Meet the Cast & Crew
About our Cast & Crew
Germaine Arnaktauyok
Germaine Arnattaujuq is an Inuit artist, writer, and illustrator, from Iglulik, Nunavut. She is best known for her prints and etchings depicting Inuit myths, traditional ways of life, and feminist narratives. In 1999, she designed the special edition two-dollar coin commemorating the founding of the territory of Nunavut. She is the co-author, with Gyu Oh, of My Name Is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok. She lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Louise Flaherty
Louise grew up in Clyde River, Nunavut. Early on, Louise was fortunate to be surrounded by great storytellers. Her grandparents instilled in her a passion for Inuktitut, and an understanding that speaking Inuktitut is a fundamental part of Inuit identity. In 2005, Louise co-founded Inhabit Media Inc., an independent publishing house dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Inuit knowledge and values, and the Inuktitut language. Inhabit Media has since published dozens of books and Inuktitut resources that are used in classrooms throughout Nunavut.
Guillaume Saladin
Born into a family of anthropologists, Guillaume grew up partly in Igloolik up until the age of 15. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Sociology & Communication at UQAM in 1998, he helps start Artcirq while attending the National Circus School in Montreal. In 2001, Guillaume joined Cirque Éloize as an acrobat and performer for the 4 year tour of the show Nomade, directed by the well-known Daniele Finzi Pasca. Since 2005, Guillaume has dedicated his passion and career to collaboratively leading Artcirq in Igloolik with the goal to improve opportunities for youth in Canada’s Arctic.
Co-founder and artistic co-director of Artcirq, a circus collective based in Igoolik dedicated to the
bridging the gap between traditional Inuit practices and contemporary performing arts. He notably performed in the shows Timber (Cirque Alfonse), Projet Fibonacci (7 Doigts), Nomade (Cirque Éloize), in Théâtre du Nouveau Monde’s play Moby Dick and in the movies Ce qu’il faut pour vivre and Uvanga.
Terence Uyarak
Terry Uyarak is a self-taught singer/songwriter and musician from Igloolik, a small and vibrant Inuit community located north of the Arctic circle between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island in Nunavut. Igloolik is one of those special places in the Canadian Arctic, where Inuit language and culture are still strongly embedded into everyday life, and there’s a strong sense of community within.
Terry’s debut album Nunarjua Isulinginniani (Before the World Ends) was produced by Jace Lasek and titled carefully weaves together storytelling, soundscape and song to carry each listener on a journey, by dog team, to the ends of the word. Between Uyarak’s song writing, which is reflective of his experiences as a husband, father and hunter; and Igloolik elder Simon Qamaniq’s storytelling, you really begin to feel a sense of the environment in which they belong to.
Terry is no stranger to the tight knit Nunavut music scene, for over a decade he performed as an actor, juggler and musician, and toured around the globe with the only Inuit circus troupe in the world, ARTCIRQ. Being a passionate hunter, he has been heavily involved in Artcirq’s cultural expeditions out on the land. Terry is Artcirq’s co-artistic director and respected elder. He has performed with the Artcirq collective for the Vancouver Olympic Games, Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant and numerous festivals across 4 continents. Most notably, Terry is a revered hunter and carrier of traditional knowledge, which insightfully transpires in his work.
Most recently, Terry co-directed and performed in a major multidisciplinary production, Unikkaaqtuaq, that toured across Canada in 2020.
Charlotte Qamaniq
Charlotte Qamaniq is a North Baffin Inuk performance artist, actor, throat singer, and public speaker. Originally from Iglulik, Nunavut, she has worked with First Peoples Group since 2015 to deliver cultural competency workshops that draw from her experience as a bilingual (English and Inuktitut) Inuk woman having lived in both small and urban communities. Her work focuses on the relationship between Inuit, the Canadian government and general populace, and their loss and subsequent struggle to regain independence in colonial institutions.
In addition to her work with First Peoples Group, Charlotte has taught K-12 students Inuit culture and history through Inuuqatigiit’s (formerly Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre) Bridging the Gap program. From 2009-2015 she worked as a cultural programmer, events coordinator, and support worker for Tungasuvvingat Inuit. In 2014 Charlotte was named a National Aboriginal Role Model by the National Aboriginal Health Organization and in the subsequent year she sat on the National Indigenous Young Women’s Council, dedicated to building solidarity and ending violence in Indigenous communities.
