Cathy Elliott facts for kids
Cathy Elliott (1957–2017) was a talented Mi'kmaq artist, musician, composer, and playwright. She was a member of the Sipekne'katik Mi'kmaq First Nation in Nova Scotia, Canada. Cathy was well-known for helping Indigenous youth across Canada share their culture through theatre and documentary films.
She worked with the DAREarts program for several years. Cathy also wrote The Talking Stick, which was the first musical at the Charlottetown Festival to feature an all-Indigenous cast. This musical premiered in Prince Edward Island in 2011 when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited. Cathy Elliott passed away on October 15, 2017, in Essa, Ontario.
Early Life and Education
Cathy Elliott was born in Quebec on June 5, 1957. Her father, Roger Cormier, was Acadian, and her mother, Frances Bernard Cormier, was Irish and Mi'kmaq. Because her father worked in finance, her family lived in many different places. They lived across Canada, and also in Majorca, Spain, and Trinidad.
Cathy studied graphic arts at Humber College. She also studied theatre at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in Toronto. Early in her career, she worked on set design and costumes. Later, she became more involved as a musician, director, and actor.
Cathy Elliott worked closely with her friend and collaborator, Leslie Arden. They lived in Alliston, Ontario and teamed up on many creative projects.
A Career in the Arts
Cathy Elliott's professional career lasted over 35 years. She was active in many different art forms. She was a writer, actor, playwright, composer, and musician. She performed and worked on projects all across Canada. Her work often explored her Indigenous background and topics related to Indigenous identity in Canada.
Cathy was also known as a dedicated educator. She cared deeply about future generations of Indigenous people. She worked a lot with Indigenous youth, especially in Northern Ontario. She was also known for teaching theatre students. People remembered her as a kind and generous teacher and person.
In 2011, Cathy Elliott's musical, The Talking Stick, premiered. The Young Company of the Charlottetown Festival performed it. The show shared stories and songs of Indigenous people in Canada. The entire cast was made up of Indigenous youth.
Cathy Elliott had many acting roles. She performed in productions in major cities across Canada. She also took part in smaller shows. In the summer of 2017, she performed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. She was in a musical called Children of God by Corey Payette. Cathy played the role of Rita in this story. It was about children from an Oji-Cree family who were taken to a residential school in Northern Ontario. After her passing, the National Arts Centre honored her. They lowered their flags for three days to recognize her contributions to Canadian arts.
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