Amplify, a new 13-episode original television series on APTN, is showcasing Indigenous songwriters, in anthology format where each episode ends with a music video of a new song that was created, based on inspiration from another art form, which could be a book, a film, a painting, a poem, or some other medium.
Each episode features a different songwriter, and their unique inspiration for the song. Métis series creator Shane Belcourt, an award-winning actor, director, and writer, believes viewers will connect with the artists on an intimate level. He’s previously produced the feature films Red Rover and Tkaronto, and TV show Urban Native Girl.
Belcourt tapped into songwriters he believes are open, articulate, and fearless storytellers. Among the featured music creators are Tara Williamson, from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, inspired by a work of art from Anishinaabe artist Daphne Odjig; Multi-disciplinary Métis/Cree artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle, inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants; and Oneida of Six Nations member Lacey Hill, inspired by Snow Snake, a traditional Haudenosaunee game.
Amplify aired its pilot and second episode Sept. 11. Shot in numerous locations throughout Ontario and Manitoba in the Spring and Summer of 2018, the program airs on APTN in English on Fridays, and in Ojibwa on Thursdays, at 7:00 p.m. ET.