Iqaluit artists show need for arts centre

An Iqaluit group of artists is highlighting the need for a performing arts centre in Nunavut capital's city, in part by showing how a popular current venue — the local high school — is inadequate.

Members of the Qaggiavuut Society held a performance in the gymnasium of Inuksuk High School on Wednedsay, in order to show the need for a proper performing arts venue.

Unlike other Canadian cities, including Yellowknife and Whitehorse, there is no performing arts centre in Iqaluit.

"It's been this way well, ever since Iqaluit was established. Twenty-five years ago, people were performing in the same environment that they're performing [in] now, with no improvement," Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, co-chair of the Qaggiavuut Society, told CBC News.

"It's the only northern centre that doesn't have a performing arts centre," she added. "It's really an important part of being able to express yourself, express a culture and a society."

Shows are currently hosted at the high school, the local elementary school, the parish hall and at the Arctic Winter Games Arena — places that were not designed with the arts in mind, performers say.

"It's really poor sound quality and [there's] not a lot of room, and there's no real place to set up lights," said Eden Tootoo, a member of the Inuksuk Drum Dancers, of the high school's gym.

Celebrate Inuit culture

Williamson Bathory said most people would like to see a full-featured performing arts centre, where Nunavummmiut can celebrate Inuit culture and the performing arts.

"The facilities that we have do not give, you know, the full respect and enjoyment to the performing arts that are very much deserved by Nunavummiut as a whole," she said.

"We really wanted to be able to show everybody exactly what we have to work with."

Qaggiavut Society co-founder Ellen Hamilton, a local singer-songwriter, said a performing arts centre with about 300 seats could be used for shows year-round.

"Our next step is actually to do research and feasibilty studies and then to begin really very extensive fundraising," Hamilton said.

"Iqaluit needs lots of things, it needs infrastructure in lots of areas. But most of all, it needs hope."

The society will seek more input about an arts centre at a public meeting Saturday at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum in Iqaluit.