Iqaluit, Nunavut –Jan. 5, 2026- Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is proud to announce the launch of ‘Tigulavut’ an intensive training program designed to equip Inuit youth with modern, hands-on skills for careers in television, film, and digital media production. IBC has partnered with the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and the Canada Council for the Arts to support year one of this crucial three-year training program. Total funding for this first year is $410,000.
The first year of ‘Tigulavut’ (which means “to get a hold of” in Inuktitut) will provide 20 Inuit youth with the opportunity to learn about television and media production, from scriptwriting and storytelling to filming, editing, and digital content creation.
“‘Tigulavut’ was created in response to a challenge facing IBC, which cannot meet its mandate without significantly more Inuit storytellers, editors, technicians, and producers,” says Karen Prentice, Executive Director of IBC.
“The program exists to train a new generation of Inuit media professionals capable of carrying forward the work of cultural preservation, language revitalization, and narrative autonomy. Its purpose is not simply to provide technical skills. It is to build a workforce capable of telling Inuit stories accurately, confidently, and in Inuktitut. In doing so, ‘Tigulavut’ acts as a direct intervention against cultural erasure. When Inuit hold the cameras, write the scripts, edit the footage, and direct the scenes, the resulting media reflects Inuit worldviews, land-based knowledge, and community ethics in ways that external crews cannot replicate.”
“The growing success of movies and TV shows filmed in Nunavut has created a need to expand local media training and production capacity. The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation’s ‘Tigulavut’ program allows Inuit to capitalize on this demand and further contribute to the growth of the industry,” says the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for CanNor.
‘Tigulavut’ is designed to prepare participants for employment in the television and media industry, while also supporting the preservation and promotion of Inuit culture and language through storytelling.
The program builds on IBC’s long legacy of developing Inuit filmmakers and producers by training the next generation of storytellers, by, for and about Inuit, to share with the world.
Graduates of the program will leave with professional production skills and equipment, a completed project, and a portfolio that can launch their careers in television, film, or digital media.
For more information or to apply, visit www.inuitbroadcasting.ca/storyteller or email tigulavut@inuitbroadcasting.ca.
Media Contact:
Kate Chappell
Senior Training and Communications Officer
Inuit Broadcasting Corporation
Tel: 613-913-1775
Email: kate@inuitbroadcasting.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)
infonorth-infonord@cannor.gc.ca
About Inuit Broadcasting Corporation
Founded in 1981, the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a non-profit, Inuit-owned media organization that produces and broadcasts programming in Inuktitut for audiences across Nunavut and beyond. IBC offers a vital platform for showcasing Inuit language, culture, and perspectives through its coverage of current affairs, entertainment, children’s programming, and documentary content. The organization has trained and supported many of the North’s most prominent filmmakers and producers, contributing to a thriving media landscape that reflects and preserves Inuit identity, language, and storytelling.
Our Partners:
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) works with Northerners and Indigenous Peoples, communities, businesses, organizations, other federal departments and other orders of government to help build diversified and dynamic economies that foster long-term sustainability and economic prosperity across the territories – Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon.
The Canada Council for The Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. Through its grants, services, prizes, initiatives, and payments, the Canada Council supports a dynamic and diverse arts and literary scene. These activities generate a meaningful economic, cultural and social impact for over 2,000 communities in all parts of the country and beyond. The investments and leadership of the Council help advance public engagement in the arts from coast to coast to coast while also contributing to the international recognition of artists and arts organizations from Canada.
