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Announcements Featured

Join Our Board of Directors 23/24

Join Our Board Of Directors!

 Join Native Earth’s Board of Directors and make a difference in the Indigenous arts community! 

Are you passionate about supporting Indigenous* art and artists? Do you want to play a vital role in promoting the Indigenous experience on Turtle Island? Look no further! Native Earth Performing Arts is seeking enthusiastic individuals to join our Board of Directors.

 As Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous theatre company, we take great pride in producing award-winning productions that celebrate Indigenous voices. Now, we invite you to be a part of our journey!

 What we’re looking for:

  • Individuals with a passion for Indigenous performing arts
  • A commitment to fulfilling our mandate with Anishinaabe 7 -Grandfather Teachings
  • Diverse skills and expertise in areas like finance, marketing, arts administration, legal, and more.

More info: learn more here

To apply or learn more, email [email protected] with the subject line “Board Recruitment”. We invite individuals of all experience levels to apply- if you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you!

*Native Earth Performing Arts uses the term Indigenous to encompass the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit of Turtle Island (North America). We also include Indigenous peoples from other regions including South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Greenland.

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Artists Opportunites Featured

Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 23/24

Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators - 23/24 Season

Applications Close - TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2024, 1PM ET

Applications are open for Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators!
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We are happy to announce that we are once again accepting applications from Ontario-based emerging and established theatre and multidisciplinary Indigenous* creators, artists, and collectives to develop new work.
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Submission Deadline: January 12, 2024

See more details here

RGTC is supported by the  Ontario Arts Council.

For questions, please contact Joelle Peters, Interim Artistic Director by phone at 416-531-1402, or by email at [email protected].

*Native Earth Performing Arts uses the term Indigenous to encompass the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit of Turtle Island (North America). We also include Indigenous peoples from other regions including South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Greenland.

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2022/2023 Season Featured

#NIHM 2023

#NIHM 2023

Throughout the month of June, for National Indigenous History Month, Native Earth spotlighted Indigenous Artists from our 22.23 Season on Social Media. Join us in offering appreciation to these amazing artists!

We started off our spotlight series with artists from Weesageechak 35.  We want to recognize all of the artists involved in the Festival and their hard work For a complete list, take a look at the Festival page.

 

Alexa Black – creator Ne temikilis pal ne kuyut papalut
Brian Solomon – multidisciplinary artist
Samantha Sutherland – creator and performer kaqwiⱡȼi
Lindsay Lachance – former director of the Animikiig Creators Unit
Aria Evans – interdisciplinary artist, mentor W35
Jeremy Proulx – Playwright of Fallen Feather
Pesch Nepoose – Creator and Performer of The Bridge
Katey Wattam – Mentor W35
Lacey Hill – Indigenous Folk and Soul singer/songwriter
Jesse Wabegijig – actor, Fallen Feather

Spy Dénommé-Welch – Composer and Director of Transpositions
Tara Sky – Actor, And Then They Came
Cole Alvis – Creator and Performer of And Then They Came
Justin McLean – Bass Trombone & Tuba, Transpositions
Jennifer Alicia Murrin – Creator of To Go Home
Elder Whabagoon – Ojibwe Elder, sits with the Loon Clan
Montana Adams – Creator and Performer of As The Ice Floats By
Caleigh Crow – Creator and Performer of Superparamagnetism

Indigibabes Burlesque
Creator and Performer: Denise B. McLeod/ Madam Ode’miin Surprise
Performers:
Krysta Williams
Kahsenniyo Kick
Red Wolf
Neno Freebird
Salty Bay

We continued our spotlight series with artists from 40 Seeds For 40 Seasons!

In celebration of the 40 years of Native Earth’s history, the 40 Seeds for 40 Seasons program was created to give back to the community who made NEPA what it is today!

We are thrilled to have supported these talented, incredible creators in the development of their new projects. For a complete list of artists, take a look at the Creators page.

Amanda Trapp – Half Breed Vaudeville
Bruce Sinclair – Kuska Wahkamin
Celeste Sansregret – 23 Beds
Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone – Water Hunters
Colin Wolf – Coywolf Development
Dillan Chiblow – The 7 Fires: A New Musical
Hailey Verbonac – The Dragonfly Prophet
Deneh’Cho Thompson – Re-Uncovering (Working Title)
Jp Longboat – 40 Seeds For 40 Seasons

Rebecca Cuddy – Finding William (John)
Pj Prudat – The Crown Vs Oke-Mas-Kwe (Boss Woman)
Nyla Carpentier – Almost Powwow Time! (Working Title)
Rylee Nepinak – A Ride For Tataskwayak
Reneltta Arluk – Grandpa Stories
Shandra Spears Bombay – Ganawenjigaazo
Summer Bressette – The Rum Runner
Waawaate Fobister – Miskwiin
Zoey Roy zoeyroy.thepoet – O-Tip-Aim-So-Win

We concluded our spotlight series with artists from productions in our 22.23 Season!

