Native Earth Performing Arts 44th Season to Feature HAUNTED and More

Native Earth Performing Arts has revealed its 44th season with seven presentations and partnerships on the theme of Connection and Belonging.  After four years in Artistic Leadership with Native Earth Performing Arts, Joelle Peters will be stepping down from her role as Artistic Director in November 2026. The 2026/27 season showcases Joelle's thoughtful approach to her work as Artistic Director through meaningful development and connection for artists of all ages, platforming challenging work with care, strong partnerships with likeminded arts organizations, and creating rare opportunities to see incredible international work. 

The Native Earth Performing Arts season kicks off in September with Ni Nagamoon, a Carousel Players cultural sharing workshop by Nicole Joy Fraser. November 2026 will mark the 39th Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival featuring eight Indigenous creators from across Turtle Island and beyond. 

In March 2027, Native Earth will present the Canadian Premiere of Haunted, a horror-comedy by Tara Moses (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma), directed by former Native Earth Artistic Director Tara Beagan. Moses' Haunted was the first Indigenous play to receive a National New Play Network's Rolling World Premiere in 2025, premiering across the United States in Boston, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. Native Earth is honoured to be the first organization bringing this play to Canadian audiences.

Coming all the way from Aotearoa is Sorry For Your Loss by Cian Parker in April 2027. Returning to Toronto after hosting a workshop with Native Earth in 2025, Cian Parker (Ngāpuhi) brings a unique physical approach to storytelling in this vibrant, award-winning piece of devised theatre. All performances will feature artistically integrated ASL Interpretation. 

After a successful launch in July 2026, Native Earth will bring back GIIZIS Reads in May 2027, an initiative to bring older plays written by Indigenous playwrights to life again in a present-day context. Known for their longtime partnerships, Native Earth will once again team up with Paprika Festival in May 2027, and Buddies In Bad Times Theatre for the 2-Spirit Cabaret in June 2027.

The 2026/27 Native Earth Performing Arts Season includes:

Ni Nagamoon

A Carousel Players Indigenous Cultural Sharing 
September 26-27, 2026
Regent Park
Created & Facilitated by Nicole Joy-Fraser
https://ca.patronbase.com/_NativeEarthPerformingArts/Productions/NI/Performances

Ni Nagamoon (Neheyiwak for “my song”) is a First Nation cultural sharing created and performed by Niagara-based performing artist Nicole Joy-Fraser. Through storytelling and original hand drum songs, Nicole shares her Anishnaabe teachings, based on her journey and reclamation of Indigenous heritage. This 60-70 minute intimate and interactive workshop is ideal for children in Grade 1-3, with each session catered to one group at a time. Students and teachers are invited to use shakers and rattles to join Nicole in the music making. Ni Nagamoon will be an outdoor activity, inviting participants to reconnect with Mother Earth. 

Weesageechak Begins to Dance 39

Workshop Stream Dates: October 12-25, 2026
Festival Presentation Dates: Nov 19-29, 2026
Aki Studio & Minogitoon Workspace
 
Weesageechak Begins to Dance is Native Earth Performing Arts' annual performing arts festival showcasing new works and works-in-development by Indigenous artists across Turtle Island and beyond. Now, in its 39th edition, eight Creators have been invited to develop and showcase new works that put Indigenous artists and their creative impulses at the forefront, shifting the expectations of Indigenous stories in the performing arts landscape. Guided by this year's festival theme of RESURGENCE, Weesageechak Begins to Dance 39 will run from November 19-29, 2026, celebrating the ever-urgent necessity for Indigenous storytelling in an inspirational and revitalizing gathering of stories, performances, conversations, and workshops. 

Native Earth will also bring back the Weesageechak Workshop Stream, a newer initiative for projects in early stages of development by artists seeking to explore their project without the pressure of a public presentation. In its third year, this year's Workshop Stream, presented in partnership with Factory Theatre, will support two Creators from October 12-25, 2026.

This year's artists include: 
Dillan Meighan Chiblow
Waverley Stanley Jr
Shawn Cuthand
Joseph B'atz' Recinos
Izzy Bull Bear
Erica Wilson
Curtis Kaltenbaugh
Danielle LaRose
 
as well as sharings from:
Gwaandak Theatre
Native Earth's Animikiig Creators Unit: Shyanne Duquette, Iota'keratenion Thomas-Beaton, and Cameron Fraser-Monroe

Haunted

March 9-28, 2027
Aki Studio
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Written by Tara Moses
Directed by Tara Beagan
Featuring: Tara Sky, Nolan Moberly, Sydney Brown, Lily Cyr, Pierre Simpson
Full cast and creative team to be announced
https://ca.patronbase.com/_NativeEarthPerformingArts/Productions/HAUN/Performances
 
Ash and Aaron have been dead for twenty years, and the Indigenous siblings pass their time dancing to Britney Spears, haunting the families that try to move into their house, and wondering if they'll ever be free from the shackles of racist stereotypes. As the cycle begins once more, the siblings ask: will they ever make it to the Spirit World? An Indigenous horror-comedy with the coolest Y2K hits, Tara Moses' Haunted forces audiences to confront the very land they walk on and their relationship (or lack thereof) with Indigenous communities today.

Sorry For Your Loss

April 9-11, 2027
Aki Studio
Cian Parker (Performer, Writer)
Laura Haughey (Director, Dramaturg)
Andrew Duggan (Musician)
Alec Forbes (Technician, Lighting Operator) 
All artists are based in Waikato, New Zealand
https://ca.patronbase.com/_NativeEarthPerformingArts/Productions/SORR/Performances

Coming to Tkaronto all the way from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Māori theatre artist Cian Parker's Sorry For Your Loss is a story about the strength of a woman; and the gift of strength from one woman to another. Sorry For Your Loss is Cian Parker's story of growing up, exploring the effects of having a sometimes-there-mostly-not dad. A raw and real performance, Sorry For Your Loss sees Parker open up to audiences and expose something she never thought she needed to revisit.   

All performances will feature live accompaniment and artistically integrated ASL Interpretation.

Paprika Festival

Presented by the Paprika Festival, in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts
May 2027
Aki Studio  

Native Earth Performing Arts is proud to be in its 11th year of partnership with the Paprika Festival. Paprika is a 26-year-old performing arts company that offers emerging artists and arts administrators access to paid opportunities, mentorships, and hands-on labs to develop their artistic practices and gain professional experience in production, creation, and arts management. This work culminates in a performing arts festival of new work by young and emerging artists in the Greater Toronto Area at Aki Studio.

GIIZIS Reads

May 2027
Giizis Studio in Minogitoon Workspace
 
Back for its second year, GIIZIS Reads is a week of staged readings showcasing notable works by Indigenous playwrights across multiple decades. GIIZIS Reads brings community together to laugh, reflect, share ideas, honour Indigenous artistic legacies, and celebrate plays that are rarely platformed. 

2-Spirit Cabaret

June 2027

2-Spirit Cabaret will return for its 11th edition – An annual celebration of the strength, beauty, and talent of 2-Spirit and Indigiqueer artists. The Cabaret features music, dance, drag, performance art, poetry, and comedy. 

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