In 2005 Charlotte participated in the Youth Suicide Prevention Walk from Duncan BC to Ottawa ON, raising awareness on youth suicide in Indigenous communities across Canada. In the same year Charlotte co-created the throat singing duo Silla with Cynthia Pitsiulak, a singing group blending traditional and contemporary katajjaq (Inuit throat singing) across a wide range of genres. They have performed globally as a duo and are twice Juno nominated under the moniker Silla and Rise, once in 2017 for Best Indigenous Album of the Year, and again in 2019 for World Music Album of the Year. She was again Juno nominated in 2023 alongside throat singing partner Ivaluarjuk Kathleen Merritt for Traditional Indigenous Album of the Year.
Outside of work Charlotte maintains her cultural identity by learning traditional songs and drum dance, sewing traditional clothing, and beading.
Christine Tootoo
Christine Tootoo is an enigmatic and captivating actor in film and theatre actor, recently starring and collaborating in Kiviuq Returns, Qaggiavuut's Inuit theatre epic that toured southern and northern Canada in 2017. Kiviuq Returns also had it's world premiere in Nuuk, Greenland at the Nunatta Isigiinaartisisarfia in September 2018, as well as a month long run in January 2019 at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto; Christine was involved in both of these productions.
Christine starred as Ani in the feature film Iqaluit by Quebec Director Benoit Pilon in 2016.
She has toured as a drummer and throat singer with the Inuksuk Drum Dancers to Ottawa, P.E.I, Whitehorse and Grand Priarie during her highschool years.
Christine is an experienced button accordion player, mentoring with renowned Inuit masters, Simeonie Keenainak and Zeebedee Nungaq and Jeannie Nungaq.
She has also facilitated youth workshops throughout Nunavut, and has worked with over 400 youth in the past 2 years teaching traditional pisiit (songs), throatsinging, and acting.
Joshua Qaumariaq
The Trade-Offs front-runner, Josh Qaumariaq has been playing music since he was eighteen. Born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, which he still calls home, Josh and co-founder Jeff Maurice began a collaboration that back in 2012 led to the formation of The Trade-Offs. Inspired by the likes of Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Buddy Guy and Gary Clack Jr, Josh draws on his experiences from Nunavut and the struggles they face to write his soulful songs. With a mix of English and Inuktitut, The Trade-Offs sing the Arctic blues about universal themes such a light and darkness, closeness and isolation, as well as addressing more difficult topics that the North face every day.
Levy Tapatsiak
Fresh out of High School, Levy Tapatsiak has been diligently attending workshops and wowing the Artcirq team with his natural talent in theatre and circus. He is now a coordinator apprentice at the Black Box, learning from Igloolik’s best how to uplift the community through meaningful actions.
Patrick Léonard
Patrick Léonard expresses his acrobatic and clownish talents with an intrepid, slightly daredevil style. A chemist by training, this quadruple artistic roller skating champion, a graduate of the National Circus School of Montreal, began his career as a diabolist and clown at the Casino de Montreal, then in German cabarets such as Pump Duck and Circumstances, the Wintergarten and the Freidrichbau, with the Swiss circus Knie, at the Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco and with the Cirque du Soleil. He won the Nicouline Prize at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain.
His ecological and social commitment leads him to contribute to benefit shows such as that of the organization "Dans la rue" in Montreal or Square Circle, which he directed in 2018 and 2019 in Toronto. He also sits on the Productions Carmagnole board of directors.
Patrick loves artistic collaborations: in 2015, he co-directed the acrobatic performances of Moby Dick directed by Dominic Champagne at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. In 2019, he directed the show Looping for the Comic Opéra (Switzerland) and in 2020, the new creation of the Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra (Canada).
Rita Claire Mike-Murphy
Rita Claire was raised in Pangnirtung, a beautiful community on Baffin Island, Nunavut. In addition to her acting ability, she is a talented musician who performs under the name Riit, showcasing her unique and beautiful voice. As part of the youth music movement in Nunavut, Rita Claire has shared the stage with top Nunavut artists, including Twin Flames, Elisapee Isaac, and The Jerry Cans, and performed at the 2018 Juno Awards.