Sākihiwē Festival and Indigenous Marketplace Rocks Central Park

The Sākihiwē Festival's Central Park Block Party was held on June 30, 2024.
The Sākihiwē Festival's Central Park Block Party and its Indigenous Marketplace was held on June 30, 2024.

The Sākihiwē Festival’s Central Park Block Party was held on June 30, 2024. The highly-successful festival saw hundreds turn out to catch Manitoba’s best First Nations, Inuit and Red River Metis talent take centre stage in downtown Winnipeg.

Hundreds beat the heat on June 30 to attend the music festival.
Hundreds beat the heat on June 30 to attend the music festival.

The festival’s mission is to bring music to Indigenous families in divested neighborhoods, ensuring they can engage in the arts without compromising their family responsibilities, personal safety, or financial stability. Additionally, it aims to be a launch pad for emerging Indigenous artists and a stepping stone for mid-career or export-ready artists seeking further support. In fostering these platforms for Indigenous talent and culture, the sākihiwē festival not only celebrates music but also serves as a vital act of cultural preservation and empowerment.

The sākihiwē Festival is made possible with funding and partnerships with the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council and Winnipeg Arts Council, the Spence Neighbourhood Association, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, and the City of Winnipeg. The sākihiwē summer series is made possible by partnerships with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Treaty One Nation, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre, the Central Community Incentives Program, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. We really enjoyed being able to attend, and to meet so many of the incredible and inspiring artists, musicians and cultural connectors.

We can’t wait to visit this incredible festival again next year!

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Art Borups Corners

Nestled in the heart of Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario, Art Borups Corners is a dynamic participatory arts collective and living lab, where innovation and creativity thrive. The program was founded in 2014, with an arts incubator established in 2021 and 2022 with funding and support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse. Today, working with students and faculty from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, we fuse traditional and participatory media arts with artificial intelligence, music, storytelling and community-driven, land-based artist residencies to cultivate new voices and bold ideas. Whether through collaborative projects or immersive experiences, our small but vibrant community supports creators to explore, experiment, and connect. Join us at the intersection of artistry, technology, culture and community—where every moment is a new opportunity to create.

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