Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Friday, February 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Iglulik, Montreal, Dublin and now Yellowknife.

In the past year, a Nunavut acrobatic troupe known as ArtCirq has seen the world, and they're bringing their story to Yellowknife this weekend at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Two members of the troupe, Terry Uyarak and Jackie Qrunnut, will answer questions and present a short film about their group, alongside a screening of the latest Igloolik Isuma Production, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen. The film will then join Journals' film tour to small communities around the territories and Northern Quebec.

"Now where we are at is to start to meet other communities," said ArtCirq founder Guillaume Saladin, from Montreal. "We have that level of skill where we're able to share."

ArtCirq was founded in 1998, and since that time has grown to include nearly 20 performers between the ages of 13 and 29. They have performed for the Project Arts Centre in Dublin and at various events in Montreal, while bringing artists to Iglulik itself to collaborate.

The group was founded as a way to keep the youth of Iglulik active and engaged, inspired by the suicides of two of Saladin's childhood friends. The son of two anthropologists, Saladin has lived in Iglulik on and off since infancy.

"We have to do something, we can't just talk about it," he said in a previous interview.

Saladin works with Cirque Eloize in Montreal, and brought these skills North with him as an adult, particularly hand-to-hand, which he calls "acrobatic movements with two-to-three people."

This involves tight balancing movements that require intense teamwork.

He said one sure sign of the group's growth is the fact that members will be doing their first performances and presentations without Saladin being present.

"It's very very nice," he said.

Organizer Erika Nyyssonen said ArtCirq will not be performing at this event, but they will be talking, meeting and answering questions about their film.

"We'll see where it goes," Saladin said. "Hopefully it inspires other youth, that's the goal."

ArtCirq and the Journals of Knud Rasmussen will appear at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre at Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m.