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ABOUT US
Rockstar Kids" is a 2 day program for Indigenous school aged youth (5-18). The program was designed to ignite a sense of cultural pride in a safe environment and deliver a spectrum of possibilities through the arts.
Launched in 2016, The Rockstar Kids Art Program is uniquely one of a kind, combining music, dance, art, incorporating traditional teachings and creating an outlet where youth are encouraged to use their voice
At this vital time, it is important that we honor our youth and hear their voices. In creating a safe space, sharing our stories, and nurturing artistic abilities, we hope to instill confidence, build self-esteem and offer an outlet for creative expression.
We believe that art is a powerful and necessary form of healthcare that not all youth living in rural communities get to experience. By combining forces with multidimensional artists, and offering a full production, we aim to bring communities together in a positive way and celebrate the gifts the creator gave us.
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Niska Napoleon is the daughter of renowned Cree knowledge keeper, the late Roxanne Tootoosis (Poundmaker Cree Nation-Treaty 6), and TV host/musician Art Napoleon (Saulteau First Nations-Treaty 8). Growing up in an English speaking household prevented her from learning the first language of both her parents. After watching each of them take on career paths utilizing their language and traditional teachings sent Niska on a mission to carve out a space for herself in the arts/entertainment world.
By the age of 16, she began touring, embarking on a musical journey that would span over decades. She performed with diverse groups, including traditional Cree women’s group Iswew, the 10-piece reggae rock band Rocky Mountain Rebel Music, and hip-hop collectives like The Red Power Squad (DJ CreeAsian, James Jones), ReddNation and eventually headlining her own tour with DJ Kookum.
In 2012, she relocated to Vancouver, where she expanded her horizons into entrepreneurship. She launched her first business, Rockstar Nanny Services, which later inspired her to develop The Rockstar Kids Indigenous Arts Program. With over a decade of experience in childcare, she was driven to create a program specifically for on-reserve youth, offering them the same kinds of opportunities that the city kids she worked with got to experience regularly.
Reflecting on her own experiences as a youth living on reserve, she recalls attending workshops that were often basic, uninspiring, and reliant on lackluster PowerPoint presentations.
Determined to create an empowering experience, she envisioned a dynamic, engaging, and hands-on program for learners like herself. Her passion was further fueled after working with organizations that looked to be Indigenous, but were found to only hire Indigenous artists to “Indigenize” their business. This inspired her to establish a business that was truly Indigenous owned & operated, but also paid Indigenous artists fairly.
When she is not leading The Rockstar Program or planning the next tour, you can find her holed up somewhere preparing to launch her long awaited debut solo album.