Who we are & Why we are

Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts (AAPA) is an Aboriginal Theatre and Performing Arts organization based in Edmonton, Alberta. Our mandate is to nurture and cultivate an Aboriginal arts scene in Edmonton by creating opportunities for Aboriginal Artists, Writers and Performers to present their work to the public. We produce events that bring artists of multiple disciplines and Aboriginal traditions together. Our goal is to encourage and inspire collaborations in art and performance in both contemporary and traditional styles and to bring these creations to audiences across Alberta. AAPA provides audiences of all backgrounds a chance to experience challenging artistic works that speak from a unique Aboriginal perspective. 

Punctuate! Theatre is a Sterling Award winning professional theatre company based in Edmonton Alberta. We are dedicated to creating diverse, multidisciplinary dance and theatre productions. We engage both professional and emerging artists, providing mentorship opportunities within the artistic and production team. We think Albertans deserve to have cultural and artistic events brought to their communities. 

Partner with us and you will connect to two different markets with our Bears and Minosis Gathers Hope double bill!

Join this exciting collaboration between these two award- winning Alberta theatre companies’ with national scope, Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts (AAPA) and Punctuate! Theatre. 

Our companies believe in investing in our country’s youth and nurturing creativity and culture in students from all backgrounds. Minosis Gathers Hope is a visually stunning dance theatre production for young audiences and will appeal to children, youth, and families. Minosis will show during matinee performances in every city we visit. Afternoon showings fit perfectly into the schedules of families and visiting school groups. Our companies are so dedicated to ensuring this show reaches a diverse audience that we are offering free tickets to students from Indigenous schools and community groups in the GTA, communities across Alberta, and Vancouver. Minosis Gathers Hope already has 1000 seats booked by students in Toronto!

On the flip side, Bears is the perfect fare for adult audiences, university students, and young professionals. Canadian television star of Delmer & Marta and Caution: May Contain Nuts, Sheldon Elter stars in Bears. Sheldon's canadian star power will draw young people all over the country throughout our tour to come see the show and will ensure that Bears gets media attention. Bears reaches devoted audiences of both dance and theatre because it is an interdisciplinary play that dishes up dance, theatre, and Canadian issues. With evening performances in every city's downtown core, Bears is in prime locations to become a popular, central, and cool event not to be missed. Fitting into each city's night life scene Bears will draw young cosmopolitans and mature adults in every city. Our University Outreach Program works directly with professors from universities in each city to invite classes and departments to Bears at discounted rates. 

Christine Sokaymoh Frederick

Minosis Gathers Hope

Christine Sokaymoh Frederick is an urban Aboriginal Cree-Métis with thirty-five years of experience in multiple artistic disciplines. She is co-founder and artistic director of Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts and producer of the annual Rubaboo Arts Festival (9th annual in Feb 2018) and Executive Director of the Dreamspeakers Film Festival.

She is the first Indigenous Associate Artist of the Citadel Theatre and recent appointee to Vice Chair of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and first Indigenous board member of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. She’s attended the University of Alberta, the Banff Centre for Arts, and the University for Peace (Costa Rica, Indigenous Rights in the Field). She is a former Chair of the Edmonton Arts Council, and has sat as board member of the Dreamspeakers Film Festival and the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance. She served on the committees for the ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ one of the first Indigenous Public Art Parks in the world. She is the recipient of the 2007 Esquao Award in Arts, and the 2016 Mayor's award for Excellence in Artistic Leadership.

Matthew MacKenzie

Bears

N 1841, MACKENZIE'S GREAT, GREAT, GREAT KOKOM KISISKACIWAN PASSED THROUGH ALBERTA. FOR THREE DAYS, AS HER PARTY STOCKED UP ON SUPPLIES, SHE SAT BY THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER—HER NAMESAKE, AND CRIED. AN ENGLISHMAN RECORDED IN HIS ACCOUNT OF THE JOURNEY THAT KISISKACIWAN HAD THE SAME VENERATION FOR THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN AS THOSE OF THE HINDU FAITH DO FOR THE GANGES. THIS HISTORICAL ACCOUNT LED MACKENZIE TO WRITE BEARS .

Matthew Mackenzie is a multi-award winning and Sterling nominated playwright.  Among his awards and recognition are the National Theatre School's Lieutenant Governor’s award for excellence and community involvement, Tarragon Theatre's Top Emerging Playwright Award (2012), and he was the 2010 Grand Prize recipient of the 44th Alberta Playwriting Competition. Matthew has had nearly a dozen of his works produced in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and New York. Since the 2014 theatre season, Matthew has had 8 professional premieres of his work across Canada.

to the community

With your help, we can provide close to 1000 youth the opportunity to:

• Learn about the value of culture.
• Support creative expression.
• Inspire the next generation Canada’s remarkable Indigenous arts community.

to your team

All sponsors will receive the following recognition, reflecting their level of sponsorship:

• Lobby recognition.
• Social Media recognition.
• Website recognition.
• Program recognition.
• Tax Receipt.