Juno award-winning Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter, Susan Aglukark
presents ‘Winters Dream’, a concert sharing the journey of her Inuit ancestors, and how
this journey has shaped and defined contemporary Inuit as they forge a place in our
ever-changing Inuit Nunangat/Land of the Inuit. The 13-date tour visits Atlantic Canada
from January 26 – February 15, 2018.
During a career that has spanned more than 25 years, Susan Aglukark’s journey as a
singer-songwriter has led her to reflect on who she is, where she came from and the
importance of discovery – discovery of history, culture and self.
She is the first Inuk artist to win a Juno and a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award
for lifetime artistic achievement, she is an officer of the Order of Canada, holds several
Honourary Doctorate degrees and has held command performances; but Aglukark also
acknowledges the path has not been easy.
“Here I was, living a life I never imagined, but I was struggling to understand who I was.
There was no opportunity growing up to learn about who we were, the Inuit, from our
own perspective. In essence, we were institutionalized by being told who we were, how
we would live and when you are told a story for so long, you learn to believe it,” explains
Aglukark.
I had the chance to interview Susan:
Jenn: To start off, can you tell me about Winters Dream?
Susan: Winters Dream is the title track for my new upcoming album. I often wonder/ed how did
we get to Inuit Nunangat/Inuit Land/Arctic, when I think on this and on the very deep
connection we have to our land I came to think that maybe the arctic chose us so the song Winters Dream is a play on this notion but its also (maybe) a small truth.
Jenn: You were the first Inuk Artist to win a Juno Award. How did that feel? What did it mean
to you?
Susan: At that time when I won my first Juno, I did not feel that I had earned it, I felt that I had so much work to do to catch up with all the other artists on that same list that I actually felt guilty for winning. The last two on the other hand, I worked hard for those two 🙂
Jenn: Can you tell us about the Arctic Rose Foundation?
Susan: The Arctic Rose Foundation was founded to fill in moral boosting gaps (food bank donations, graduation campaigns, etc) but it’s broader mandate is to create safe emotional, spiritual, physical and emotional spaces, I developed a program (Creative Cultural Reflections) which combines arts therapy with ancestry research, this has allowed us to engage participants in research, culture connections, and access to space in the participating high school where the participants will have access to arts/supplies and exercises everyday after school.
Jenn: You won the Governor Generals Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award in June 2016. Tell us about that experience.
Susan: The Governor Generals award was an incredible experience, first, I felt/feel like I am just starting the next part of the artist life but second, I witnessed first hand how many people are true lovers of the arts, all volunteer, I’ve since joined the Board of Governor Generals Awards, they are all truly wonderful people with big hearts!
Jenn: Who are your musicial influences?
Susan: Lately, I have been listening to Loreena McKennitt, I also really enjoy Kathleen
Evaluarjuk Merritt an Inuk artist/poet.
Jenn: What are your plans for 2018?
Susan: I love that we have started our year with our Winters Dream tour, I would love to do as
much of the as we can throughout 2018.
Jenn: Is there anything else you would like to add or highlight?
Susan: I am grateful for this career and privileged to be an Indigenous/Inuk artist in these times, I hope that 2018 will see our efforts towards correcting our respective narratives and
taking steps towards true healing taken seriously by our leaders, all leaders and all
levels of Government.
Performance dates include:
Jan. 26 Saint John, NB* Imperial Theatre
Jan. 27 Charlottetown, PE Confederation Centre of the Arts
Jan. 28 Annapolis Royal, NS King’s Theatre
Jan. 29 Pictou, NS deCoste Performing Arts Centre
Jan. 30 Membertou, NS Membertou Trade & Convention Centre
Jan. 31 Moncton, NB Capitol Theatre
Feb. 2 Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL Eastern Labrador Arts Alliance
Feb. 4 Labrador City, NL Arts & Culture Centre
Feb. 7 Stephenville, NL Arts & Culture Centre
Feb. 9 Corner Brook, NL Arts & Culture Centre
Feb. 11 Grand Falls-Windsor, NL Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts
Feb. 13 Gander, NL Arts & Culture Centre
Feb. 15 St. John’s, NL Arts & Culture Centre
For more information on Susan visit :
www.susanaglukark.com
