Artcirq to stage first show outside Arctic

Published Friday 21 April 2006 at 13:50 by Liz Arratoon

For the first time in the company’s history, two members of Inuit circus troupe Artcirq have left the Arctic Circle to take part in an event abroad.

Leah Angutimariq and Derek Aqqiaruq joined Artcirq founder and co-artistic director Guillaume Saladin for a week-long residency at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. Though videos of Artcirq’s shows have been seen around the world, this marks the group’s first project outside Nunavut.

Saladin explained: “Artcirq is the first time a group of Inuit have worked together, understanding the concept of learning new skills, which in this case is circus, and adapting it with their own culture in an artistic way. It’s very powerful. We’re making a show built on their traditions. The week in Dublin was an opportunity for the public to meet us and most of all for Derek and Leah to meet the outside world.”

Funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, First Air and Igloolik Isuma Productions, the event marked the first time since 1998 - when the company was founded to combat suicides among young people - that the artists have performed outside of Igloolik.

Joint organiser Janna Graham said: “Through our work in Dublin, Artcirq has received a great deal of interest from programmers, artists and community organisers in Ireland and across Europe. The group will now plan its next steps. Working internationally is of great interest to them but they have to balance that with their work in Igloolik and other Nunavut communities.”

Still in their early twenties, both the Inuit artists have been members of Artcirq since 1999. Musician, juggler and acrobat, Aqqiaruq is also leader of the Igloolik rock band The Eskies. Angutimariq is a throat singer, juggler and acrobat and also plays Apak, the lead female role in Igloolik Isuma Productions’ feature film The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, which is due for release this year. Isuma produced the acclaimed Inuit-language film Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner.