In 2017, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) supported four Indigenous women artists to write, rehearse and perform stories from their personal experiences through a 50-minute presentation.

Interpreting Indigenous women’s lives through art

The NACC is a performing arts centre in Yellowknife. In 2017, it conceived the idea of an experimental drama written and acted by four local Indigenous women using stories from their lives as inspiration. Performed in Yellowknife, Montreal and Toronto, the play communicated concepts of real versus preconceived notions of Indigenous women’s lives in 2017. It immersed audiences in the characters’ worlds on stage and explored themes of identity, Indigeneity and decolonization.

Supporting and inspiring new Indigenous theatre artists

The project aimed to create and cultivate well-rounded Indigenous actresses and foster artistic creativity by teaching them the art of writing a play and performing it in a professional setting. Two actresses were experienced, while the other two were emerging and benefited from mentorship. The women spent 10 days writing the play and 10 days rehearsing it.