For the past five years the ACIC has been host to a project called First Voices, where First Nations youth from Atlantic Canada connect with indigenous youth from developing countries through the arts. In each of the first four years there has been an artistic focus on music, video, multimedia and dance. As we are in the fifth and final year of this project we are bringing together all previous participants from around the world: Chile, Honduras, Guatemala, Botswana, the Philippines and Canada. This project continues to help build solidarity between indigenous groups and seeks to create strong confident leaders with a solid understanding of global citizenship. This project has already had an impact on all of the participants lives and this opportunity will help them to continue to share their stories.
The participants will be in Nova Scotia for ten days of sharing, reflection and artistic collaboration which will be topped off by a day of workshops for youth and a final performance on October 2nd, 2010.
First Voices: Connecting Aboriginal Youth in
the North and the South - Dance
First Voices: Connecting Aboriginal Youth from the North and the South is a project that brings together indigenous youth from Atlantic Canada and the Global South. It creates solidarity between Aboriginal groups in the North and the South and seeks to create strong, confident leaders with a solid understanding of global citizenship.
From October 15th-26th 2009, 3 aboriginal youth from Atlantic Canada joined 3 indigenous youth from the Philippines to share and collaborate through dance in the fourth annual First Voices program. The dancers travelled to communities throughout the Maritimes giving performances and workshops that focussed on how dance provides them strength and a connection with their culture and heritage.
Three youth from Botswana, Africa, were able to travel to Atlantic Canada in October 2008. They were joined by three First Nations youth (between the ages of 18-25) from Makkovik, Labrador; Charlottetown, PEI; and Tobique, New Brunswick. Together, the youth embarked on a ten-day tour of three provinces, exchanged experiences, collaborated, participated in workshops, and engaged close to 1000 people at six different performances/discussions, targeting in particular First Nations communities and youth. Though coming from a diversity of musical backgrounds and traditions, the group was nevertheless able to blend their traditional pasts with contemporary influences, and vocalize upon themes that highlighted their similar, as well as unique, cultural identities, challenges and achievements. This year’s participants have created a lasting tribute to their musical talents and shared experience by recording a compact disc which will be released along with a DVD documenting their time together in spring 2009.
First Voices: Multimedia Art
Phase 2 of First Voices was a collaborative multi-media art project aimed at presenting stories from First Nation communities in the North and the South. Five youth from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Honduras and Guatemala were able to express positive stories from their respective communities through the various media of art, music, photography and traditional ceremony. Collectively, they came together to produce a collaborative art piece and participate in a tour to showcase their work. If you are interested in hosting the exhibit contact us at projects@acic-caci.org.
The original First Voices project brought together First Nation youth from Atlantic Canada and indigenous youth from Guatemala and Chile to make a collaborative documentary based on stories of hope as found in their communities. Check out the video on-line at the First Voices web site.
Click here to view a slide show of their final performance and preview the track "Stand Tall".