CanNor Funding: $240,000
Yukon government funding: $90,000
Other funding: $183,000
Total: $513,000
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) has invested $240,000 for the Adäka Cultural Festival, taking place in Whitehorse July 1-9, 2011. Developed and organized by the Council of Yukon First Nations, the festival brings together performing and visual artists from every Yukon First Nation community to celebrate and showcase their arts and culture.
Funding from CanNor will go specifically toward two key components.
1. Pre-Festival Capacity Development and Training: Following the success of the training and development programs offered during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic events, the Festival Team will deliver three programs, each designed to inspire and develop new skills for artists. The training will focus on dance, stage training for performing artists and visual art.
2. Festival activities: These include showcase performances, gallery exhibitions and sales, artist demonstrations, cultural presentations, a collaboration and exchange program, workshops and lectures and a community potlatch celebration.
Some of the key objectives of the festival are:
- to stimulate, facilitate and foster the preservation and development of Yukon First Nations culture;
- to build on the diversity of Yukon's economy through the development and enhancement of the cultural and tourism industries;
- expand markets for First Nations cultural industries, specifically to national and international markets;
- to create opportunities for Yukon First Nations to gain inspiration and to exchange ideas, knowledge and skills;
- to present and promote the diversity and distinctiveness of aboriginal arts and culture; and
- to provide opportunities for young leaders in First Nation communities.
CanNor Programs
This investment is made possible through CanNor's Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) initiative, which focuses on long-term economic growth, economic diversification and capacity building in all three territories.
SINED is one of several economic development initiatives within CanNor. CanNor is responsible for coordinating and delivering Canada's economic development across the North, and for related policy development, research and advocacy.
