Partner Institutions

AKPIK THEATRE

Akpik Theatre was founded in 2008 by Inuit Leadership Group member Reneltta Arluk. A northern theatre company, Akpik Theatre adheres to its namesake, the cloudberry, striving to flourish in the northern climate it reflects. Akpik Theatre produces live/audio/film productions; develops stories of the circumpolar north, whether oral tradition or contemporary inspiration, into dynamic professional theatre productions; encourages and mentors the development of Indigenous stories, preferably within but not limited to northern communities, with the potential of adapting these stories for live performance; and presents professional northern and/or Indigenous scripts for local, national and international audiences, engaging actors and theatre professionals from the north and across Canada.

Canadian Centre for Architecture

The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) is a global research institution and museum located in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, QC. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is partnered with Rafico Ruiz, Associate Director of Research at the CCA.

Since becoming a partner institution in the summer of 2020, the CCA has hired Ilinniaqtuk Nicole Luke as a Research Assistant for an upcoming main gallery exhibition on circumpolar arctic sovereignty through architectural design. Set to open in 2022, the exhibition will be curated by Joar Nango and Inuit Futures Mentors Rafico Ruiz, Taqralik Partridge, and Jocelyn Piirainen. Nicole will be involved throughout the exhibition’s development, with her primary responsibility being to lead the design and execution of a charette for a group of Indigenous design students and recent graduates.

By partnering with Inuit Futures, the CCA aims to both recognise their own positionality as a settler institution within the Canadian cultural scene, as well as to provide Inuit Futures with solid and wide reaching connections within the fields of architecture and design. The CCA hopes to provide opportunities for Ilinniaqtuit and Alumni to amplify their voices and perspectives through access to its substantial collection, fellowship programs, active research agenda, and exhibition spaces. 

CARLETON UNIVERSITY

Carleton University is situated on unceded Algonquin territory in the nation’s capital of Ottawa, in close proximity to unique cultural resources and national institutions. The Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) is home to one of the largest university collections in Canada, and Sandra Dyck, CUAG’s Director, has partnered with Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership as a mentor.

CUAG jumped at the chance to be involved with Inuit Futures, as they have a longstanding commitment towards creating professional development opportunities for young cultural workers. Since CUAG was founded in 1992, emerging curators (most of whom are Carleton students) have organized 30% of their exhibitions, and many have worked with the gallery’s extensive collection of art made by Inuit, First Nations and Métis artists. CUAG is keen to serve Indigenous cultural workers by and through supporting their work, and they are grateful for the opportunity that the Inuit Futures Project affords to expand and evolve this commitment.

From 2018-2021, Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuk Krista Ulujuk Zawadski, a PhD candidate in Cultural Mediations at Carleton, researched and developed the exhibition, Nuvisi: Threading Our Beads at Qatiktalik for CUAG based on her PhD research about the visual and cultural history of Qatiktalik (Cape Fullerton). Krista also worked on other projects at CUAG, such as helping to shape and lead a two-part workshop for students at Nunavut Sivuniksavut, using prints by Inuit artists selected from CUAG’s collection.

Concordia UNIVERSITY

Concordia University is located in Montreal, QC on unceded Indigenous lands, for which the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians. Dr. Heather Igloliorte, Director of Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project, is an Associate Professor in the department of Art History at Concordia, where she also holds the Tier 1 University Research Chair in Circumpolar Indigenous Arts and is co-director of the Indigenous Futures Cluster of Milieux Institute. Concordia is more than just the host for Inuit Futures; it is the home for the life of the project. Concordia supports individual students, as well as the overall administration of the project, by employing research assistants, our Research and Administrative Coordinator Danielle Aimee Miles, and hosting Postdoctoral Fellows -- currently Reilley Bishop-Stall.

Concordia has hosted several projects and events with Inuit Futures, including: artist residencies for Jesse Tungilik in 2019 and Glenn Gear in 2020; exhibitions such as Memory Keepers I and two events during iNuit Blanche; and Inuit Futures’ Second Annual Gathering, October 2019.

Concordia is proud to serve as the anchor institution and is committed to making a significant contribution to increasing Inuit participation in leadership positions across the arts. Concordia’s support for Inuit Futures is in line with its Indigenous Directions Action Plan, a guide designed to enable the university community to take concrete steps towards the decolonization and Indigenization of Concordia, in order to co-construct a new, shared future based on responsibility, reciprocity, and respect. 

FOFA Gallery

The FOFA Gallery is the primary venue dedicated to showcasing the current artistic and research practices of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University. Through exhibitions, publications, and events, the gallery makes public the work of Concordia alumni, faculty and staff. The Gallery also supports work from the student community, relating to the research and pedagogical aims of the Faculty. A space dedicated to innovation, FOFA Gallery fosters and facilitates pedagogical inquiries, curatorial experiments, cutting-edge artistic practices and training opportunities.

