NWT has significant presence at Northern Scene in Ottawa

News Releases

YELLOWKNIFE (April 26, 2013) – Northwest Territories (NWT) Commissioner George Tuccaro and Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty took part in the launch of Northern Scene at the National Arts Centre (NAC) yesterday. More than 70 artists from multiple disciplines will be representing the NWT during the festival, which will be held in Ottawa from April 25 to May 4, 2013.

This year’s Scene is the sixth in the series of national biennial festivals produced by NAC to showcase the work of artists from a specific region in Canada.  The 2013 multi-disciplinary festival features the work of 250 of the best established and emerging artists from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut and Nunavik.  Northern music, theatre, dance, visual and media arts, film, literature, storytelling, food and fashion events will be presented at six venues over the ten-day run.

“Our artists truly reflect the cultural mosaic of the North,” Minister Lafferty said at the Northern Scene launch. “We are known as a land of opportunity, rich in resources and everyone assumes this refers to natural resources. One of our greatest resources is our talented, creative and innovative people, that successfully represent and promote the North wherever they go.”

“Our government is proud of the talented traditional and contemporary artists, performers and musicians who help make our territory one of the most interesting and unique parts of Canada,” said Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Dave Ramsay. “We want to share that with Canada and the world and are pleased that the National Arts Centre has given us this opportunity to showcase NWT arts and culture as part of Northern Scene.”

The Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Industry, Tourism and Investment provided $200,000 to support the participating artists at the festival.

A complete line-up and information about the festival is available at www.northernscene.ca.

For more information:

Jacqueline McKinnon
Manager, Public Affairs
Education, Culture and Employment
Phone: (867) 920-6222
Email:  jacqueline_mckinnon@gov.nt.ca

Alayna Ward
Manager,  Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Phone:  (867)920-8696
Email:  alayna_ward@gov.nt.ca

(attachment)  Northern Scene Artists from NWT