“It’s all about the stories that these artists have within them. We hope to bring these stories to life …”
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The City of Regina has selected emerging artist Bee Bird as its next Indigenous artist in residence, with the debut of his first project in the role to come next week.
Bird is a local multimedia artist from Montreal Lake Cree Nation, located 100 kilometres north of Prince Albert. He’s currently a journalism and film student in the Indigenous Communication Arts program at the Regina-based First Nations University of Canada, and the creative mind behind Bee Productions.
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“I am a professional storyteller, and it is part of my culture,” Bird says. “My work is a reflection of my journey and my cultural tradition. Stories are passed down from generation to generation and, for our culture, that is the most important part of us.”
Bird will be the third artist to take part in the city’s program, which began in 2022. Created to provide Indigenous artists with a platform to explore their art, the residency runs from July to December.
Part of its mandate includes offering outreach programs such as artist talks or workshops, and producing artwork that will be added to Regina’s civic collection for future enjoyment.
As a multimedia digital artist, Bird is enthused to bring new mediums to the role.
He has plans to utilize animation, videography, and even a podcast during his time in residency to connect audiences to his art and that of fellow Indigenous artists from Saskatchewan.
A series of videos with Indigenous poets sharing their work will be a centrepiece, as will events like in-person poetry slams and artists talks.
Storytelling is also culturally integral while platforms like video and audio can be “immersive and impactful experiences that convey the depth and beauty of Indigenous artistic expression,” says Bird.
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“It’s all about the stories that these artists have within them. We hope to bring these stories to life, and celebrate the diverse perspectives within the urban community.”
Part of Bird’s vision for the residency is to highlight ways in which art is connected to language and culture, along with the experience of navigating that discovery in a city space.
It fits right into the residency’s theme of “urban Indigeneity” — one that Bird agrees is an important thread to pull in conversations about cultural connection and personal identity.
Fostering discussion about the concept is one way to create a “sense of belonging, as Indigenous people, while we are living in Regina.”
“It’s all about the connection,” he says. “It’s about how Indigenous communities build their presence in the city and the challenges that they face in doing that.”
Bird said the residency is an exciting opportunity and he feels lucky to have been chosen to take it on.
He wants to leverage the opportunity to not only connect and “uplift” other Indigenous artists, but also to “inspire and educate the broader public about the importance of celebrating artistic traditions.”
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“Indigenous representation is so important in today’s world, and I just want to help serve as a bridge to the elders, and to the youth,” he says.
The program’s opening event, scheduled for July 12, features a live poetry slam at FNU with guests Brad Bellegarde and Bevan Fox. There’s also to be a preview of a coming video with award-winning poet Solomon Ratt.
Asked what’s a must-know about the event, Bird had a simple message: “Don’t miss it.”
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