Skip to content

Northern Arts and Cultural Centre prepares to host shows involving wide range of disciplines

The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) is gearing up for a busy 2023, featuring a variety of performances in the next few months.
31467259_web1_220615-YEL-GildayConcertSpread-Concert_10
A variety of shows from many different performers take place at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre from Jan. 14 to March 4. NNSL file photo

The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) is gearing up for a busy 2023, featuring a variety of performances in the next few months.

The first show of the calendar year was supposed to be Louie and Leanne Goose and their musical performance, featuring stories by Wade Vaneltsi, on Jan. 14. That has now been postponed with new dates being announced in the near future.

Louie and Leanne Goose received the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2015.

Louie started playing guitar at age 10 and formed his own band when he was 16. He has been playing music for over 50 years.

Leanne, who’s originally from from Inuvik, was influced by the culture of the Inuvialuit and Sahtu Dene people. She started playing music with her father at age 12, and has since been nominated multiple times as a singer-songwriter, musician, producer, storyteller, arts manager and communicator.

Vaneltsi specializes in several art forms such as creating music, visual art, and writing stories. Growing up in Fort McPherson had a strong influence on his artistic career; living on the land has helped him to connect to his creative side.

The Children’s Festival of Silliness is making a return on Jan. 28 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

There will be a bouncy castle, games, face painting, and other fun activities for families to engage in.

Preceding the festival is a play by the Axis Theatre called, “The Grandfather Troll,” a story about Sandy, age 9, and her quest to reclaim a blessing that could save her mother’s life. The play starts at 1 p.m. on the same day.

Following the festival is a child-oriented music project performed in French from the award-winning singer-songwriter from Quebec, Keith Kouna. The songs are simple to understand and are supported visually by puppets and costumes.

Wesley Hardisty is a national and international fiddler and composer from Fort Simpson, NT. He will be performing on Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. He attended the Gulf Island School of Performing Arts and teaches other fiddlers as well. He has played at folk festivals, fiddle festivals, and has contributed to Indigenous-focused performances.

Karen Single Band, also known as Welder’s Daughter, will be performing a theatrical rock show the following evening at 7:30 p.m. The story includes interactions with interdimensional beings in space and time, integrated with teachings of strength and hope. Celebrating their 25 years as a band, this will be their first live performance of their upcoming album, “Wide Open.”

British musical ensemble, The Gesualdo Six, will be performing on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The group formed in 2014 to perform Tenebrae Responsories, a collection of songs made by Italian composer Carlo Gesualdo. They stuck together and have since performed at numerous major festivals across Europe and North America.

A performance from the aMoral House of Cards dubbed “j dozen du mois” is a performance lecture following the tradition of Jorge Luis Borges, tracking the history of the practice. The show on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. will include the presentation of the shadow biosphere of conceptual work in a frontier town.

The Loco Ladies give an enthusiastic drumming performance with Taiko, which is any drum from Japan, referred to as Taiko when referenced outside of Japan. The group formed after the three women conceptualized a Taiko Roadtrip Challenge in 2020, and are performing on March 4 at 7:30 p.m.