Northern artists to take over Ottawa for spring festival

Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq performing live alongside a screening of the iconic Canadian film Nanook of the North is one of the high-profile performances of the Northern Scene cultural festival in Ottawa this spring.

Hosted by the National Arts Centre,the festival will draw 250 established and emerging artists from Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavik and Nunavut to the nations capital to showcase their talents.

Tagaqs performance alongside the 1922 silent film casts a contemporary light on the film, considered a significant landmark in recording the lives of Inuit people. Her soundscape incorporates improvisation by Jesse Zubot and Jean Martin, as well as Derek Charkes original score.

Another high-profile event at Northern Scene will unite four female Aboriginal and Inuit artists for an evening of music: Leela Gilday, Sylvia Cloutier, Diyet and Nive Nielsen.

Altogether, artists from across Canada's North will take part in the 10-day event.

Participants from Yukon include:

• Sobey Award-nominated visual artistCharles Stankievech.
• Spoken word artist and author Ivan Coyote.
• Singer-songwriter Sarah MacDougall.
• Dakhk Khwan Dancers.

Participants from Northwest Territories include:

• Author Richard Van Camp whose play I Count Myself Among Them is being performed.
• Fiddler Richard Lafferty.
• Storyteller Pat Braden.

Participants from Nunavut include:

• Circus troupe Artcirq.
• Artist Shuvinai Ashoona.
• Alt-rocker Lucie Idlout.

Participants from Nunavik include:

• Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Elisapie.
• Poet/spoken word artist Taqralik Partridge.

Northern Scene will encompass visual arts, theatre, music, food and fashion. The festival takes over Ottawa from April 25 to May 4. The summer NAC festival has previously focused on artists from Atlantic Canada, Quebec, B.C., Alberta and the Prairies.