Kaleidoscope Festival at Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre

The Kaleidoscope festival at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre brings together the community, artists, and visitors from around the world to celebrate culture, creativity and the spirit of the Arctic Winter Games. The Kaleidoscope is a metaphor that describes diversity, resiliency and interconnectedness of different nations. This symbol weaves together history, place and contemporary experiences. The Cultural Centre will also host the Dene games throughout the week. The festival creates a warm and welcoming environment where people can learn about traditions, art and stories from the members of the community.

One of the first people I spoke to was Donna Jones, a quilter from the Kluane Quilters Guild. Donna and her friend Sherilynne Himmelsbach created beautiful sports-inspired quilts representing different sports for The Arctic Winter Games. Donna has also been volunteering alongside Sherilynne since the 1970’s, showing their dedication to the Games over the years.

Donna explained that one of the most difficult quilt patterns they created was the 7 Quilt Point Star, which required a lot of attention to detail to complete. Her goal in creating these quilts is to support recreational sport while encouraging people to find their creative side and work with their hands. She had brought the quilting idea to the event organizers, and they loved the concept. They were happy to support her and Sherilynne. They wanted to create something special that the community and visitors could participate in. During the Games, they provide visitors with an opportunity to take a mitten and write about what the Arctic Winter Games mean to them.

The next artist I met was Hannah Silver Fox-Belcher, the workshop coordinator for the Northern Cultural Expressions Society. Hannah is an artist herself and enjoys beading and painting, but her role involves bringing local artists’ work to the gallery. The pieces shown in the gallery are extremely impressive and include paintings, t-shirts, hand-carved wooden pieces, handmade earrings, and other forms of art. Hannah mentioned one of her favourite parts about working as the workshop coordinator is that she gets to meet different artists and broaden her horizons through art.

One of the carvers at the Northern Cultural Expressions Society is Duran Henry, a carver with over 20 years of carving experience and 30 years of drawing experience. Duran gained his love for art from his family, who taught him when he was young. He started his art with portraits and scenery before he developed his skills further. Today, he is an instructor, and he travels to schools and communities to teach carving fundamentals to young people. He believes it is important to introduce carving at a young age so that cultural traditions can continue to grow. He also emphasized that there is no age limit, and anyone interested in learning can try it.

Duran described the types of wood used in carving, including birch, yellow cedar, and red cedar. For beginners, he recommends basswood because it is easier to carve. While he usually creates smaller pieces, he recently attempted carving two totem poles, which took about a month and a half to complete. The finished pieces turned out beautifully and demonstrated both skill and patience.

I also spoke with one of Duran’s students, Brad Jacobson. Brad has been carving for about three and a half years and is originally from Inuvik in the Northwest Territories, though he now lives in Yukon. Brad shared that the totem poles represent two important crests of Yukon: the raven and the human figure. He also spoke about the meaning behind the Dene Games.

According to Brad, the games were created many years ago as a way to represent survival skills and hunting practices. These activities were part of everyday life and helped people develop the strength and skills needed for hunting. Brad has carved some snake pieces that will be shown at the Dene Games this year. Today, the Dene Games continue to be played to preserve these traditions and bring communities together.

Rhoda Markle, an event planner involved with the festival. Rhoda helps run the photo booth station and has also worked on other events such as Music Fest. She shared that her favourite part of event planning is seeing people happy and enjoying the experience. Because many people today enjoy taking photos, the photo booth gives visitors the opportunity to capture memories from the festival. Participants can even have their photos printed onto mugs, creating a unique souvenir to remember the event.

Finally, I spoke with Cohen, who is part of the Yukon Theatre for Young People. His role is to help ensure that everything runs smoothly during events and performances. Cohen shared that one of the things he enjoys most about being involved with the theatre is the sense of friendship, family, and strong connections he has built along the way. He has been a part of the organization since 2018 and values the supportive community that it creates for young people interested in theatre and the arts.

One of Cohen’s goals during the Arctic Winter Games is to spread awareness about the Yukon Theatre for Young People and encourage more people to learn about the programs they offer. He also hopes that everyone attending the festival and the games has an amazing experience. There will be a big showcase taking place on Wednesday, the 11th, where participants will have the opportunity to see performances and learn more about the theatre group.

Throughout the festival, there was a welcoming and cozy feeling when speaking with artists, organizers, and volunteers. Everyone was eager to share their work and their stories. The photo booth area also added to the experience, featuring fun props and backgrounds that displayed beautiful scenery and sports imagery. This created a great opportunity for visiting teams and community members to take photos and capture memories from the event.

Overall, the first day of the Kaleidoscope Festival created a strong and exciting start to the week. It brought people together through art, culture, and community engagement while building excitement for the activities and events that will take place in the coming days. From the artists and organizers to the visitors and participants, it is clear that this will be a memorable and enjoyable week for everyone involved.

By Katrina Brown