{"id":116129,"date":"2025-07-18T08:23:57","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T12:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=116129"},"modified":"2025-07-17T20:37:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T00:37:46","slug":"preview-live-presents-upfront-festival-indigenous-arts-music-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/07\/18\/preview-live-presents-upfront-festival-indigenous-arts-music-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | TO Live Presents The UpFRONT Festival Of Indigenous Arts, Music And Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L:
L: Tataskweyak Cree multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Sebastian Gaskin (Photo courtesy of the artist); R: JUNO Award winning Inuk singer and songwriter Susan Aglukark (Photo: J Poirier)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TO Live has announced the return of the UpFRONT Festival, an Indigenous-led celebration of arts, music, and culture. For its second iteration, the festival of song, storytelling, and visual art will be presented outdoors, and all events will be free of charge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The multidisciplinary festival of Indigenous community, culture, and creativity will feature over a dozen performances, interactive installations, an Indigenous arts and crafts market, and live graffiti art on the walls of the St. Lawrence Centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe UpFRONT Festival is a celebration!\u201d says Clyde Wagner<\/strong>, President and CEO of TO Live in a statement. \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to support our partners TKMF Productions to create a fun space that celebrates Indigenous identity, invites meaningful dialogue, and showcases the vitality of Indigenous storytelling in today\u2019s urban public spaces. With inclusion and accessibility at its core, the UpFRONT Festival brings Indigenous culture to the forefront of Tkaronto\u2019s downtown arts scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

The festival will take over Berczy Park and Scott Street in the heart of downtown Tkaronto from August 15 to 17, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Headliners<\/h2>\n

Susan Aglukark<\/h3>\n

Uuliniq Susan Aglukark, OC blends the traditions of her Inuit musical heritage with contemporary songwriting for a style that is uniquely her own. Born in the Keewatin Region in the\u00a0Northwest Territories, Susan sang in her father\u2019s church choir, and first began to study the guitar at a Bible camp at the age of 15.<\/p>\n

The JUNO Award-winning Inuk singer and songwriter sings in both English and Inuktitut. Her 1995 album This Child sold more than 300,000 copies in Canada, and became the first No. 1 hit for an Inuk performer. Among her many accolades is a Governor General\u2019s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2016 and the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at the 2022 Juno Awards, and she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Gaskin<\/h3>\n

Sebastian Gaskin is an award-winning, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer originally from the Manitoba Tataskweyak Cree Nation, today based in Toronto. His music has been noted for a combination of insightful and emotional lyrics with a genre defying musical style that draws on elements of R&B, rock and hip hop. Lyrically, he balances political commentary with expressions of joy. Sebastian won the 2025 JUNO Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year\u00a0for his 2024 single Brown Man.<\/p>\n

\"Inuk\/Mohawk
Inuk\/Mohawk artist Beatrice Deer (Photo: Michael Felber)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other musical acts include:<\/p>\n