≈ 60 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: January 13, 2025
A Note From Kevin Loring, Artistic Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre
Qaumma is a personal story, a story about family, and treachery, and of great injustice, and great bravery. With the recent federal apology for the Nunavik Dog Slaughter only this past November, the timing of this work being at the NAC now is so meaningful. It is our great honour to host these fantastic artists and to share their powerful work with you.
A Note From Lori Marchand, Managing Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre
One of the gifts of working at Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre is forming relationships with exceptional artists, inspirational people such as Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and Vinnie Karatek. The understanding they have of their culture and their ability to share this knowledge through extraordinary, profound, and impactful storytelling is truly transformational. They inspire me every day with the hope and promise of a brighter future inherent in their work.
A Note From Sarah Conn, Artistic Producer, National Creation Fund
What a gift to support these incredibly talented Northern artists, and to see them bring to life their creative dreams through the extended development time! Qaumma's creation process was ambitious and unique, moving between Iqaluit and Montreal and bringing together artists and creators to manifest this generous work.
National Creation Fund Investment
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $95,000 supported the work’s final development period, allowing the creative team to carefully craft Qaumma into the sculptural theatre piece the artists have been imagining for years. With the Fund's support, the creative team finalized the set, lighting and video design, notably through a technical residency in Montreal and rehearsals in Iqaluit.
Interview with Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and Vinnie Karetak
This interview was conducted by Julie Burelle for the presentation of the show at Festival TransAmériques 2023, with translation by David Dalgleish.
The show, like other works of yours, celebrates women as keepers of knowledge, secrets and as holders of incredible strength.
L.W.B.: What we have undergone as Inuit in the face of colonization, climate change, and industrialization in the Arctic is an immensely powerful patriarchal overthrow of our sovereignty. And, in order to reclaim space as Inuit living in our homeland, we must simply be feminist, not through Western or White feminism but through our own understanding of how to return power to women, to femininity, to the non-binary, to queer ways of living in the world. In my work, I emphasize feminism and women’s experiences both as an Inuk woman and as somebody who understands that our path to upholding sovereignty on our land again is through feminism.
You engage directly with the audience in Qaumma, speaking to them, calling them to action.
L.W.B.: That proximity and the challenge to audience members to participate is actually based in uaajeerneq, greenlandic mask dancing, which is the cornerstone of my artistic practice. It defines how I interact in the world, not just artistically but also how I take courage, the approach and the interests I have. Uaajeerneq endeavors to expand your perspective in life both as a performer and as an audience member by pushing the boundaries of comfort to see what you are capable of doing, whether it is something reactionary, something complimentary, or something adversarial.
As an individual, you have to understand that your path in life is multifold, but that you’re the one making decisions about what is happening to you. This comes from Inuit worldview. In Qaumma we address the audience because we want them to understand what it feels like to be colonized. At the beginning of the performance, we make eye contact with as many audience members as possible to let them know the space is being animated by them and us. That we are all here together.
V.K.: Mask dancing brings elements of discomfort, yes, but we are also talking about uncomfortable things. We are a people of direct storytelling and doing that feels more natural than painting a picture and hoping somebody will get something out of it. I have a personal story to tell. We address the history of colonization and Christianity, not in an angry or hurtful way, but as a matter of factly. We ask “why do we conform, why are we confined by these artificial, imposed things when it doesn't have to be like that?” We bring up and build these big thought-provoking ideas. You don't have to answer right now, just hang on to the question.
Qaumma features this rising moment, this coming together that is not a resolution. Can you speak about this moment?
L.W.B.: We don't resolve anything or absolve anybody of responsibility, but we allow people to understand that we are doing this very difficult reclamation of space and culture and language and story, and it is such an exalting feeling when it comes back to us that it raises us all up. They should know that feeling of being uplifted.
V.K.: Qaumma means light and I have always imagined that the light that we carry on as our people has been shielded from attacks from all over the place. Now we're pushing to say “here is your flame back. Use it, play with it, grow with it, show it off or keep it to yourself but it's yours!”
Artists
Of Greenlandic descent, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory was born in Saskatoon, and she has lived in Iqaluit since 2005. The need to uphold the founding stories of her culture against the ravages of colonialism is intrinsic to her artistic practice, which she has continuously diversified and transformed for over 30 years.
