The Artic Winter Games Host Society is bridging the gap between athletics and art.

The society has been working to bring the nine participating circumpolar communities together with artistic and cultural collaborations that focus on traditions from across the North.

On Tuesday afternoon, they presented their cultural program to the media.

Led by local and Outside artists, volunteers, producers, and art directors, the society's objective is to create a cultural festival that resonates with the athletes, audience, and participants.

"This festival is about living in the North. It features stories of survival, longing, joyfulness, and our attachment to the land, our attraction to new forms of artistic expression and our affection to ancient voices,” said Laurel Parry, Vice President of Culture and Ceremonies.

Exhibitions will be on full display throughout the week of the Games.

The Yukon Arts Centre will be hosting evening concerts and during the day free performances by local and guest artists will be held at various venues across the city.

The opening and closing ceremonies, to be held on March 4th and 10th, will culminate the cultural expression and include a digital song relay and performances by Yukon artists.

Funding for the Cultural Festival is being provided by ATCO and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

"Canadian heritage really believes in artists working together, community artists working with professional artists, collaborations and the public engaged in Canadian culture,” said Parry. "And these are all things we have planned to be part of our program.”

It was also announced that the Northern Lights School of Dance has been selected as the Yukon's cultural contingent.

Six dancers, Breagha Fraser, Tessa Rittel, Odessa Beatty, Kate Power, Mairi Fraser, Grayson Vanderbyl, will be lead by choreographer Breanne Leshert and perform throughout the week.

The first concert of the Games will be A Circumpolar Soundscape, produced by Debbie Peters.

"I'm thrilled to be asked to produce this show and kick off the galas,” said Peters.

"We have wonderful artists that will be collaborating together to help produce this beautiful show.”

The event will feature four female Aboriginal artists, displaying their cultural heritage though a collaborative musical effort.

It will feature Leela Gilday from the Northwest Territores, Diyet from the Yukon, Nive Nielsen from Greenland, and Nunavut-based throat singer and drummer, Slyvia Cloutier.

The show will be followed by ColdSpell: How we Winter, a cabaret of music and comedy featuring local and Outside artists.

Co-produced by Emily Farrell and Claire Ness, the show will offer ides about getting the through the coldest months of the North.

Katie Johnson will be producing two cultural galas to be held at the Yukon Arts Centre on March 8th and 9th.

The nine cultural contingents will work together throughout the week of the Games to create a collaborative project that mixes traditional and contemporary songs, music, dance, and storytelling from across the circumpolar world.

Internationally acclaimed director and choreographer, Alejandro Ronceria, will lead the performers.

"I'm really pleased to be part of this, to be part of the vision in creating a beautiful festival throughout the week,” said Johnson.

The participants in the festivals will spend the week in rehearsals, "creating an understanding of each region and building relationships over artistic collaboration.”

"We'll also be doing professional workshops,” said Johnson. "At the end of the week we'll have this beautiful 80-minute cultural show that highlights the best of the best of each region.

"I'm looking forward to working with the rich cultures we have here in the North.”

Mary Bradshaw, Gallery Director of the Yukon Arts Centre, will be curating the exhibit, Sewing our Traditions.

The display will feature a collection of hand-made dolls crafted by First Nations and Inuit across the circumpolar region.

The exhibit was first presented at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad and featured Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut dolls. Ths exhibit will feature dolls from the participating regions in the Games.

The exhibit will be displayed at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre from March 4th to 9th.

"It's really exciting to see the dolls come through,” said Bradshaw. "I think it will be wonderful to see all these different takes on traditional garments and pieces of fine craft that are common between all of our neighbours.”

The Centre de la francophonie will hold a free concert on March 7th, featuring Raphael Freynet and Helene Beaulieu.

Freynet was last in the Yukon in Oct. for the Western Canadian Music Awards, where he was awarded the Francophone Recording of the Year for his album "Le monde a voir.”

"The games are 40 days away,” said Parry.

"So everyone get lots of sleep and eat really healthy food because it's going to be wild.”