit, Canadian North’s Nunavut Day Gala in 2007, fashion shows for the Government of Nunavut promoting the high fashion seal skin products.

Ms. Cloutier was the producer for a television series Inuit Piqqusingit with Inuit Communication Systems Limited in 2000 learning about Inuit survival skills across Nunavut. She has also been involved as a motivational speaker for youth events and has worked extensively with creating training for youth in creative projects while addressing social issues such as video production, the development of murals, social theatre, music, dance and circus.

She was the Artistic Director of Qaggiq theatre company in Iqaluit, project manager at the Northern village of Kuujjuaq and collaborator with Social Hip Hop projects with the Blueprints for life team working in Inuit communities in Nunavik and Nunavut. In 2009, Mr. Cloutier was managing the social Circus program CIRQINIQ as the Recreation advisor for Arts & Culture at the Kativik Regional Government, a program developed for youth in Nunavik in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil’s social circus department Cirque du Monde.

She joined her Excellency Governor General Michaëlle Jean on the state visit to Norway and Ukraine in 2009 and was named “Woman of the Year” by Pauktutiit, the national Inuit women’s organization and later received an award for “Outstanding young woman of the year” by Qullit Nunavut women’s organization in 2013. Sylvia is the producer and co-director of TULUGAK bringing together Inuit performing artists from Canada and Greenland since 2011. She is currently a television Producer at Inuit Broadcasting Corporation in Iqaluit.

Originaire de Kuujjuaq, au Nunavik (nord du Québec), Sylvia Cloutier est établie à Iqaluit (Nunavut). Mère, artiste de la scène, réalisatrice et metteure en scène, elle est renommée pour ses interprétations de danses du tambour et chants de gorge inuits. Elle a collaboré avec de nombreux artistes d’ici et d’ailleurs, dont Think of One (Belgique), Tafelmusik (ensemble de musique baroque établi à Toronto), DJ Geronimo Inutiq (Montréal) et l’Orchestre symphonique national.

M^me Cloutier est la cofondatrice de la compagnie artistique Aqsarniit, qui réalise des spectacles axés sur la promotion de la culture inuite pour des événements spéciaux comme les célébrations entourant l’inauguration du Nunavut au Musée canadien des civilisations en avril 1999, le festival Toonik Tyme à Iqaluit, le gala de Canadian North en l’honneur de la Journée du Nunavut en 2007 et des défilés de mode pour le gouvernement du Nunavut visant à promouvoir les vêtements et articles de mode en peau de phoque.

M^me Cloutier a réalisé la série télévisée Inuit Piqqusingit avec Inuit Communication Systems Limited en 2000, émission qui explorait les techniques de survie inuites au Nunavut. Elle a aussi participé à des événements jeunesse comme conférencière spécialiste de la motivation et s’est engagée à fond auprès des jeunes par l’entremise de projets créatifs (production vidéo, peinture murale, théâtre, musique, danse et arts du cirque) à vocation sociale.

Elle a été la directrice artistique de la compagnie de théâtre Qaggiq à Iqaluit et gestionnaire de projet à Kuujjuaq. Elle a collaboré aux projets de hip-hop à vocation sociale de l’équipe de Blueprints for life dans diverses communautés inuites du Nunavik et du Nunavut. En 2009, M^me Cloutier a géré le programme de cirque à vocation sociale CIRQINIQ en tant que conseillère en loisirs (arts et culture) pour l’Administration régionale Kativik. Ce programme à l’intention des jeunes du Nunavik a été conçu en collaboration avec Cirque du Monde, le département de cirque social du Cirque du Soleil.

Sylvia Cloutier s’est aussi jointe à Son Excellence la gouverneure générale Michaëlle Jean à l’occasion de sa visite officielle en Norvège et en Ukraine en 2009, et elle a été nommée « femme de l’année » par l’association nationale de femmes inuites Pauktutiit. En 2013, l’organisation féminine Qullit Nunavut lui a décerné le titre de « jeune femme s'étant le plus distinguée au cours de l’année ». M^me Cloutier est la productrice et codirectrice du collectif TULUGAK, qui réunit des artistes de scène inuits du Canada et du Groenland depuis 2011. Elle travaille actuellement comme réalisatrice de télévision à l’Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (Iqaluit).
NAC media featuring Sylvia Cloutier
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Featuring Leela Gilday
Featuring Leela Gilday

A passionate singer/songwriter and soulful performer, Leela Gilday has a voice that comes straight from the heart. Confessing her stories to her audiences with a gutsy voice and open stage presence, Gilday weaves her experiences as a northerner, a member of the Dene nation, and a traveler into a beautiful world that transports the listener. Born and raised in the Northwest Territories, she writes about the people and the land that created her. The power in her voice conveys the depth of her feelings of love and life in a rugged environment and vibrant culture, as if it comes straight from that earth. Leela’s family is from Délįne on the shore of Great Bear Lake and her rich vocals dance across the rhythmic beats of traditional Dene drumming as smoothly as a bass line onstage the largest venues in the country. And she has played them all.

Auteure-compositrice-interprète passionnée et interprète pleine d'âme, Leela Gilday a une voix qui vient directement du cœur. Confessant ses histoires à son public avec une voix courageuse et une présence ouverte sur scène, Gilday tisse ses expériences en tant que nordiste, membre de la nation dénée et voyageuse dans un monde magnifique qui transporte l'auditeur.

Née et élevée dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, elle écrit sur les gens et la terre qui l'ont créée. La puissance de sa voix transmet la profondeur de ses sentiments d'amour et de vie dans un environnement rude et une culture vibrante, comme si elle venait directement de cette terre. La famille de Leela est originaire de Délįne, sur les rives du Grand lac de l'Ours, et sa voix riche danse sur les rythmes des tambours traditionnels dénés avec autant de souplesse qu'une ligne de basse sur les scènes des plus grandes salles du pays. Et elle les a toutes jouées.
NAC media featuring Leela Gilday
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Featuring Irish Mythen

Featuring Irish Mythen

Irish's latest release, Little Bones, gained them recognition around the globe, including a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations and two wins — Touring Artist of the Year and Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Win for Solo Artist of the Year. Their previous self-titled album, Irish Mythen, garnered awards and nominations from Music PEI, East Coast Music Association, Folk Alliance International and SOCAN. Write-ups in Australian Guitar Magazine, Rolling Stone and a plethora of other print and online media worldwide have helped plant Irish firmly on the map of Must-See Artists. 

Irish Mythen a connu la consécration internationale avec son dernier album, Little Bones : cité pour le JUNO 2020 de l’Album roots de l’année, il a obtenu deux prix (Enregistrement de roots contemporain de l’année et Artiste de tournée de l’année) et cinq nominations de Musique Î.-P.-É. ainsi que le prix de l’Artiste solo de l’année de l’Association de musique folk canadienne. Son précédent album éponyme a récolté plusieurs prix et citations de Musique Î.-P.-É., de l’Association de la musique de la côte est, de l’Alliance internationale de musique folk et de la SOCAN. Des reportages publiés dans le Guitar Magazine australien, dans Rolling Stone et plusieurs autres médias numériques et imprimés partout dans le monde ont contribué à faire de Mythen une artiste à voir en spectacle.

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