Great Northern Arts Festival

The Great Northern Arts Festival (GNAF) has invited artists to gather under the midnight sun for 32 years and counting. Given the remote locations of most Northern communities, GNAF believes is vital that artists be given the opportunity to access markets and buyers, as well as attend professional development workshops and seminars. To help accomplish this goal, the Great Northern Arts Society offers workshops and seminars on pricing, marketing, creativity, funding sourcing and grant-writing, artistic integrity, artist biography writing, and many other educational subjects. At the Festival, to promote the art actually created by Northern artists, we show as vast an array of artwork as possible, in medium, technique, and inspiration.

The Guilde / Guilde canadienne des métiers d'art

La Guilde canadienne des métiers d'art (the Canadian Guild of Crafts) is a long-time supporter of Inuit art, organizing the first major exhibition of modern Inuit art in 1948. La Guilde is a non-profit organization that houses a permanent collection, archives, an educational program, and a public art gallery in downtown Montreal. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership has partnered with La Guilde to provide internships to students from Concordia and elsewhere, working with both their archives and permanent collections as well as their contemporary exhibitions. Nunatsiavut - Our Beautiful Land (2019) was exhibited at La Guilde, bringing together the work of 25 artists from Nunatsiavut (among them, Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuit Jason Sikoak), the Inuit region of Labrador, to interpret the theme of land and territory. As well, Inuit Futures alumna, Napatsi Folger, acted as guest consultant on the exhibition, ᐃᓗᒻᒧᑦ ᑕᑯᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ - Ilummut Takuniarniq - Looking Inside (2023), which highlighted the daily activities and everyday spaces of Inuit communities.

Inuit Art Foundation

The Inuit Art Foundation is the only national organization committed to supporting and promoting Inuit artists working across the North and beyond. The IAF publishes Inuit Art Quarterly, the only publication dedicated to the arts and artists of Inuit Nunangat, manages the Igloo Tag Trademark, and provides funding for artists and students through the Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award and the Watt Scholarship, respectively. The IAF was an early partner of Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project, and we are pleased to work with Alysa Procida (Executive Director and Publisher), Britt Gallpen (Editorial Director), and Blandina Attaarjuaq Makkik (Igloo Tag Coordinator).

The IAF makes it a priority to publish emerging and early career Inuit writers, scholars and critics, and to support emerging curators and arts administrators by covering their projects in IAQ. Alysa and Britt have mentored Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuit Emily Henderson and Napatsi Folger as Contributing Editors to IAQ. Emily and Napatsi were heavily involved in the publication of the Venice Biennale Special Issue, the first issue of IAQ to be entirely written by Inuit. Since January 2020, Emily has held a full-time position as the magazine’s Profiles Editor. Supporting the next generation of Inuit arts leaders is a foundational priority for the IAF. They are excited to work with Inuit Futures to provide an avenue for the ilinniaqtuit to publish their work and write about their projects.

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Situated in the heart of downtown Montreal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is Canada’s oldest art museum and is home to a considerable collection of Inuit art. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is partnered with Lisa Qiluqqi Koperqualuk, Curator-Mediator of Inuit Art, to offer paid internship and mentorship opportunities in the curatorial and education departments to emerging Inuit arts professionals who will contribute to the development of the MMFA’s Inuit Art Initiative.

In 2020, emerging Inuk curator and Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuk Nakasuk Alariaq was hired in the curatorial department to participate in developing the reinstallation of the MMFA’s permanent collection, as well as the temporary exhibition on Mattiusi Iyaituk. This first internship signals the Museum’s first steps towards creating regular mentorship opportunities for emerging Inuit arts professionals. 

The Museum is committed to fostering long-term professional relationships with Inuit in all areas of the institution. The MMFA looks forward to creating a lasting, sustainable partnership with the Inuit Futures Project grounded in mutual benefit and support for Inuit cultural professionals.

National Arts Centre

The National Arts Centre is one of the largest organizations for performing arts in Canada. Located in downtown Ottawa, the National Arts Centre’s six programming streams include the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and NAC Presents. Since its foundation in 1969, the bilingual and multidisciplinary institution has collaborated with established and emerging artists and arts organizations from across the country. The National Arts Centre is partnered with Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project to provide high-level training and mentorship opportunities in theatrical and musical production.

NSCAD UNIVERSITY

The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University (NSCAD) is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project is pleased to partner with Carla Taunton, Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Art History and Contemporary Culture at NSCAD University.

