C A N N O P Y
Art is True North
Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre Turns 5
Dancers of the Damelahamid, Raven Mother 01 - Photo Chris Randle
INTERVIEW — Artistic Director Kevin Loring weighs in on performative land acknowledgements
Words by Cassandra Henry | Photography courtesy of the NAC
ISSUE 14 | OTTAWA | FOURTH WALL
The ideal intersection of theatre and social justice is a question that has dogged artists and divided audience members for decades now. Performance art, in particular, if often tasked as the chief investigator of this question. From the subject matter of plays and films, to acceptance speeches for the awards they bring in—the current zeitgeist of the soundstage is leaning into using art as a stark spotlight on the issues that matter most. A frequent rebuttal: Why do we have to be reminded about politics? Can’t I just watch a nice play that makes me feel good and happy? And a frequent counter-rebuttal: the stage is a laboratory that permits us to play gracefully with even the most consequential issues. One of those consequential issues that makes a frequent appearance on Canadian stages—even if only as a brief acknowledgment before curtains up—is the plight of Indigenous communities across Canada.
By virtue of its location at the nation’s capital, the National Art Centre (NAC) is a high-profile intersection of art and social issues. Conversations that go on to reverberate through the Canadian artistic ecosystem often begin on the NAC’s stage, not least being its mission to help the progression of reconciliation with Indigenous nations through the vectors of storytelling. This mission found a new leg with the creation of their Indigenous Theatre programming five years ago, and has been advanced via their post-pandemic “Journey Ahead” initiative. Described as a resurgence in commitment to the arts sector after the effects of COVID 19, this initiative aims to “build a performing arts sector that is more creative, adaptive, and relevant to communities. One that is equitable, diverse, accessible, and welcoming to all.” But as Indigenous communities have always maintained regarding reconciliation: saying and doing are in fact two different things.
Giving lip service to land acknowledgements is one way of saying much and doing little, for example. Whereas walking the walk means putting resources behind a production stream for Indigenous stories on one of the country’s largest stages. One more step in the right direction is appointing Indigenous leaders to steer their own storytelling locomotive in a way that’s culturally competent and comprehensive. As the inaugural Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre, Kevin Loring marks five years of storytelling with an eye for parsing real action from performative acting.
CANNOPY x Kevin Loring
Our Stories are Medicine
CAN | “Our stories are medicine” seems to be the mantra of your 2024/25 season; what aspects of Indigenous storytelling practices do you feel uniquely stimulate pathways of healing for the audience?
KL ─ “Our Stories are Medicine” is a call back to the Indigenous concept of medicine. “Good medicine” can come from anything that makes us feel better, live better, and move through the world in a good way. In many Indigenous cultures stories have real consequences when invoked. They can motivate the seasons and call forth the spirit of something into our existence. Indigenous theatre is good medicine because it can make us laugh, cry, and illuminate and celebrate our cultures and languages, which are in desperate need of invigoration. These stories can also help us all heal from the traumas of colonialism and to grow together as a society with understanding and empathy.
Performative Land Acknowledgements
CAN | Since the inception of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre, what have you appreciated most about the proliferation of Land Acknowledgements in the arts? What’s frustrated you most about how they're presented?
KL — Acknowledging the traditional territories of the host Indigenous nations is important because it allows us an opportunity to reflect on our shared histories, our present lived realities, and our collective futures. Knowing where you are is essential to knowing where we are going. If nothing else, it is just polite to be conscious and grateful for the stewardship of the lands that we are on. However, Land Acknowledgements can get performative when they are not connected or rooted to real intention. They don’t need to be a production in and of themselves. If the person giving the land acknowledgement means what they are saying you can’t really go wrong.