Our Indigenous Theatre Resources guide will assist you in finding great resources about or written by Canadian Indigenous people. If you need more help, our librarians welcome any questions you may have regarding your search.
Our Online Catalogue
A great way to start your search is by accessing our online catalogue. To locate plays written by, for, or about Indigenous people, try these suggested keywords:
Suggested Keywords:
- Indigenous*
- Native*
- Aboriginal*
Your keyword search results will be extensive and inclusive and you may find some items in this type of search not directly related to your topic. For example, any title with your specified search word(s) in the description will appear among the search results.
*For a more specific search results list, you can use the above starred keywords in a Subject search, or try an Advanced search with multiple search terms.
Suggest Websites and Documents
Centre for Indigenous Theatre
“The Centre for Indigenous Theatre offers training in the performing arts to students of Indigenous ancestry. The Centre’s goal is to develop and implement educational programs that promote and foster an understanding of Indigenous theatre while providing the highest calibre arts training to Indigenous students from across Canada.” – from their website
Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance
“The Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance is a member-driven organisation of professional Indigenous performing artists and arts organizations. IPAA serves as a collective voice for its members and for Indigenous performing arts in Canada. IPAA provides leadership, support, representation, advocacy, and practical assistance for the national development of Indigenous performing arts.” – from their website
Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance’s Indigenous Body of Work – A living list
“Created in collaboration with Debajehmujig Storytellers and the National Arts Centre English Theatre during ‘The Cycle: Indigenous Theatre’. Rather than the exclusionary notion of an Indigenous ‘canon’ we choose to celebrate our diverse performance community with this Body Of Work.” – from their website
Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts
“Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts is committed to giving Aboriginal artists a forum and platform to perform their art, grow as artists, contribute their work to the community, and to bring audiences of all backgrounds together to enjoy the vast artistic expressions that exist in Aboriginal culture.” – from their website
Aboriginal Theatre in Canada: An Overview, 2008-09
This paper contains selected playwright biographies, a list of companies of interest, and suggested reference material:
- Aboriginal Drama and Theatre, edited by Rob Appleford, Critical Perspectives on Canadian Theatre in English Canada series, Vol. 1, general editor Ric Knowles (Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2005)
- Beyond the Pale: Dramatic Writing from First Nations Writers and Writers of Colour; selected and edited by Yvette Nolan (Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2004)
- Staging Coyote’s Dream: An Anthology of First Nations Drama in English, edited by Monique Mojica and Ric Knowles (Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2003)
