BECOMING HER: From Wild to Wise at the 2027 SkirtsAfire Festival
Details
Northern Alberta
The Idea
“BECOMING HER: From Wild to Wise” is a new Indigenous theatrical work by Cree artist Ger Carriere, drawing from her books Wild Woman and Wild to Wise, her original music, and her lived experience as an Indigenous woman, artist, educator, and community leader. Through two months of script, music, and artistic development, Ger will work with Indigenous artists and community members to shape this material into a contemporary theatrical work that creates space for Indigenous women and youth to see themselves represented with complexity, strength, joy, and possibility.
SkirtsAfire will provide the organizational infrastructure, professional support, and platform that enable Ger to lead this development process, and premiere the project for four performances from March 4 - 6, 2027. The project is grounded in Indigenous self-determination and the belief that representation can become a form of mentorship: when Indigenous people have the space and resources to tell their own stories, they create new possibilities for those coming after them.
Indigenous collaboration will be an important part of the development of this piece. Ger will work with Indigenous artists and cultural advisors to deepen the work and to approach the teachings, stories, and perspectives being brought into the theatrical form with care and accountability. Ger recognizes that being Indigenous does not automatically mean having authority over every teaching or story, and she intends to seek guidance where appropriate. Community engagement will also help shape the development process, rather than being something that happens only after the work is complete.
This is a development project rather than a full production. Through these workshop performances and community engagement, feedback will be incorporated into revisions to the script, music, workshop, and overall artistic approach. The goal isn’t to only arrive at a finished draft, but to develop the work through a process that is artistically rigorous, community-informed, and grounded in Indigenous leadership. SkirtsAfire’s role is to provide the support that allows Ger to undertake this work at a meaningful scale, including support with the development process, access to appropriate theatre resources and collaborators, and a platform through which the work can eventually reach Edmonton audiences. Ger remains the lead artist and holds the artistic vision for the project.
Who Will Benefit?
Indigenous women are a particular focus of the project, reflecting the work’s exploration of Indigenous womanhood, identity, voice, leadership, creativity, and the experience of becoming.
Indigenous youth and young adults, approximately ages 13–25, will benefit and be engaged through the development and testing of a Becoming Her youth workshop. The workshop will provide a creative, strengths-based space for participants to explore identity, culture, voice, and their own ideas about who they are becoming. Participants will be invited to contribute their perspectives and responses in ways that are comfortable for them, helping to inform the ongoing development of the project. This component will engage approximately 15-20 Indigenous students through schools SkirtsAfire is already in conversation with. Ger will develop and trial the Becoming Her workshop with these students, using their feedback to revise the workshop before adapting it for two school matinees accompanying the performance in March.
The project will also create opportunities for Indigenous artists and cultural advisors to contribute their knowledge, perspectives, and creative expertise. These key roles that will be required for the project include Director/Dramaturg, Production Designer, Stage Manager, Collaborator/Performer, and Cultural Consultant. Indigenous women will be prioritized in hiring for these positions, reflecting the project’s focus and creating meaningful leadership and creative opportunities for Indigenous women artists.
The work-in-progress performances will broaden engagement beyond the direct project participants to include Edmonton audiences, with particular relevance to Indigenous community members and audiences interested in contemporary Indigenous storytelling. The primary community served by the project, however, is Indigenous people - particularly Indigenous women, girls, youth, and young adults. The two student matinee performances will give priority to Indigenous schools and their students. We aim to secure additional funding or sponsorship support to help offer free student tickets, as well as offer complimentary tickets to Indigenous Peoples for the general public performances.