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Home » Production & Training Facility Update

With staff and students, artists and administrators now all in residence at the new centre, the creative energy in the place is absolutely invigorating. In the month of October we were able to host our first three private events, all of which have helped us to begin imagining the full potential of the facility. The Searching for the Trickster in the 21st Century Writer’s Soiree was a very classy affair, with about 30 people enjoying the wine and cheese social that accompanied the presentations. A week later, we were hosting a three day national gathering for a group of about 35 IPAA members, and the week after that, we hosted an Art Attack for 100 students of Assiginack Public School in Manitowaning.

Throughout the winter we will continue to integrate the programming tools and equipment into the facility – setting up the media labs, completing the acoustic installation, painting the studio black, etc. While this is happening, we will continue to rehearse and plan and create, leading up to our much anticipated festival in February. And finally, in the spring, in the month of April – the beginning of our 25th Season - we will host an official Grand Opening!

Previous Update

So for those of you who have been following our slow, gradual journey since January 2001 towards opening an Arts Training and Production facility – well, the journey continues. The good news is that we have tendered out the last phase of construction to prepare the building for our occupation late this fall or early winter. We hope!

All the pre-planning and workshops in the world can’t prepare an organization for the myriad of challenges that will be faced in attempting to pull together the resources and sustenance to be successful in any substantial capital expansion venture. It reminds me of the experience of a family trying to negotiate the health care system on behalf of a dying loved one – confusion, frustration, and powerlessness all wrapped up in a deep commitment and emotional investment.

In our specific context, I think the obstacles are even greater. There aren’t very many established professional aboriginal arts organizations with a full time staff of 15 and another dozen emerging artist interns. Let’s be honest – there are no others, anywhere in Canada. And this doesn’t even address the many other qualities that make us unique – like our location, our process, our organizational culture, etc.

Not an easy sell. But we are getting there. We will get there. And once we are there, we will look towards the next overwhelming challenge that no-one believes is possible of us, and begin fretting all over again as we break new ground.