The Workshops
Kugluktuk High School

In the winter of 2024, musicians and recording engineers travelled to the Nunavut hamlet of Kugluktuk to make music with youth from Kugluktuk High School.Through ArtsCan Circle, who shipped north 150kg of reconditioned guitars, keyboards and other instruments, the team spent a week leading songwriting and music workshops with young Inuit artists.The collaboration continued with a second week of workshops and a community concert when the project returned to Kugluktuk in January 2026.

The Film‘Inuuhiqaqtut Naunaitkutait/Signs of Life’A film by Trevor J Wallace and James RaffanThe short film, Signs of Life, tells the story of this cultural collaboration and celebrates the creativity and musicality of young Inuit songwriters and musicians from this vibrant northern community.As is only right and proper, the film premiered in Kugluktuk in January, 2026, done in conjunction with collaborative concert and second week of workshops for young songwriters and musicians from Kugluktuk High School.

Featuring
Susie Evyagotailak
Joe Allen EvyagotailakWorkshop Leaders / Musicians
Barney Bentall
Dustin Bentall
Lynn Moorman
James Raffan
Susie Evyagotailak
Joe Allen Evyagotailak
Ken TaptunaYouth Songwriting Participants
Cody Bolt
Rye Pedersen
Nate Kamingoak
Masen Panioyak
Amanda Milukshuk

The music

Susie's SongLand of a Thousand Drums
Written by James Raffan & Barney Bentall with Susie Evyagotailak, and recorded in Kugluktuk. The song tells the story of an emotional find of an ancient Inuit artifact on the Arctic coast.Published by 57 Mile Music SOCAN.Youth Collaboration'Life Behind (Snowmobile)Bars'
Written by the youth songwriting participants and workshop facilitators from Kugluktuk High School: Cody Bolt, Rye Pedersen, Nate Kamingoak, Masen Panioyak, Amanda Milukshuk and Ken Taptuna.