A founding member and artistic director of Qaggiavuut until 2021, an organization that promotes the conservation, development, and transmission of Inuit arts, Williamson Bathory is also a curator, sculptural artist, actress, stage director, and poet.
In the installation Nannuppugut! (2021), which earned her the prestigious Sobey Art Award, she exhibited the skin of a polar bear that she killed while defending her family and honoured its spirit by projecting a video onto it, in which she performs a drum dance, engaging directly with the materiality and spirituality of the flesh, whether human or animal. A central element in her work is dialogue, especially with elders, whose stories she treats with love and reverence in Kiviuq Returns (2017-2019).
Vincent "Vinnie" Karetak is a cultural icon in Inuit Nunangat. His face is instantly recognized by Inuit young and old for his work in comedy, journalism, performing arts, theatre and film.
From starring in much beloved APTN programming such as Qanurli, to exploring heartache in his own short films and advocating for an Inuit performing arts centre in Nunavut to co-creating Kiviuq Returns with Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Vinnie’s dedication to art cannot be captured into a single genre.
He is passionate about Inuktitut and its rightful place as the working language in Nunavut, for Inuit creating art for Inuit, processes of communication that challenge colonization and for Inuit family connections.
Charlotte Qamaniq is a North Baffin Inuk performance artist, actor, and contemporary and traditional throat singer from Iglulik, Nunavut. She is best known for her work in the throat singing duo Silla, and in twice Juno nominated band Silla and Rise.
Highlights of Charlotte’s past work include a musical feature and acting role in season four of HBO’s TV series True Detective: Night Country, musical and acting roles in theater productions Unikkaaqtuat, Kiviuq Returns: An Inuit Epic, and Qaumma. She has released five albums, three of which have been nominated for Juno Awards, and has worked alongside acclaimed artists Tanya Tagaq, Keiino, and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory.
Aqqalu Berthelsen, also known as Uyarakq, was born in Nuuk (GL) in the mid 80s. He is a self-taught music producer / composer and DJ with a background in metal music.
Growing up in Uummannaq, Northern Greenland and Nuuk, the capital has played a large role in shaping him to be a versatile musician between two worlds. Together with Hanan Beannamar he made the performance This Is Our Body in 2021 in Harstad, the birthplace of missionary Hans Egede marking 300 years of colonization of Kalaallit Nunat. He is currently doing a lot of work in the Indigenous circumpolar hip hop and rap scene with a foot in two continents, the North American arctic and the European arctic. He is now living in Inari, Northern Finland / Sápmi.
Elysha Poirier began her career in graphic design before transitioning to animation for short films, VJing and, subsequently, for the projection design for stage. Combining digital and analog sources she creates intrinsic worlds of their own reflected in mixed media and digital 3D environments. Elysha's work is deeply connected to movement and sound where she translates audio and gesture into real-time motion graphics. She's realised a wide range of installations and engaged in live performances for dance, experimental music, theatre and web. She's also worked with Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory on Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools (Buddies In Bad Times Theatre). Other recent works include: All Of Our Dreaming (Dreamwalker Dance Company), and World After Dark (Shannon Litzenberger Contemporary Dance).
Jean Gaudreau has worked as an assistant director and stage manager on more than seventy-five productions since 1993, and on over a hundred others as a composer and sound designer with Larsen Lupin. He has also ventured into directing and even writing, and thoroughly enjoys all these professions.
He is mostly found in theatre, but also in contemporary dance and film. A few examples, in no particular order: Zéro, La machine de Turing, Le vrai monde?, Mashinikan, La Queens’ (in podcast and on stage), all versions of Un. Deux. Trois, Boisbouscache: Territoire sous influence, Ceux qui se sont évaporés, Marc Messier: seul… en scène!, L'énéide, 21, Ground, Hidden Paradise, Des souris et des hommes, Neuf [working title], Le déclin de l’empire américain (on stage), and Dimanche napalm.
Catherine Fée-Pigeon, a lighting designer in the performing arts since 2013, skillfully combines their passion for lighting and media arts. During their studies in Intermedia and Cyberarts at Concordia, they took their first steps into the world of stage lighting by illuminating performances at the Art Matters Festival. Since then, lighting has become the central pillar of their artistic practice and remains closely linked to new technologies.
