Past Work and Affiliates
FNPA works in collaboration with kinship entities such as First Peoples Fund, Native Arts and Culture Foundation, and many others in supporting the development of a robust ecosystem for Indigenous performance artists in what is currently called the United States. We are in active and growing relationships pertaining to collectively serving the broad needs of Indigenous artists. The activities below reflect just a snapshot of the key conversations that have brought us to this point.
First Nations Dialogues
A series of Indigenous led performances, discussions, workshops and ceremony. It was an initiative that provided unprecedented exposure, and a focus upon Indigenous performing arts and artists based in what is currently called Canada, the U.S., and Australia in partnership with multiple contemporary live performance platforms across the spectrum of New York City in Lenapehoking.
First Nations Dialogues 2019 featured the performance, scholarly, and food justice work of nearly 70 international First Nations performing artists in partnership with The Lenape Center, Amerinda, American Indian Community House, Abrons Arts Center, American Realness, Danspace Project, Gibney Dance, La MaMa, Performance Space New York, Safe Harbors Indigenous Collective, Kinstillatory Mappings in Light and Dark Matter, Under the Radar, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), and the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA).
Built on four years of convenings and conversation within formal and informal networks in the Indigenous and non-indigenous performance sectors and forty years of vibrant dialogue between Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations North American contemporary theatre and dance leaders, The First Nations Dialogues 2019 was led by a transnational consortium of Emily Johnson (USA), Vallejo Gantner (USA), BlakDance (Australia), Angela Flynn/Kukuni Arts (Australia), Jacob Boehme (Australia), ILBIJERRI Theatre Company (Australia), Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (Canada).
Moshkamo Indigenous Arts Festival
A celebration of the opening of Indigenous Theater at the National Arts Center in Ottawa, Canada.
The attending US delegation participated in field discussions and performances. These conversations have shaped the FNPA network and built strong alliances.
The many positive benefits of this gathering included clarity for the ongoing work of FNPA; direction for the establishment of trusted US-based and international partnerships and collaborations; and relationship building between First Nations artists and ally presenting partners.