NSCAD University’s Treaty Space Gallery hosted Memory keepers III | Nujimikwite’taqatijik III in October 2019, the third in a series of exhibitions curated by GLAM Collective with Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership. The works of NSCAD University students and Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuit Darcie Bernhardt and Megan Kyak-Monteith were exhibited in all three Memory Keepers exhibitions, and the pair were also involved in curating Memory Keepers II | Nujimikwite’taqatijik II in Charlottetown, PEI in August 2019.

Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum

The Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, located in Iqaluit, is the only museum in the territory of Nunavut. It is a not-for-profit organization that works to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Nunavut. Nunatta Sunakkutaangit houses a permanent collection of Inuit art and artifacts, and also presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary art throughout the year. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is working with Museum Board Chair Jesse Tungilik and Manager/Curator Jessica Kotierk, both of whom are mentors and members of the Inuit Leadership Group.

Nunatta Sunakkutaangit is partnered with Inuit Futures to increase Inuit involvement in the arts. The museum’s recent 3-Year Strategic Plan identified a need for stronger engagement with Inuit, and to this end, they have been working locally to encourage Inuit engagement through Artist Appreciation Day, career and information tables at events such as the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association Arts Festival, and fostering individual connections through Nunavut Arctic College class visits. By working with those who are interested, Nunatta Sunakkutaangit hopes to increase local capacity development so that the museum’s activities will meet the variety of interests and skills of the local public.

Ottawa Art Gallery

The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is a hub for visual arts in the national capital region. Through collections, exhibitions, public programming, and arts leadership, the OAG serves as a cultural meeting place to build relationships between artists and members of the community. Through their partnership with Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership, the OAG hopes to diversify their programming perspectives and build outreach initiatives with Inuit communities in Ottawa and beyond. Mentorship opportunities at the OAG provide a fun, creative, and supportive learning environment for students to expand their networks with professional artists, gallery staff, and other arts professionals, all while learning new skills and gaining valuable career experience.

OCAD UNIVERSITY

The Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) is Canada’s largest art, design, and media university. With its campus in downtown Toronto, OCAD U is situated on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the New Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe and the Huron-Wendat, who are recognized as the original owners and custodians of the land. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariuqsarniq Project is partnered with Ryan Rice, Acting Dean in the Faculty of Liberal Arts / School of Interdisciplinary Studies at OCAD U. The university hosted Inuit Futures’ First Annual Gathering in 2018, the project’s inaugural event. Additionally, Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuk and OCAD U student Tom McLeod co-curated Between Ice & Earth (2019), an exhibition by the university’s Indigenous Student Association.

Red Marrow Media

Red Marrow Media is an Inuit-owned film production company based in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Co-founded by Inuit Futures Mentor and member of the Inuit Leadership Group Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok, Red Marrow Media makes content that entertains, inspires, and pushes boundaries. 

Red Marrow Media seeks to increase Inuit screen sovereignty and the visibility of strong, modern representations of Inuit in all aspects of their work that celebrates a vibrant history while ensuring its relevance to the lives of Inuit today. The partnership between Red Marrow Media and Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership provides internship and mentorship opportunities for students to work on a range of projects that deepen and expand their potential learning experiences and develop a wide range of skills. Students working with Red Marrow Media have the chance to learn about film editing, storytelling, Inuit visual culture and design, and the surrounding cultural context.

Textile Museum of Canada

The Textile Museum of Canada (TMC) is located in downtown Toronto on the traditional territory of  the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat. As Canada’s only museum dedicated to textile arts, the TMC ignites creativity, inspires wonder, and sparks conversation through the stories held within its global collection of textiles, and active engagement with contemporary art practices. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is partnered with Roxane Shaughnessy, Senior Curator and Manager of Collection at the TMC.

By partnering with Inuit Futures, the Museum intends to build on relationships with Inuit communities developed through the 2019-2021 Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios exhibition project and extend their role in facilitating access to and understanding of Inuit textiles and cultural heritage. The TMC will provide training opportunities in exhibition development, installation, and curatorial practice for Inuit postsecondary students.

The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery of Newfoundland And Labrador

Located in St. John’s, Newfoundland, The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador is the largest public cultural facility in the province and is home to several collections of art, natural and cultural historical artifacts, and the provincial archival records. Inuit Futures is partnered with Kate Wolforth, Acting Director, Museums and Galleries and Darryn Doull, Curator of Canadian Art.

The Rooms completed a major exhibition with Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuk Jessica Winters on Saunituinnaulungitotluni - Beyond Bone (2019). Jessica worked alongside curatorial mentors Darryn Doull and Heather Igloliorte to collectively organize and present the first solo exhibition at a public art gallery by artist Billy Gauthier (North West River, NL). For Jessica’s first ever curatorial project, she was responsible for all of the original writing and research for the exhibition didactics and outlining central exhibition thematics. Following the exhibition, The Rooms acquired a new work by Gauthier for its collection. Darryn is working with Jessica again on an upcoming exhibition, with Jessica contributing work as a visual artist in this context.

