Inuit culture has a global appeal, and yet Canada’s Inuit territory remains the only Canadian and circumpolar capital without a performing arts centre. That wasn’t the case for one weekend, March 20 and 21. Expert iglu builders Solomon Awa and Jacoposie Tiglik and brave souls from Polar Outfitting built Qaggiqvuut a grand temporary qaggiq at Iqaluit Kuunga, and the organization hosted a festival to show what good would come of a year-round qaggiq. This one measured about 700 square feet, and more than 20 feet tall.
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Inuit culture has a global appeal, and yet Canada’s Inuit territory remains the only Canadian capital, and the only circumpolar capital, without a performing arts centre. A team of experts and brave souls spent days building a temporary qaggiq (giant iglu) at Iqaluit Kuunga Territorial Park on the edge of Iqaluit, Nunavut, for a festival March 20 and 21 to show what good would come of a year-round venue. 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Julia Ogina of drum dancing group Huqqullaaqattigiit from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, greets a friend before performing at Qaggiq 2021, a performing arts festival celebrating the construction of a giant iglu – the qaggiq – in Iqaluit, Nunavut, on March 20. The festival was hosted by Qaggiavuut, an organization intent on building a permanent venue for performing arts in Nunavut. 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Julia Ogina of drum dancing group Huqqullaaqattigiit from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, greets a friend before performing at Qaggiq 2021, a performing arts festival celebrating the construction of a giant iglu – the qaggiq – in Iqaluit, Nunavut, on March 20. The festival was hosted by Qaggiavuut, an organization intent on building a permanent venue for performing arts in Nunavut. 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – The drum dancing group Huqqullaaqattigiit from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, performs in front of a 700 sq. ft. qaggiq – a giant iglu – built by Polar Outfitting under the guidance of master builders Solomon Awa and Jacoposie Tiglik. The Qaggiq 2021 festival was hosted by Qaggiavuut, an organization intent on building a permanent venue for performing arts in Nunavut. Performing March 20 are, from left, Julia Ogina, Noah Kudlak, Malachai Angulalik, Sarah Jancke, Jerry Puglik, and Sam Anayoak, with builder Kenny Merkosak on the ladder. (photo by Casey Lessard @northernstory) 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Qaggiq 2021 festival attendee Iris Lessard-Michielsen (the photographer’s daughter) inspects the ice sealing the cracks in the giant iglu built for a two-day performing arts festival in Iqaluit, Nunavut, March 20 and 21. (photo by Casey Lessard @northernstory) 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Kivalliq throat singers Sandy Vincent and Bernice Niakrok perform at Qaggiq 2021 outside Iqaluit, Nunavut, on March 21. The event was a chance for performing arts organization Qaggiavuut, along with their partners Alianait Arts Festival and Tukisigiarvik, to make the case for a permanent performing arts centre in the territory. (photo by Casey Lessard @northernstory) 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Kivalliq throat singers Sandy Vincent and Bernice Niakrok perform at Qaggiq 2021 outside Iqaluit, Nunavut, on March 21. The event was a chance for performing arts organization Qaggiavuut, along with their partners Alianait Arts Festival and Tukisigiarvik, to make the case for a permanent performing arts centre in the territory. (photo by Casey Lessard @northernstory) 
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Master iglu builder Solomon Awa carves the edge off a block of solid snow to help close in a giant iglu called a qaggiq on March 21 in Iqaluit, Nunavut. It took a dozen men several days to build the almost 700 sq. ft. snow building, which was dismantled soon after the two-day Qaggiq 2021 performing arts festival ended. The event was hosted by Qaggiavuut, an organization intent on building a permanent venue for performing arts in Nunavut. (photo by Casey Lessard @northernstory)