Manitoba Arts Network
Indigenous Touring Program
Strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples throughout Manitoba.
WITH SPECIAL GUEST Nelson little
Building Strong Connections with Indigenous Communities Across Manitoba
We are proud to continue our mission of delivering diverse arts programming to rural Manitoba. Our tour highlights two talented Indigenous artists from the Emerging Artist Mentorship Program (touring and Showcasing Program), who perform and receive guidance from a professional touring artist.
Each event features a 30-45 minute performance at the local school, preceded by an engaging arts activity, giving community members a chance to participate in a unique cultural experience.
About the Tour
Strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples throughout Manitoba.
To continue our goal of providing diverse programming for rural Manitoba communities, Manitoba Arts Network (MAN) is excited to introduce Nelson Little as the touring artist scheduled for 2025.
MB Recording Artist Nelson Little is based out of Portage la Prairie and is a 3x MCMA award winner.
Community Outreach & Audience Engagement
Nelson Little will offer each community a participatory arts activity (youth music class, masterclass, pre-concert talk to the audience, songwriting workshop, etc.) before each concert.
Past Touring Artists
The 2024 featured artist will be Anishinaabe country singer Gator Beaulieu from Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and Ebb and Flow First Nation. We are so proud of Beaulieu’s success being a 2019 Indigenous emerging artist mentorship program alumni.
We are so proud of Gator Beaulieu’s success being a 2019 Indigenous emerging artist mentorship program alumni.
Meet The Artists
Nelson Little
2025 Touring Artist
Born north of the 55th parallel in Thompson, Manitoba, and raised just outside Riding Mountain National Park, Nelson Little has been performing and entertaining audiences for the last decade and more. A captivating songwriter, and energetic performer, He has made his way across the Canadian provinces time and time again, proving himself as one of the hardest working musicians around, working tirelessly to tell his story and share his songs. Nelson draws inspiration from real life events.
Little, who is of Metis heritage, was awarded the APCMA’s Most Outstanding Manitoban award in 2014, the same year he saw an APCMA nomination for his song ‘Only You’. He had further success with his single ‘Keep Me Close’, making it to #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown in 2020.
2021 saw the release of his single ‘Nickel Mine’ which made its way to commercial Country radio, and was picked up by numerous playlists. The same year he was nominated for three Manitoba Country Music Awards awards.
In May of 2022, Nelson released another radio single ‘High Road’ which earned him six nominations at the 2022 Manitoba Country Music Awards. (Nov 5)
Rhonda Head
“As an Artist this was my first time showcasing. The opportunity to showcase has given me access to an incredible network that I would have otherwise needed years of effort to reach. It was really and trly a game-changer for someone who has put in serious time developing a show, but just didn’t have the reach and relationships to turn that into a viable business.”
– Gator Beaulieu
To Book a Concert Contact
For Indigenous communities; contact Rhonda Head, Indigenous Program Coordinator: email
Our Funders
Thank you to our generous sponsors & partners