The Rooms hopes to develop stronger, more meaningful working relationships with Inuit professionals and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador by working to develop a better understanding of communities, culture and perspectives, and providing a venue for Inuit to share these perspectives with the public. Beginning in 2020, The Rooms will undertake a multi-year research, development, and exhibition project on a collection of over 300 original prints from the Kinngait Studios, recently donated by William Ritchie, a local donor and former Arts Advisor and Studio Manager of Kinngait Studios. For The Rooms, it is all about building a bigger, more inclusive community and making better, more meaningful connections.

Western Arctic Moving Pictures

Western Arctic Moving Pictures (WAMP) is a non-profit arts organization based in Sǫ̀mbak'è / Yellowknife that aims to produce and support the creation of film, video, and digital media works throughout the Northwest Territories. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is partnered with Davis Heslep, WAMP’s Director of Programming and Outreach, to offer paid internship opportunities for Inuit and Inuvialuit artists on a number of different projects. WAMP is eager to create opportunities for young people to be involved in the non-profit organization as it grows and continues to find new ways to serve the public. As part of this commitment to support young Inuit and Inuvialuit to become leaders within their communities in all areas of the arts, Ilinniaqtuk Benjamin McGregor worked with WAMP for two summers, first on a series of videos for the NWT Training Program in 2020 and in 2021, Ben will be helping to coordinate the Initiative for Indigenous Futures 2021 Symposium taking place in August 2021.

UNIVERSITY of Winnipeg

The University of Winnipeg is located within Treaty 1 territory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on the ancestral and traditional lands of Anishinaabe peoples. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is delighted to partner with two Associate Professors in the department of Art History at UW: Serena Keshavjee, coordinator of the Curatorial Practices stream of the Masters in Cultural Studies, and Julie Nagam, Canadian Research Chair in Indigenous Arts, Collaboration and Digital Media.

UW is set to host a number of exciting forthcoming events with Inuit Futures. Dr. Heather Igloliorte will be a Scholar in Residence at UW where she will teach a course on Arts of the Arctic in the summer of 2020. Also this year, artist Glenn Gear will undertake a joint residency between Concordia University and UW, where he will be paired with a student to work in the Digital Media Lab, set to open in the fall. In 2021, UW will host the Inuit Studies Conference, demonstrating the university’s commitment to mobilizing Inuit scholarship and resources for the Inuit community at UW. Additionally, with the world’s first Inuit Art Centre set to open at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in the fall of 2020, there will be many opportunities for professional development and partnerships for Inuit students and alumni from UW.

Winnipeg Art Gallery

Located on Treaty 1 territory, the original lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininiwak, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation, the Winnipeg Art Gallery is home to a substantial permanent collection of Canadian, Indigenous, and international art. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is partnered with Stephen Borys, Director and CEO of the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

The WAG has a long history of collecting Inuit art since the 1950s, and today is home to the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary Inuit art. To demonstrate its commitment to the promotion, preservation, and celebration of Inuit art and culture, the WAG built Quamajuk, the world’s first Inuit Art Centre, to house its collection. An all-Inuit team of guest curators representing all four regions of Inuit Nunangat: Heather Igloliorte (Nunatsiavut), Asinnajaq (Nunavik), Kablusiak (Inuvialuit), and Inuit Futures Ilinniaqtuk Krista Ulujuk Zawadski (Nunavut) curated the inaugural exhibition, INUA, which opened in March 2021. Quamajuk incorporates innovative display mechanisms, dedicated public learning spaces, and acts as a hub for training Indigenous arts and cultural workers through internships, mentorships, and residencies. Quamajuk’s entire collection will be digitized and made available online, crucially allowing the people of Inuit Nunangat to connect with the works, many for the first time.

Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association

The Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association (YFNCT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the development of vibrant and sustainable arts, culture, and tourism sectors in the territory. Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership is partnered with YFNCT Executive Director Charlene Alexander.

The partnership between the YFNCT and Inuit Futures will provide students with the opportunity to participate in the association’s artist and youth programming initiatives, including the Adäka Cultural Festival and the 2022 Arctic Arts Summit, both taking place in Whitehorse, YT in June and July 2022. The Adäka Cultural Festival is an annual celebration of the diverse and distinctive Yukon First Nations arts and culture produced by the YFNCT. Inuit Futures, YFNCT, and Adäka Cultural Festival are all Partners of the 2022 Arctic Arts Summit, an international gathering of Indigenous Nations of the Circumpolar North and representatives of Arctic countries with a focus on developing collaborative relationships in the arts and creative industries.