Mark David Turner is a cultural historian and facilitator who works at the intersection of media, performing arts, and archival practice in the Northwest Atlantic and Circumpolar North. He is the Manager of Audio-Visual Archives and Media Literacy for the Nunatsiavut Government and OKâlaKatiget Society and an Adjunct Professor of Music at Memorial University’s School of Music.
Mark came to this work naturally. After years of splitting his time as a professional musician and student of performing arts, he received his PhD from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies. His dissertation on film production in his home province brought him to Labrador, where he established the region’s first publicly accessible film collection at the Labrador Institute. That experience opened the door to Nunatsiavut, where he now works on projects relating to culture and heritage mobilization, cultural production, and community engagement.
Since appearing in the 2011 film, Till We Meet Again, Mark has worked closely with the Moravian brass bands of Nunatsiavut. From 2013 to 2015, he served as an instructor and leader for Tittulautet Nunatsiavuttini | Nunatsiavut Brass Bands workshop. More recently he has served as a coach for Nainip Tittulautingit | Nain Brass Band. He performed on and produced Imgiguset (2016), an album of trumpet hymns with Nain tenor Karrie Obed. He also co-produced the Nain Brass Band’s self-titled album (2017). In his hometown of St. John’s, Mark also continues to work with rock musicians.
Mark regularly writes on music, film, and archives for popular and scholarly publications such as Inuit Art Quarterly, NQ, Labrador Life, Them Days, Public, and others. You can read his recent work on Moravian records at www.uncommonbonds.org