Our Main Building and galleries will not be open to the public for Nuit Blanche. Access to “Hopes and Fears Assembly” will be on the northwest side of the Main Building.

May 21–23, 2022

Those Who Run in the Sky (Angakkussaq)

The National Theatre of Greenland (Nunatta Isiginnaartitsisarfia)

Greenland

A coming-of-age story that follows a young shaman named Pitu as he learns to use his powers and ultimately finds himself lost in the world of the spirits. 

An image of a person with their back turned in an arctic setting.

Photo by Gerth Lyberth

JUNIOR

This event is a Nordic Spotlight, part of Nordic Bridges.

Overview

Those Who Run in the Sky is a coming-of-age story that follows a young shaman named Pitu as he learns to use his powers and ultimately makes his way back to the world of the living from the world of spirits. This piece is performed in Kalaallisut/Greenlandic. English context will be provided. 

After a strange blizzard leaves Pitu stranded on the sea ice, without his dog team or any weapons to defend himself, he realizes that he is no longer in the world that he once knew. The storm has carried him into the world of the spirits, one populated with terrifying creatures that want to pull him into the frigid ocean through an ice crack and less frightening – but equally as incredible – creatures, such as a lone giant who can carry Pitu in the palm of her hand and keeps caribou and polar bears as pets.

After stumbling upon a fellow Shaman who has been trapped in the spirit world for many years, Pitu must master all of his powers to make his way back to the world of the living, his family and to the one he loves. Directed and adapted by Patti Shaughnessy, with Bill Coleman as movement director.

Angakkussaq inuusuttoq angutinngulersorlu Pitumik atilik, piginnaasani ilinnialeruttorlugit anersaat silarsuaanni tammariasaarpoq. Anorersuup eqqumiitsup kingorna Pitu sikumi qimmiiarsimalluni sakkuerussimallunilu tammarpoq, paasivaalu nunarsuarmi sungiusimasaminiikkunnaarsimalluni. Anorersuup anersaat silarsuaannukaassimavaa. Silarsuaq amiilaarnartunik uumasoqarpoq, sikup quppaaniik nususseriarlutik imaannarsuarmukartitserusuttunik. Alutornaqisunilli aamma uumasoqarpoq, soorlu tunersuaqarpoq tuttunik nannunillu uumasuutilik. Tunersuaq angingaarami Pitu tunersuup itumaaniissinnaalluni. Angaqqoqanni, ukiorpassuit anersaat silarsuaanni mattussaaqqanikoq naapereerlugu, Pitup ilaquttani asasanilu nunarsuarmut orneqqissappagit, piginnaasani tamaasa saperunnaartariaqarpai. Isiginnaangassiaq kalaallisut takutinneqassaaq. Tuluttut paasissutissat tunniussuunneqarumaarput. 

ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐅᓪᓚᐸᑦᑐᑦ ᓯᓚᐃᓐᓇᕐᒥ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓐᓇᕈᕐᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖑᒻᒪᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᓕᒃ ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᖓᒃᑯᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑎᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐱᑐ ᑐᑭᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᓯᐅᓯᒪᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᐅᖅᑐᒥ. ᑖᔅᓱᒥᖓ ᑕᑯᕋᓐᓈᑎᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᑲᓛᓕᓱᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᖓᑕ. ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑑᖓᓂᐊᕐᒥᔪᑦ.  

ᐱᖅᓯᖅᑐᐊᓘᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᑐ ᓵᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᑯᒥ, ᕿᒧᔅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᖃᕋᓂ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓱᒋᐅᓯᔭᐅᑎᔅᓴᖃᕋᓂ ᓴᐳᑎᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᔅᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᖃᐅᔨᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᖃᐅᔾᔨᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᓃᒍᓐᓃᖅᑐᓂ. ᐱᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᐅᖅᑐᒨᕈᔾᔭᒥᓂᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᖅᑐᐊᓘᓐᓂᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᖃᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᓂᓕᓇᖅᑐᐊᓗᒻᒧᑦ ᐃᒫᓄᑦ ᓄᓱᔅᓯᒍᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᓯᑯᒥ ᓇᒡᒍᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᙱᓂᕐᓴᒧᑦ − ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓱᓕ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᑲᒪᓇᖅᑎᒋᒻᒪᑦ − ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᓄᑐᐊᖅ ᐃᓄᑉᐸᓱᕐᔪᒃ ᐊᔾᔭᕐᓯᔪᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᑐᒥᒃ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᕐᓗᒍ ᐊᒡᒐᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᒃᑐᖁᑎᖃᓲᖅ ᓇᓄᖁᑎᖃᓲᖅ ᐆᒪᔪᖁᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ.  

ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᖓᒃᑰᖃᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᓕᕐᓯᒪᔪᒥᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖃᕐᕕᒻᒥ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᒥᓱᐊᓗᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂᑦ, ᐱᑐ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐅᑎᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕋᒥ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᕐᕕᐅᔪᒧᑦ, ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᓪᓕᒋᔭᖓᓄᑦ. 

The National Theatre of Greenland 

The National Theatre of Greenland (Nunatta Isiginnaartitsisarfia) is proud to be the first theatre to put this story on stage and honour the close ties between Inuit in Canada and Greenland. It was created in close collaboration with Canadian and Greenlandic artists. 

About Aviaq Johnston

Aviaq Johnston is a Canadian Inuk writer from Igloolik, currently living in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Those Who Run in the Sky is her debut and won the inaugural Indigenous Voices Award for English Prose. The novel was also a shortlisted finalist for the Governor General’s Award for English-language children’s literature at the 2017 Governor General’s Awards, and for the Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Literature. She has also published the children’s book What’s My Superpower?, and received a Governor General’s History Award in 2014 for her short story “Tarnikuluk”. Johnston was listed as one of the 18 Authors to Watch in 2018.  

Accessibility Information

  • Access the Relaxed Guide
  • The performance on Monday, May 23 will be presented as a Relaxed Performance. House lights will dim slightly and audience members are welcome to come and go from the theatre as needed. Sounds from the audience are welcome and expected. There will be a chill-out space nearby the doors.
  • If you require a text version of the Visual Story please contact Erica May, JUNIOR Producing Assistant at emay@harbourfrontcentre.com

Dates & Times

May 21
11:30am
60 mins

May 22
11:30am
60 mins

May 23
11:30am
60 mins

Venue

Studio Theatre

235 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON

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Keywords KidsLiteraturePerformanceTheatre