CELEBRATION OF NATIONS
Celebration of Nations has emerged as one of Canada’s preeminent Indigenous cultural gatherings. With a highly credentialed Celebration of Nations curatorial team led by Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett, each year presents a new and exciting exploration into a theme that possesses crossover appeal designed to resonate, not only with Indigenous peoples, but also with the broader Canadian public.
The level of Indigenous talent, recruited from all across Canada, that has participated in the annual Celebration of Nations events has been and will continue to be extraordinary. In effect, by curating unique annual programmatic themes Celebration of Nations becomes a new event every year, thereby establishing a brand known for intellectual and artistic excellence.
(header photo and 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 photos by MarkZelinski.com)
Celebration of Nations is part of a long-term vision of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Kakekalanicks, and the City of St. Catharines to build on the Two Row Wampum that promotes all Nations walking together, in parallel, with respect, compassion and understanding to cultivate an inclusive community for our shared future.Part of our year-round programming, Celebration of Nations reaches a crescendo on the weekend after Labour Day annually with a three-day Gathering of Indigenous Arts, Culture, and Tradition that will showcase a wide variety of Indigenous arts and artists, ranging from traditional and contemporary music and dance, visual arts to film screenings, creative workshops, eye-opening teachings, and hands-on activities for both children and adults. Celebration of Nations emerged as one of Canada’s preeminent Indigenous Cultural gatherings and was awarded the prestigious Creative City Network of Canada Award of Excellence in Cultural events and top 3 finalist for the Ontario Tourism Award of Excellence for Indigenous Tourism both in 2023. Each year presents a new and exciting exploration into a theme that possesses crossover appeal designed to resonate, not only with Indigenous peoples, but also with the broader public demographic.
The level of Indigenous talent, recruited from all across Turtle Island, that has participated in the annual Celebration of Nations events has been and will continue to be extraordinary. In effect, by curating unique annual programmatic themes Celebration of Nations becomes a new event every year, thereby establishing a brand known for intellectual and artistic excellence.
For more information on Celebration of Nations current events, you can visit https://www.celebrationofnations.ca.
WHY THE FIRSTONTARIO PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE?
Why is Celebration of Nations held at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre? Situated as it is on St. Paul Street, the Centre’s front doors open directly upon the ancient and historic Iroquois Trail that was once a major thoroughfare for Indigenous peoples traveling through the Niagara Peninsula, and later, for settlers who built their roads upon this and other Indigenous trails in the region. Combined with its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, this is one of the significant reasons why the Centre has become an important hub of Indigenous activity in the 21st Century and why, at that location, Celebration of Nations has become a model event for the entire country.
