NAC Indigenous Theatre unveils inaugural season

The National Arts Centre's new Indigenous theatre department has unveiled its inaugural seasonafter suffering a funding setback last month.

NAC Indigenous Theatre's 2019-20 season willfeature work based on, performedor created by Indigenous artists, includingcollaborations with such big names assinger-songwriter BuffySainte-Marieand Juno Award-winning Inuk recording artist Susan Aglukark.

The performances must reflect at least one of the following: an Indigenous playwright, an Indigenous director or an Indigenous co-production.

The season will also shine the spotlight on the work of female artists, with nine of the 11 productionsproduced by Indigenous women.

The season kicks off Sept. 11 with a 19-day Indigenous art and community festival featuring artist talks, culinary events and Indigenous arts programming.

Kevin Loring, the department's artistic director, said Indigenouswomen are the foundation of the community.

"You go into any band office and they're running the showcases. But I also think it's really important with a lot of conversations that we're having on a national level like the issues of murdered and missing women and things like that, that we presentour matriarchs on this stage here at the NAC."

This first season didn't come about withoutfacing some hurdles.

On World Theatre Day in March, Loringlearned his department would receive no funding in the 2019 federal budget.

The department's $3.5-million requestwould have supported outreach to Indigenous communities and taking productions to remote communities in the North.

"Wewe had a big vision, and now I have to sort of scale that vision back to see what we can do with what we have," Loringsaid.

Despite the setback, Loring is remaining optimistic.

"I'm confident that eventually we'll be resourced in the way that we need to be to be a national theatre for Indigenous performing arts," he said."The Indigenous theatre is here to stay."

Below are the details of the inaugural season:

The Unnatural and Accidental Women

• Sept. 11 to 21.
• Presented in English, featuring Coast Salish.

L o le sang se mle / Where the Blood Mixes

• Sept. 13 to 15 in French.
• Sept. 16 to 18 in English.
• In French or English, featuring Nlaka'pamux'stn.

Mokatek and the Missing Star (Mokatek et l'toile disparue)

• Sept. 13 to 14.
• Presented in French, featuring Anishinaabemowin with chants in Abenaki.

Buffy Sainte-Marie

• Sept. 15.

Susan Aglukark and the NAC Orchestra

• Sept. 20.

Finding Wolastoq Voice

• Sept. 21 to23
• Presented in English, featuring Wolastoqiyik.

Mnowin

• Sept. 26 to 28.

Unikkaaqtuat

• Jan. 9 to 12.
• Featured language: Inuktitut.

Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools

• Jan. 22 to Feb. 9.
• Featured language: Kalaallisut

Inner Elder

• April 7 to 10.
• Presented in English, featuring Cree.

Hot Brown Honey

• May 5 to 9.
• Presented in English.