TNL’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival will end it’s 25th anniversary season with a three-day celebration and exploration of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq tradition and heritage in Cow Head and Newfoundland and Labrador Aug. 27-29, 2021.
Curated by Ivan J White, Mi’kmaq from Flat Bay, the Sharing Perspectives Festival within the Festival will feature a listening circle, workshops, visual arts exhibit and live performances exploring the intersections of our people’s unique perspectives.
As cultures converge, participants will investigate through honesty, truth and humility our past, present and future through art. This will be a time to breathe, take in our space and appreciate our environment on the shores of Shallow Bay in Cow Head on the Great Northern Peninsula through listening, observing and learning.
Eileen James, Mi’kmaq author and resident of Cow Head, will appear during the weekend to provide a sense of where we are, a connection to the land, and lend the much needed local perspective to the proceedings.
Sharing Perspectives will entail a Listening Circle featuring Mi’kmaq voices. A series of workshops will cover art and Indigenous identity and what it’s like to navigate those ethereal worlds on the Island of Newfoundland featuring painter Nelson White, Quillwork artist Burl Tooshkenig, Visual Artist and Filmmaker Evan Butler, and Champion Beatboxer Kaden White with stories of family and the passage of art, culture and music through the generations.
The Second day (Saturday, August 28th) will culminate with a concert showcase on the Fortis Theatre stage in the Nurse Myra Bennett Centre for the Performing Arts featuring; KDups, udah & Burlington Tooshkenig, and contemporary hard rockers Ragged Company.
An outdoor song circle at the amphitheatre on the Head (weather permitting) will feature visiting Mi’kmaq artists and TNL’s 2021 Gros Morne Theatre Festival artists and may lead to impromptu performances from the audience.
Mi’kmaq visual art and crafts will be on display and for sale during the festival.
Schedule of Events
Friday, August 27th
Sharing Circle 1:00pm – 3:00pm (Fortis Theatre)
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Saturday, August 28th
Workshop Series
Evan Butler: 9:00am – 10:30am (Fortis Theatre)
Kaden White 11:30am-1:00pm (Fortis Theatre)
Nelson White: 2:00pm – 3:20pm (BMO Studio)
Burl Tooshkenig: 3:50pm – 5:00pm (BMO Studio)
Click for more information on the workshop series.
Concert Showcase: 10:00pm (Fortis Theatre)
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Sunday, August 29th
Open Air Jam Session: 2:00pm (Amphitheatre)
Admission will be Pay What You Can. Call 1-877-243-2899 for tickets.
BIO IVAN J WHITE
Hailing from the Mi’kmaq Community of Flat Bay at heart Ivan J White is an emissary for his culture, heritage, and people. Formally educated in the field of Marketing, and practiced in the areas of Media and Communications, Ivan J has been exploring and communicating the intersections of Business, Arts and Mi’kmaq Identity since his teenage years.
Ivan J seeks to combine his experience in audio and communications with his passion for, and dedication to, the Mi’kmaq community to tell authentic Indigenous stories that contribute to community pride and progress.
He enjoys writing and playing music in his spare time and currently lives in St. George’s with his wife Crystal and their two lovely children; Isabella (11) and Ivan Jr. (8).
Getting to Cow Head
This show is part of the Gros Morne Theatre Festival. See Getting to Cow Head for directions to the Warehouse Theatre and Shallow Bay Motel.