We are so excited to have presented these amazing shows as part of our season! To see the full list of cast & creatives, please visit the show pages for Firewater Thunderbird Rising, Chapter 21, Aalaapi, and Niizh.

Christine Friday from Firewater Thunderbird Rising, which ran February 16 – 19, 2023 in the Aki Studio. Concept, Choreography & Performance by Christine Friday. Co-presented by Friday Creeations and Native Earth Performing Arts. 

Nancy Saunders & Olivia Ikey from Aalaapi, which ran June 8 – 10, 2023 at Ada Slaight Hall. Original Idea by Laurence Dauphinais and Marie-Laurence Rancourt, Production by Collectif Aalaapi. Presented by Native Earth, Le Théâtre Français de Toronto, in association with Luminato Festival.

Artists from Chapter 21, which ran March 23-26, 2023 in the Aki Studio. Produced by Raven Spirit Dance, Presented by Native Earth. This dance/theatre piece explored what happens when a vibrant, active artist comes face to face with a crippling collision of events.

Starr Muranko – Choreographer & Performer
Yvette Nolan – Director
Michelle Olson – Mentor

We finished our spotlight series with artists from the Dora-nominated production, Niizh!

Niizh, written by Joelle Peters, and produced by Native Earth Performing Arts, ran April 12 – 30, 2023 in the Aki Studio. This coming-of-age comedy, set on a reserve in Southwestern Ontario, followed the youngest of the ‘Little’ family, Lenna Little, as she prepares to leave home for the first time.

Jessica Campbell-Maracle – Stage Manager
Jason Macdonald – Actor
Theresa Cutknife – Actress
Richard Comeau – Fight Director
Nishina Loft – Costume Designer

Check out the hashtag #NIHM on Social Media to see what other organizations did to celebrate National Indigenous History Month!

Categories
Artists Opportunites Featured

Weesageechak Begins to Dance Open Call

Weesageechak Begins to Dance

Applications Closed

Weesageechak Begins to Dance festival is a celebration of new works and works-in-development which fosters the development of Indigenous work and artists from across Canada and around the world.

Each November, Native Earth selects theatre, dance, opera and multidisciplinary works reflecting Indigenous performing arts to be presented, or to receive development support and a workshop production or reading during the two-week festival. We encourage national and international Indigenous performing artists of all disciplines and at any stage in their career to apply.

As we begin to plan the 36th annual Weesageechak Begins to Dance festival, we are looking to widen the submissions to include works that can be presented digitally, and are also interested in programming shorter multidisciplinary, experimental works and acts to further showcase the wide range of Indigenous Arts across Turtle Island and beyond.

Working on a new stand-up or spoken word set? Are you a singer, musician, or perhaps a clown? We’d love to hear from you!

Curated by a committee, select pieces receive dramaturgical support, rehearsal time and a public showing in November. In order for a submission to be eligible, the primary artist or artists must identify as Indigenous.*

To view previous Weesageechak festivals, click here.

Weesageechak Begins to Dance 36

SELECTION CRITERIA
• Artistic Merit
• Programming Fit
• Production Capacity and Viability

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

*Native Earth Performing Arts uses the term Indigenous to encompass the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit of Turtle Island (North America). We also include Indigenous peoples from other regions including South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Greenland.

Past Festivals

Weesageechak 35 | Weesageechak 34 | Weesageechak 33
 Weesageechak 32 | Weesageechak 31 | Weesageechak 30
Weesageechak 29 | Weesageechak 28 | Weesageechak 27

WEESAGEECHAK HISTORY

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Artists Opportunites Featured

New Pathways Recommender Call

New Pathways Recommender Call

Applications Now Open

Deadline: April 25, 2023

Native Earth is a recommender for ‘New Pathways’ – a pilot project designed to provide an alternate path of acceptance for Indigenous candidates to the National Theatre School’s Production Design and Technical Arts Program!

