Artcirq’s artistic journey has evolved over the last 18 years, giving way to a natural progression in the undertaking of this ambitious production. Unikkaaqtuat was born from the common desire of Artcirq’s co-artistic directors Guillaume Ittuksarjuat Saladin and Terry Uyarak, Les doigts de la main’s Patrick Léonard and Taqqut Productions’ Louise Flaherty to create a ground-breaking distinctly Nunavut work which could engage Inuit, Canadian, and International audiences in a process of reflection and healing about the loss of indigenous knowledge, language, and an awakening to the genuine possibilities of respectful convergence and reconciliation. To do so, a cast of Inuit musicians, circus artists, and artists including Germaine Arnaktauyok, Riit, Charlotte Qamaniq, Joshua Qaumariaq, Terry Uyarak, Saali Kuata, Christine Tootoo, Levi Tapatsiak, Jacky Qrunnut, and Alex Arnatsiaq, came together to create the project. 

Herein, a clear focus was set to highlight the talents of Inuit artists at a national and international scale, and foster a unique environment for cross-cultural collaboration to flourish within and beyond this project. As such, Unikkaaqtuat was a production of unparalleled scope as it upholds the integrity of Inuit culture while uniting the artistic visions of a heterogeneous team of collaborators. 

Unikkaaqtuat was inspired by creation myths of Inuit culture, which despite the variations unique to each community, are a unifying ancestral inheritance. For many Inuit, these myths represent a resounding method to connect with their origins and their identity. Unfortunately, much of this oral history is being forgotten by Inuit youth as a result of the cultural disconnect caused by the residential school legacy, and Inuit youth’s struggle to identify with their roots in a modern world. In Unikkaaqtuat, Inuit artists found connections with their traditional heritage through rehearsals and research and expressed their internal cultural revival through various artistic mediums. This artistic process aims to make the Inuit artists in question artistic ambassadors of their culture. In the same way, nonInuit artists explore the distant, absent or contemporary myths which shape Canada’s history and culture. Overall, the work seeks to celebrate Inuit and Canadian culture by revealing the symbiosis of all Canadians in pursuit of the meaning of their origins, identity, and their fate, through the founding myths of a society. 

This multidisciplinary undertaking blends circus arts, music, theatre, and video-projection into a 90 minute performance. The creative process explores and seeks inspiration from Inuit artistic mediums such as throat-singing and drumming, as well as traditional Inuit aspects such as hunting techniques and structures (igloo, kayak, ulu, etc), competitive games, and aesthetics including traditional dress and the landscape. Inuit point of view and ideologies equally be at the heart of this process. A common mistake made in crosscultural collaborations with the Inuit, is the tendency of the Westerner to impose its thoughts and work structure onto the Inuit. Because Inuit tend to be more reserved, expressing only the essential, and living by a calmer pace, the value of their approach is overlooked. The creation of Unikkaaqtuat faces this risk, however the egalitarian and mutually-respectful share of authority is a fundamental priority for the project and Artcirq’s mandate. Herein lays the innovative aspect of this production of empowering Inuit artists, creating beyond diverging beliefs and building authentic respect and trust between Inuit and non-Inuit. As a result, the work in Unikkaaqtuat embody this shift and enable artists as well as audience members to openly embrace Inuit and Canadian culture in all its diversity. The work opens the conversation for all Inuit and Canadians to address the future of Inuit people in their communities, in Canada, and of all aboriginal peoples in the world. Undeniably, the creative process and cultural equity concerns of this production push the boundaries in Canadian art-making and produce a lasting impact within Inuit and non-Inuit communities.

Unikkaaqtuat not only invites Canadian audiences to discover Inuit culture through a respectful lense, but empathizes with the struggle of losing touch with oneself without the connection to the cultural philosophies that shape our identity. The creation, performance, and dissemination of Unikkaaqtuat across Canada and the circumpolar region in effect offer a powerful and touching artistic experience for thousands of people. Instigated by Artcirq and 2 companies who similarly pioneered their respective artistic fields, Unikkaaqtuat highlights the prominence of Inuit performing arts in our national artistic landscape and the constructive innovation which can be achieved through the arts. 

The show was developed over the course of 3 residencies in Igloolik and Montreal. In Igloolik, the creative process was open for the community to view in order to spread the positive impact of art-making. What is unique to Artcirq’s artistic approach is the integration of a land expedition in the residency. For the Inuit, the connection to the land is a great source of inspiration which nourishes the soul and the creative spirit. It also serves as a way to show the richness and power of the Arctic and the Inuit’s daring survival skills. 

After the premiere of the show in January 2020, the world was hit with the largest modern day pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone on the team in different ways. Not only did the pandemic shut down all travel and cancelled all the Unikkaaqtuat shows across the country and abroad, it also impacted how artists collaborate together