Indigenous Presenter Program
The Indigenous Presenters Program (IPP) connects Indigenous arts and culture presenters, event producers, and arts leaders from all across the Atlantic coast. The vision of IPP is to empower regional Indigenous communities to cultivate an Indigenous-led network to uplift Indigenous artists working in dance, music, theatre and creative arts. Indigenous leaders gather throughout the year to connect, exchange, and discuss the challenges and best practices for building touring networks within and between their communities, as well as to envision a future that celebrates Indigenous arts and culture in Atlantic Canada. In 2026, Clifton Cremo was hired as the Indigenous Presenter Network Manager to oversee programming and network development. Click here to learn more about Clifton!
Indigenous Presenter Gathering
APA has assembled a group of 35 Indigenous community based presenters in the region; general event and powwow, and provides funding for these annual gatherings. These gatherings until now have been organized and administered by APA staff, who do not identify as Indigenous. For the 2022 Gathering, we contracted First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity (an organization that serves the urban and non-urban Indigenous populations and non-Indigenous communities alike with a wide range of programs and services rooted in revitalization, strengthening and celebration of Indigenous cultures and languages) in St. John’s NL, who provided the staff and space to organize and host the gathering. APA assisted as needed and supported the gathering financially, but actively stepped back to make space for Indigenous people to decide how they wanted to gather.
In 2022 funding was made available to support increased autonomy for the Indigenous Presenter Program within APA’s organization – Indigenous program, Indigenous run. We were able to hire Brit Johnson to fully manage the program.
Brit Johnston (she/her) is the Indigenous Presenters Program Coordinator. Brit is an artist, creative producer, and community activator from Genabaajing Anishinaabek/Serpent River First Nation, ON. She specializes in festival/events, production management, and community engagement best practices. She has worked with notable performing arts organizations including CAPACOA, NAC Indigenous Theatre, Prismatic Arts Festival, Indigenous Music Summit, and Ottawa Fringe. Rooted in her Anishinaabe culture, Brit is passionate about uplifting Indigenous voices and facilitating meaningful connections between artists, organizations, and communities.
The third annual Atlantic Indigenous Presenters Gathering took place at Neptune Theatre in Kjupuktuk/Halifax, Mi’kma’ki/NS, in May 2023. The gathering was hosted by the Atlantic Presenters Association (APA), in partnership with the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA), and the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (CAPACOA). Brit also hosted a group of Atlantic Indigenous event producers and managers on behalf of APA during the 2023 Contact East conference in Woody Point, Ktaqmkuk (NL). The 2024 Indigenous Presenters Gathering was held in Kjupuktuk/Halifax, Mi’kma’ki/NS, in May 2024, organized by Lisa Neault with support from APA.
IPP is graciously supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Province of Nova Scotia.
Clifton Cremo
Indigenous Presenter Network Manager
Want to join the network?
Just e-mail info [at] atlanticpresenters.ca with the subject IPP and we will share further details with you!
Contact East mentorship program
In response to the lack of Indigenous representation in the performing arts sector in Atlantic Canada, the Atlantic Presenters Association is offering an artist mentorship project that will provide skills, connections, tools and support to a candidate from the Indigenous community in Atlantic Canada. This year, members of The Hello Crows (Fredericton, NB) will be mentored by members of Silver Wolf Band (Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL).
The Atlantic Presenters Association (APA) is a regional network of arts presenters in Atlantic Canada. With a membership of over 100 theatres, festivals, and community presenters, the APA promotes the development of performing arts touring in the region, in addition to facilitating extensive professional development workshops and webinars for the live performing arts sector. The APA’s purpose is to be a connector, helping performing artists and presenters bring a wide range of performing arts experiences into communities; to provide our members with education and knowledge to assist in skill development and to connect presenters in support of a respectful, equitable, innovative, and generous performing arts sector in the region. APA produces a number of events throughout the year, both live in person and online to serve the performing arts sector. Over the last several years we have focused on EDI work, and it continues to be the lens through which we do all of our work.
