Ice Follies 2023

February 10th - 24th, 2023

Theme: Nbaagzi Mkwam (Thin Ice)
The 2023 theme “Thin Ice” looks at our shifting landscapes and communities, including our changing relationships with our environment and each other.

Aanmitaagzi, All My R(el)ations (Installations and Performance), 2023

For Ice Follies 2023, Aanmitaagzi presents Thin Ice, a large-scale installation accompanied by a series of performances on Opening Night. These multidisciplinary performances will take place in and around the large-scale installation, which includes four structures. Thin Ice is a part of Aanmitaagzi’s multi-year project, All My R(el)ations, a multi-disciplinary project of gathering, reflecting, and dreaming.

Thin Ice explores both All My R(el)ations and the rationing of this value, idea and reality. We looked at stories around the abundance when first person arrived at this world; the contemplation of this abundance and our role within it. Thin Ice explores stories of the rationing of our culture, language, traditional territory and ourselves. The installation and performances were made in collaboration with Aanmitaagzi’s artists and community through an ongoing weekly winter workshops series held at Big Medicine Studio with Aanmitaagzi. Aanmitaagzi is thrilled to be joined by our local and regional guest artists and community in the presentation of Thin Ice.

As a part of Ice Follies 2023, Aanmitaagzi will be co-presenting Paper Canoe Project’s wonderful theatre production, Prophecy Fog. Prophecy Fog is created and performed by award winning theatre artist, Jani Lauzon. We are excited at the return of Jani and Paper Canoe Projects. The performance will take place at Big medicine Studio with date and time to be announced.

Aanmitaagzi is a professional Indigenous inter-arts company from Nipissing First Nation, Ontario, linked to provincial, national and international networks. Aanmitaagzi combines art making, education, professional development & social activism. We investigate and create contemporary arts in relationship to historic indigenous arts and worldview. Our activities incorporate the Indigenous legacy of intergenerational art-making which engages both artists and community. Aanmitaagzi provides educational, land based, and community focused arts activities by producing arts festivals, dance theatre productions, and projects which activate these historic practices in meaningful ways.

Opening Night Performance Gallery

Prospector Tent

The prospector tent looks at out relationship and connection to the land. Throughout our elders story telling luncheons we explored stories of sharing food and caring for each other.

Installation Gallery:

Language Lodge

With guidance of Eva and Dan Couchie this wigwam was built by Aanmitaagzi lead artists using tamarack poles. The cover was made with our lead team, young artists, youth interns and our multi-arts workshop participants and language participants. The wigwam looks at our connection to language: what we never want to loose. what we want to pick up and what we want to pass on to our future generations.

Installation Gallery:

Star Gazing Dome

Our stories tell us we come from the stars and we return to the stars. Throughout our workshops with community, we investigated our relationship to the star world. We invite you to lie down and look up at the stars, dance or ponder your connection to all of creation.