OTTAWA, June 29 2012 – The National Arts Centre Foundation is delighted to announce a $500,000 donation from the Slaight Family Foundation. The Slaight Family Fund for Emerging Artists will support the up-and-coming Canadian artists who appear on its stages, including as part of NAC Presents, National Arts Centre’s all-Canadian programming stream that boldly shines the spotlight on contemporary music and more.

“We are extremely grateful to the Slaight Family Foundation for making this generous contribution that will help the NAC continue to showcase some of the most exciting new Canadian artists of today on the national stage,” said Jayne Watson, CEO of the NAC Foundation.

“The National Arts Centre is a great example of a national institution that works with both established and emerging artists; the NAC is a favoured stage for Canadian contemporary music legends, but also a terrific place to perform for those who are on the way up—and that really appealed to us. We wanted to ensure more young artists could be part of the NAC’s programming,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of Slaight Communications. “In addition, this gift is to pay tribute to my Father Allan’s legacy of support for Canadian Talent.”

NAC Presents in partnership with BMO Financial Group, is the NAC’s new, all-Canadian programming stream that puts the spotlight on contemporary music and more, showcasing the country’s established artists, and those poised at the forefront of the next generation.  Led by Producer Simone Deneau, the NAC Presents 2011-12 debut season featuring 33 artists in rock, pop, jazz, blues and even circus acts was fully embraced by audiences with sell out shows and tremendous media buzz.

 “It’s been a wonderful year, and so inspiring—the artists, of course, were incredible, but also just to see how much love there is out there for our artists on the Canadian contemporary music scene,” Deneau said. “Our audiences have just flocked to it.”

“Coming to Ottawa for the NAC Presents series was a true honour,” said Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther of the acoustic-folk duo Dala. “Looking up at the marquee and seeing all that home-grown talent really made us feel part of a bigger musical picture. It made us proud to be Canadian artists."

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For more information please contact:

Rosemary Thompson
Director of Communications
National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000 ext 260         
rosemary.thompson@nac-cna.ca