Iglulik (May 01/06) - "We have to do something, we can't just talk about it."

The urgency in Guillaume Saladin's voice was palpable as he described why he kick-started Artcirq, Nunavut's only circus troupe, in 1998.

Members of Artcirq practise their craft in Iglulik. The troupe includes 17 members, according to founder Guillaume Saladin, and was created to give direction and teach teamwork to Northern youth. - photo courtesy of Guillaume Saladin

"Alone we are weak. Any group process will help define who you are, and I think youth sometimes get lost in the North."

He created Artcirq to forge this strength and unity amongst its 17 members, aged from 13-25. Combining Saladin's background as a circus acrobat with Inuit games and storytelling, they have created a unique experience, which is gaining international attention.

Saladin, along with troupe members Leah Angutimariq and Derek Aqqiaruq, visited Dublin, Ireland, recently to demonstrate their craft to the Project Arts Centre.

The performance marked only the second time Artcirq had performed outside the Arctic Circle, following a show in Montreal. "It's only the beginning," said Saladin, as the troupe has plans to perform in London and Paris this fall.

Saladin said the purpose of the trip was to exchange points of view; allowing Angutimariq and Aqqiaruq to see the world, while letting the world see their culture, expressed in their performances.

"Promoting your culture, expressing yourself onstage, that is the best way you can travel. It helps you know who you are."

The son of two anthropologists, Saladin said he has lived in Iglulik off and on since he was two months old.

It was in his adult life, with the suicides of two close friends, that Saladin understood the toll Northern isolation can take on young people.

"I started to see the dark side this culture I never saw when I was young," he said.

After touring with Cirque Eloize, Saladin said it was only natural for him to share his gifts, to offer hope and belonging to young people in Iglulik.

Saladin's specialty is hand-to-hand, which he describes as "acrobatic movements with two-to-three people." This involves skill, balance, co-ordination and a lot of faith in your team.

"You have no choice but to trust," he said. "Working together as a group is the big challenge. Once you do this, everything is possible."

Artcirq has added to the legacy of high-profile art coming out of Iglulik in recent years.

Igloolik Isuma, the film company responsible for the award-winning "Atanarjuat, The Fast Runner," in 2000, is also based out of Iglulik.

Saladin said there are strong ties between Artcirq and Isuma, which has filmed a documentary about the troupe, and aided them in creating their own short pieces.

Angutimariq also stars in Isuma's most recent effort, "The Journals of Knud Rasmussen," which opens the Toronto International Film Festival in September.