Giving Indigenous arts a voice

By Brian Wright-McLeod

TORONTO— Denise Bolduc, an Anishinaabekwe from the Lake Superior territory and member of Batchewana First Nation, is a trail-blazing arts administrator, and producer operating from her home base in Toronto.

An accomplished arts leader and cultural curator, Bolduc is recognized for her significant contributions and involvement within a number of diverse creative initiatives. She also serves as an international presenter/speaker and consultant while serving on arts committees and juries.

“I’m involved in programming creative spaces on a cultural level, both locally and internationally,” said Bolduc, who began her journey at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie from 1985 to 1987. “I originally wanted to get into sound design to become a foley artist for film production. I was on the student council, I started programming bands coming through town. I never trained for arts administration. I learned as I pursued that path.”

After moving to Toronto, she went to the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.

“I found Native Earth Performing Arts, and started there,” she said. “It blew my mind to see all these Native performers onstage. Then, I began working in theatre and later music events.”

In 1995, Bolduc went on to become the co-founder of the Aboriginal Music Project, Toronto. She then went on to become the founding Artistic Director/Producer for the first annual Planet IndigenUS Festival, a ten-day festival featuring over 300 Indigenous artists and musicians at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre beginning in 2004.

“I think our musicians have become savvy to the industry, and are making great headway,” she said. “Artists are speaking out about programming and positioning themselves better at these high-level events.”

While occupying various positions in arts administration, she created many initiatives that never existed prior to her pioneering efforts.

She also served as a program officer at the Ontario Arts Council, and First Music and Dance program officer with the Canada Council for the Arts.

A few of the projects Bolduc has been instrumental in mounting include the 2015 production of Songs in the Key of Cree, featuring the music of Tomson Highway; Tributaries at the annual Toronto Luminato Festival in 2017, First Scene Indigenous Presenters Program at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and a host of others. International initiatives include festivals and cultural events in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

Her many efforts have not gone unnoticed as awards and accolades include Laureate for the Ontario Arts Council, 2017; Solid Festival’s Arts Leadership Award, 2015; and the Indigenous Business Leadership Award, 2009.

For the next generation following in her footsteps, she encouraged to keep in mind that, “You never compromise the artist. Never compromise your own integrity or your connection to the culture.”

“My biggest challenge is negotiating best contract levels for myself,” she said. “Putting value on the artist is easy, but pricing the freelance work that I do is a challenge. We need to protect our teachings, our art, people and the land.”