Good afternoon and thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, committee members.
On behalf of the Qaggiavuut! board of directors, chaired by Ms. Terrie Kusugak, we would like to thank this committee for extending the invitation to us way up here in Nunavut.
Ms. Kusugak, some of our board members and many of our artists are located in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, which is currently experiencing a massive COVID-19 outbreak, given the small resident population. As of yesterday, Nunavut had a total of 198 confirmed cases, with 75 active cases. Our hearts and thoughts are with the families affected.
With our very limited health care, crowded housing, epidemic of depression and suicide, and meagre social and economic supports, the threat of this virus has put a disproportionate stress on our communities. We have only recently come out of a complete territorial lockdown, which has heightened the impact on our arts sector in Nunavut.
To set the stage, I am asking you to envision how cultural traditions have been a means of survival for Inuit as a people, historically sustaining us through times of crisis and times of joy. I am asking you to envision how the otherwise necessary public health measures have prevented performing arts from being the lifeline for many Inuit youth. It is the platform through which we all, up here, get inspired to pursue healthy choices and contribute to the well-being of our communities.
At Qaggiavuut!, we constantly ask ourselves how our elders' songs and stories can continue to be guarded and passed on to future generations via performing arts in such a crisis and its aftermath. Our culture and way of life is at risk for many reasons, even beyond the present global pandemic. Our not-for-profit society is guided by a focus on Inuit-led healing and wellness to preserve and promote our language and culture and to bring life to our communities through performing arts.
Our impact is beyond our communities. Our artists have brought their talent, Inuit stories and performances to Canadian art stages like the National Arts Centre and have gained accolades internationally.
The investments in the Inuit artists and performing arts put Canada on the global stage and serves a larger cultural purpose. Inuit have played a key role in Canadian cultural diplomacy and identity. Even though this role is greatly admired and appreciated artistically, for the most part it has been undervalued financially. Nunavut is the only jurisdiction in Canada that still does not have a performing arts centre, for example. We hope that in the post-pandemic context, we will see federal funding to address this inequity, to build the Qaggiq Hub performing arts centre, to train emerging artists through Qaggiq School of Performing Arts and to continue developing professional touring productions for the world stage.
The name of Qaggiavuut! has gained recognition, and we have become a source of collaboration and partnership. We have grown quickly and built a reputation of being a responsible, action-oriented, inclusive and diverse organization founded by a grassroots movement of Inuit and non-Inuit northerners together. This has shown in how we have fundraised over the years to advance our mission to strengthen, promote, advocate and create space for Nunavut and Inuit performing artists. From ordinary Canadians to celebrities to community members and territorial and federal stakeholders, we are grateful to all who have contributed to the cause. Through their giving and our COVID-19 special fundraising efforts, we were able to put money directly into the hands of our community members. Yes, we can call them artists, and rightly so. Throughout this past summer, we mobilized and created our artist emergency fund. We continued to adjust our programming to the new conditions.
We must transform the current pandemic challenges into an opportunity for economic recovery through arts and culture. The post-COVID world will be one with an increased appetite for the performing arts. We realize that now, more than ever, Inuit need the space and the support to create art at home and contribute to the economic recovery of Canada.
Thank you.