ABOUT US

Music programming has been alive and well in Pangnirtung for over 20 years. The Panniqtuuq Agiagaqtiit-Pangnirtung Fiddle Club was started 20 years ago when youth showed a keen desire to learn music and to take up the fiddle and also to play button accordion following the traditions of their ancestors who adopted the fiddle and button accordion from Scottish whalers as far back as the mid to late 1800s. Funding from NAC-the National Arts Center, as well as funding from the Government of Nunavut (Department of Education and Culture, Language and Heritage) allowed us to expand programming and to partner with organizations such as the Iqaluit Music Society and TSA-Tusarnarrniq Sivumut Association allowing us to offer fiddle, button accordion, Inuit drumming, and throat singing workshops with both community and visiting artists, Fiddles North also provides fiddle and guitar instruction at Attagoyuk Ilisavik.
In 2012, with the generous support of the Making Connections for Youth Program of Pangnirtung and funding from the Nunavut Department of Education,  we organized and hosted the 1st Qikiqtani Music and Dance Summit which saw over 60 youth from Iqaluit, Qikiqtarjuaq, Igloolik and Mittimatalik join Pangnirtung youth to participate in a week long conference of music learning and Inuktitut dance, it was the first of it's kind in Nunavut and was a significant learning and sharing event for many youth which inspired several Pangnirtung youth who have gone on to music careers , sharing and educating  (Aasiva-Colleen Nakashuk, Avery Keenainak-The Jerry Cans, Ben Qaqqasiq - The Tim Evic Band, Grace Metuq & Tia Kullualik, Joey and Denise Nowyuk, Lorraine Akulukjuk, Mary Poisey, and Riit). The Panniqtuuq Agiagaqtiit-Pangnirtung Fiddle Club members have performed for two Governor Generals (Adrienne Clarkson and Michaelle Jean, performed at numerous community events,  travelled to Iqaluit to participate in the Iqaluit Music Camp and some former club members have become Jr. instructors at the camp (Alanna Qappik, Ben Qaqqasiq, Grace Metuq, and Joy Metuq). The music program continued to expand since the summit in 2012  with continued workshops and with emphasis on mentoring and co-instructing with former club members and community youth to become the next generation of music leaders (Alanna Qappik - one of our first fiddle club members; Grace Metuq, and Tia Kullualik - former fiddle club members).