IDR 2026: Barbara Penney

In partnership with First Light and the Spirit Song Festival, we are proud to sponsor an Indigenous movement artist each year. This support helps bring their work to the stage at Spirit Song Festival.

We are honored to support Barbra Penny as 2026's Indigenous Dancer in Residency.

Barbara, whose deep love for her Inuit culture shows up in her daily work and her creative passions alike, can often be found working on her beadwork and embroidery skills, as well as designing Inuit clothing, or sharing a kind moment with members of her community who come to First Light seeking support. Having worked at First Light for three years, she has continually grown her skills and her community connections, while learning traditional Inuit drum dancing along the way, thanks to many mentors and knowledge holders in her community.

For the 2026 Spirit Song Festival Barbara plans to share the stage with her mentee, MB, who is also seeking to thrive creatively through their expression of culture. MB is an up-and-coming artist, proudly learning and sharing their culture as an Inuk. Thanks to their mentor, Ashley Dicker, Barbara and MB continue to hone their skills and grow their creative expressions through performance. The hope is that this sharing of knowledge and experience can continue to light the fire of inspiration, so these important traditional practices continue to be passed on to future generations.

Photo by Riley Harnett