Their creations often result from a complex technical approach, blending advanced programming, the use of third-party software, and electronic devices. Building on their experience in the music field, Catherine has expanded their skills in live programming, enriching their designs for theatre and dance. In return, their work in the music domain imparts a unique theatrical dimension to their creations.
In recent years, Catherine has toured with the show Crash des Louanges and designed the lighting for the latest productions by Claire Renaud, Laakuluk Williamson Bathory, Pénélope Deraîche-Dallaire, and Claudia Chan Tak. Their involvement extends beyond lighting; they have also portrayed a secondary character in the show Explosion de Pleurer Dans la Douche, while continuing to illuminate the entire production.
Catherine D Lapointe is a set designer and visual artist from La Prairie, whose journey is rooted in an intimate and sensitive exploration of plant-based, textile, and environmental materials. Through her work as a set designer and florist, Catherine weaves a constant dialogue between the body, materials, and space. Her work centres on the quest for self-reclamation, drawing on vulnerability and trauma as sources of creation.
By combining plants, textiles, and construction materials, she explores themes such as impermanence, ecology, and transformation. Her unique approach results in human-scale installations and photographic reinterpretations incorporating embroidery and organic materials. Among her notable works, the series Perce neige (2021) and Florimorphe (2023), created in collaboration with photographer Camille Gladu-Drouin, convey a powerful aesthetic that merges emotional depth with the female gaze.
Since 2020, Catherine has been multiplying collaborations in set design and immersive installations. She has designed concepts for major events such as Le Festif! de Baie-Saint-Paul, Festival TransAmériques, and the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal. She has also made her mark on the theatre scene by collaborating on productions like Atteintes à sa vie by Philippe Cyr (Usine C, 2022).
In May 2024, her exhibition Averses passagères, presented at Gham & Dafe, offered a poetic and introspective reflection on individual perceptions of the clichés surrounding the myth of the borderline personality. Extending her artistic research on life cycles, bodily memory, and resilience, this work underscores the creative power found in vulnerability.
Qaumma is one of the most profoundly human collaborations Catherine has had the immense privilege to be part of, strengthening her commitment to creation rooted in authenticity and sharing.
For over ten years, Claudie Gagnon has held a variety of positions in the Montreal artistic ecosystem, including technical director, stage manager and assistant director for companies such as Onishka and La Fratrie. Through her work, she hopes to contribute to the development of the performing arts in Quebec, both locally and internationally.
Credits
Qaumma
Co-Creator/Director
Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory
Co-Creator/Performer
Vincent Colin Karetak
Performer
Charlotte Qamaniq
Music
Aqqalu Berthelsen
Projection design
Elysha Poirier
Sound design
Jean Gaudreau
Lighting design
Catherine Fée-Pigeon
Set design
Catherine D. Lapointe
Produced by
Tulaffik
Video Content and Images Featured in Qaumma:
Kikkik E1-472 (Film, 2007)
Written by Elisapee Karetak (daughter of Kikkik, mother of Vinnie Karetak)
Filmmaker: Martin Kreelak
Available at: Isuma TV
The Living Stone (Film, 1959)
Filmmaker: John Feeney
Images from this film are included with the intent of reclamation, aiming to shift narratives around Inuit representation in film.
Family Photos Provided by:
Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory
Charlotte Qamaniq
Vinnie Karetak
NAC Indigenous Theatre
Artistic Director
Kevin Loring
Managing Director
Lori Marchand
Technical Director, Theatre Department
Spike Lyne
Producer
Michelle Yagi
Associate Producer
Brit Johnston
Producing Resident
Jessica Campbell-Maracle
Cultural Advocate
Mairi Brascoupé
Education Coordinator
Kerry Corbiere
Communications Strategist
Ian Hobson
Marketing Strategist
Marie-Pierre Chaumont
NAC Production Team
Studio Head
Stephane Boyer
Assistant
David Reynolds
Audio
Rob Burgess
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Season Partner
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Official Hotel Partner
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Presenting Partner #ReconcileThis
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees