{"id":10755,"date":"2020-10-29T14:44:16","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T18:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.makivik.org\/?post_type=taqralikonline&p=10755"},"modified":"2020-11-06T13:00:56","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T17:00:56","slug":"introducing-tupiq-act","status":"publish","type":"taqralikonline","link":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/article\/introducing-tupiq-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Tupiq ACT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wrapped in fabric, Minnie Ningiuruvik hovers over (left to right) Michael Nappatuk, Charlie Makiuk and Saali Kuata. \u00a9Danielle Bouchard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nunavik\u2019s first circus troupe celebrates Inuit culture and identity<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Saali Kuata\u2019s passion for circus comes through even when speaking on the phone. Back in April, after COVID-19 effectively shut down most of the country, the Kuujjuaq native was in Montreal where he has been living for about four years.

\u201cThis past year I\u2019ve been training and trying to be a professional circus artist, trying to do this full-time, training by myself to get to a level of technique that I really want to achieve,\u201d the soft-spoken 23-year-old explained. He trains in aerial ropes and other circus disciplines like acrobatics, juggling, and even stilt walking.

Kuata is a founding member of Tupiq ACT (Arctic Circus Troupe), a crew of circus performers that was born from Cirqiniq, a Nunavik social circus program, which planted the seeds for youth to become accomplished performing artists.

\u201cCirqiniq is a summer camp that brings Inuit youth together,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery time we did circus, every time we performed and trained, every time we learn new things in circus, we always crave more.\u201d But it was very hard for them to progress because they didn\u2019t have coaches available in the North, nor the equipment or knowledge necessary.

Each year the participants would joke about how amazing it would be if they could create their own circus troupe, and about two years ago former Makivvik Socio-Economic Development Officer, Nathan Cohen-Fournier, dropped in to observe the summer camp and suggested the corporation could aid in its development.

\u201cA bunch of us that were junior instructors, we just kind of looked at each other like, \u2018Yeah, we want to do this,\u2019\u201d Kuata said. Cohen-Fournier recalls that meeting and that he told the group there could be possibilities to assist them in launching.

\u201cFor us, it was about providing a step further and giving young Nunavimmiut artists the opportunity to fulfil their collective potential, to unleash their creativity, and give it a shot for the first Nunavik circus troupe.\u201d

It worked. The troupe performed their first show in the North, in Inukjuak, mid-March.
\u201cIt was pretty swell,\u201d Kuata said. He is the secretary-treasurer of the group and explained they applied for a grant and started making the show back in November. They brought five of their artists together just to dedicate themselves to creating a performance that they could continue to sell for weeks and maybe years to come and they did it.

\u201cOur long show has many circus disciplines in it, with many Inuit stories being told. It felt very nice because when we finished creating that show in Inukjuak, and the day we started performing it, we had light effects, sounds, and costumes. We were really able to go full out.\u201d
The troupe tries to represent Inuit culture and identity by using circus techniques to tell myths and legends on stage from traditional oral stories.

\u201cWhen we\u2019re on stage we speak only Inuktitut,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just kind of tell an Inuit story on stage or take characters from these stories and kind of create an actual character — a character that has feelings, or motives. Or we just expand the idea of who these people were, or what these creatures were, or what these myths were.\u201d

Having circus as an outlet has had a positive effect on Kuata.
\u201cEmotionally, where I am, it\u2019s a very good place,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I perform on stage and train in circus, I\u2019m very free.\u201d In the past, he admitted, he was unsure of himself, but circus training has shown him what he is able to accomplish. \u201cIt\u2019s very surprising to myself when I look back now, and it\u2019s like, \u2018Wow, this is amazing.\u2019 I work with the best people. I\u2019ve made great friends and memories along the way and I can look in the mirror and be happy.\u201d

However, the group does face some challenges. People\u2019s availabilities vary. They may have school, work, or just be busy with life. Also, the troupe members are geographically separated. Some are in communities in Nunavik and some are living in Montreal but, Kuata said, it miraculously still works.

\u201cIf we have a gig here in Montreal, then I\u2019ll make myself available because circus is the only thing I do. Then I call my colleagues, \u2018Hey are you available on this date?\u2019 and we train together and try to create something for this gig.\u201d

Once travel and group projects can return to normal, Tupiq ACT has plans to continue creating performances to showcase in Nunavik, Nunavut, and throughout the Circumpolar world. Cohen-Fournier doesn\u2019t doubt that the future is bright for the troupe.

\u201cSo far, they have done incredibly well. It\u2019s a long journey, full of ups and downs but they are passionate, and they are having fun at the same time.\u201d

Kuata said he also hopes the troupe can continue collaborate on new shows and bring them to an Inuit audience in the South.

\u201cI really enjoy working with my gang and I believe we can do it, for sure.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top row: Saali Kuata, Michael Nappatuk, Charlie
Makiuk. Sitting: Minnie Ningiuruvik and Sarah Ainalik. \u00a9Danielle Bouchard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Minnie Ningiuruvik hangs on the silk as Christopher
Angatookalook does a backflip. \u00a9Sebaztien Girard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Nunavik\u2019s first circus troupe celebrates Inuit culture and identity Saali Kuata\u2019s passion for circus comes through even when speaking on the phone. Back in April, after [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10888,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"taqralik-issues":[130,125],"class_list":["post-10755","taqralikonline","type-taqralikonline","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","taqralik-issues-2020-fall","taqralik-issues-fall"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline\/10755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/taqralikonline"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline\/10755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10997,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralikonline\/10755\/revisions\/10997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"taqralik-issues","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makivvik.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taqralik-issues?post=10755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}