We acknowledge there are many barriers to access that exist. We aim to create connections with the Indigenous Arts Community to increase accessibility and effectively support Indigenous candidates to end the preexisting system of exclusion.

“The New Pathways initiative is a redesigned application process for Indigenous candidates to the Production Design and Technical Arts Program at the National Theatre School of Canada. Indeed, this New Pathway is fundamental in our commitment to supporting future Indigenous lighting, sound and video designers, Production Managers, Stage Managers and Technical Directors.”
Andrea LundyDirector – Production Design and Technical Arts, National Theatre School
“In my mind this initiative is not just about support and accessibility, it’s also about taking an active role in pedagogical reform. It is clear that the industry is longing for increased Indigenous representation in all parts of theatre creation, not just actors. We need more Indigenous designers. We need more Indigenous Stage Managers. We need more Indigenous Technical Directors! If this tailor-made program was around 20 years ago, I might have become a designer instead!”
Jimmy BlaisMontreal-based director, playwright, actor and former Indigenous Artist in Residence at the National Theatre School in 2019
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  1. A love of theatre
  2. An interest in exploring further their place within the technical side of theatre
  3. An ability to come to Montreal to attend the school
  4. Ideally a commitment to three years of training in order to fully complete the program 
  5. An expressed interest in at least one of the areas of training in the program – Production Management, Technical Direction, Stage Management, Lighting Design and Technology, Sound Design and technology, Video design and technology
  6. Must identify as Indigenous, First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
  1. Be provided with financial assistance as required. NTS will conduct a needs-based assessment for the successful applicant. All costs of attending the program which are outside of the applicant’s means will be covered by NTS.
  2. Be connected with an Indigenous Production Mentor for all three years of the program.
  3. Be provided ongoing mental health support for the student with access to the growing
    avenues of support offered to students at NTS
  4. Attend monthly check-ins with Native Earth and biannual meetings with the Program lead, support team, and Native Earth
  5. Work with NTS to secure a paid internship opportunity after graduation – according to the interest and availability of the student.

For more information on the Production Design and Technical Arts Program, click here.
For more on New Pathways, click here.

Interested?

Indigenous artists interested in joining the program, please provide a resume and contact our Managing Director, Himanshu Sitlani. Please cc the Director of Production Design and Technical Arts at NTS, Andrea Lundy at [email protected].

Deadline to submit is Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 11:59PM ET

For additional questions, please contact Himanshu Sitlani, Managing Director by email at [email protected].

Categories
Artists Opportunites Featured

Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators

Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators

Applications open for 2022-2022 Season!

Deadline: January 10, 2023

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators (formerly known as Theatre Creators’ Reserve) assists Ontario-based professional theatre creators, individuals and collectives, by funding them to develop new work.

Native Earth accepts submissions from emerging and established theatre and multidisciplinary creators who are residents of Ontario. This program provides funding for artists to create new work and does not fund creation of non-theatre work, workshop costs, or productions.

Native Earth prioritizes the funding of Indigenous artists. Black and Artists of Colour are also encouraged to apply.

Artists are strongly encouraged to review the Ontario Arts Council’s detailed description with guidelines. 

Please note:

  • Applications must be submitted through Nova, OAC’s online grant application system
  • All applicants will be notified by OAC through their Nova account

Native Earth traditionally recommended grants between $1,000 and $2,000. Only one submission per individual/collective will be accepted.

As always, we ask those involved with the company to consider the seven traditional values: Courage, Generosity, Tolerance, Strength of Character, Patience, Humility and Wisdom.

Submission Requirements

Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online application system. Before applying, you must create or update your profile in Nova.

Your application must include:

  • Basic information about the project
  • Your responses to application questions:
    • Tell us about your (or your group’s) overall artistic work, history and achievements. What is important to you in your work (cultural influences, your identity, geography, community, language, etc) and why? If you identify with one or more of OAC’s priority groups, or if your ad hoc group/collective or organization is mandated to serve one or more of OAC’s priority groups, you may choose to refer to this here. [Maximum 300 words]
    • What are you planning to do, and what do you want to achieve with this project? [Maximum 425 words]
  • A current CV for all company members and/or collaborators.
  • Up to 5 pages of a script (if applicable) or links to/copies of audio/video documentation for work that are not text-centered projects.
  • Any information, documentation or media that will provide us with further understanding of your project (if applicable).

Deadline for 2022-2023 Season:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023, 1PM ET

For questions, please contact Joelle Peters, Interim Artistic Director by phone at 416-531-1402 x 26, or by email at [email protected].