This project is supported by Capitol Theatre (Moncton, NB), Fredericton Playhouse (Fredericton, NB), and Imperial Theatre (Saint John, NB).
Mentees The Hello Crows
Lessons from the past, anthems for the present, and hope in the future where truth is realized— that clear-sightedness combined with cautious optimism says a lot about what The Hello Crows are hoping to accomplish.They are not only a group of highly talented Wabanaki songwriters and storytellers, but together they stand as a collective voice representing both their people and generation simultaneously.
Formed in 2022, Judie Acquin, Dylan Ward, Mattie Comeau and Quinn Bonnell originally appeared together when they were all booked together as a Wabanaki songwriter circle. Sharing the stage, the chemistry quickly became obvious. Not only were they all a natural fit for one another, but their combined voices only proved to further amplify their powerful messages. In that instant, making this a more permanent lineup was the only logical ‘next move’.
With The Hello Crows, the aim is to educate audiences about their beautiful culture, history and the positive things happening within their communities, meanwhile honestly sharing the social obstacles in place today. Within the group, we not only learn of the indigenous cultures, values and traditions, but also gain the perspectives of indigenous women and the LQBTQIA2+ communities as well, making The Hello Crows one of the most important acts working in Canada right now.
Lessons from the past, anthems for the present, and hope in a future where truth and reconciliation is realized–that clear-sightedness combined with cautious optimism says a lot about what The Hello Crows are hoping to accomplish. They are not only a group of highly talented Wabanaki songwriters and storytellers, but together they stand as a collective voice representing both their people and generation simultaneously.
Celebrate the spirit of healing, humour and fortitude with The Hello Crows and their journey of putting the modern Indigenous experience and landscape to story and song. For further info, press and booking opportunities contact The MRTI Agency (musicrunsthroughit.com).
Mentors Silver Wolf Band
Silver wolf band is a four-piece Indigenous folk-rock band from Labrador. Lively, engaging, and self-assured performances of honest and sincere lyrical music is what makes Silver Wolf Band one of the most in-demand music groups from Labrador. Their music is piano driven and rich in harmony. Lyrically, their songs are shaped and informed by family, community, love, and their homeland itself. They have been referred to as the “Wilco of Labrador” and three of their albums have garnered them a Music PEI award nomination, three Music NL award nominations, and a Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Award nomination.
Their 2020 release, Storms & Prayers, won Music NL’s Indigenous Artist of the Year (2020) and East Coast Music Association’s Indigenous Artist of the Year (2021). Singles Woman of Labrador and Estuary charted at #1 and #4 on the Indigenous Music countdown, respectively. The group were also East Coast Music Association nominees for Artist Innovator of the Year (2022).
With every performance, they offer their audience an uplifting and enthusiastic performance of original music, along with their renditions of popular favourites by celebrated Labrador songwriters and musicians.
“Because of Silver Wolf Band, we get to keep pieces of music like Woman of Labrador, Land Called Labrador, Old Mokami, and more, and we are lucky enough to have these songs without having to be dusty and archival.” -Amelia Curran.
What’s more is that Silver Wolf Band peppers its performances with knowledge, personal histories, and cultural lessons from the Big Land of Labrador.
In recent years they have played the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, Trails, Tails, and Tunes Festival, and Spirit Song, along with some notable showcases at ECMA Awards Week, Music NL Week, Petapan First Light Indigenous Art Symposium, and Northern Lights Expo in Ottawa, ON.
The band is currently nominated for MusicNL’s Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year and working on their next full length album, to be recorded by Robert Kelly and Produced by Amelia Curran. The band plans on releasing and touring the album in the winter/spring of 2025.
Silver Wolf Band is Jamie Jackman (Guitar, Vocals), Matthew Barrett (Piano, Keyboards, Vocals), Justin Jackman (Drums and Percussion), and Bon Pardy (Bass, Vocals).
Truly, the musicians of Silver Wolf Band are warm, kind, humble, talented and entertaining ambassadors of the Big Land.
