40th Anniversary Showcase in Fort Simpson
December 1 @ 7:30 pm
NACC’s 40th Anniversary will be a celebration of exceptional talent and dynamic northern art forms from across the broad expanse of Denendeh. From the great fiddling dynasties flowing deep and swiftly like the great Deh Cho river, to the shining lights of Indigenous voices, the show will celebrate some of the major milestones and remember some of the brilliant and cutting edge performers who have shared their art and found their spotlight at NACC. Like a giant drum dance, or a triumphant handgame, celebrating 40 years of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre will be a jubilant evening not to be missed.
Join Michelle Lafferty, accompanied by Dr. Mengyin Kimly Wang, with opening act Wesley Hardisty in celebration of 40 years with the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre.
Sponsored by
École St Patrick High School, Aurora Ukrainian Dancers, Lady Slipper Lodge
Williams Electronics, Energy Wall, TC Enterprises, and Lou Serbert
Receive the “Family Pack” discount when adding at least one adult and one youth ticket to your cart. Discount is applied automatically at checkout!
The Performers
Wesley Hardisty is a vibrant Fiddle player, composer, and collaborator from the Northwest Territories. From Fort Simpson, Wesley is a member of the Dene Nation. He has performed nationally and internationally from Seattle to Iqaluit. He’s played on folk festivals, fiddle music festivals, Indigenous-focused performances, including multiple tours of the NWT as a featured performer and supporting artist. He also performed for Canada Scene and Northern Scene in Ottawa, Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and has two original albums and multiple commissions. Wesley is sought-after as a collaborator with fiddle players, singer-songwriters, and classical ensembles.
Canadian, Indigenous mezzo-soprano Michelle Lafferty is from the Tłichó Nation in the Northwest Territories. She now resides in Calgary, Alberta. The Dora Mavor Moore Award winner is known for her “powerful presence vocally and physically on stage” (Barczablog, 2023). She works with The Banff Centre for the Performing Arts program for Indigenous Classical Musicians Gathering and the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance’s Indigenous Musical Sovereignty program. In 2023, she had her American debut performing the role of Native Mother in the Anchorage Opera production of Missing, composed by Brian Current with a libretto by Marie Clements.
