Creation is an act of gathering: ideas, people, places, a bit of magic. One of my ongoing preoccupations is how we trace the impacts of this gathering. I picture my fingers moving along imaginary lines, feeling microscopic and deep grooves that spread out like a web through the communities…
With Raven Mother, choreographer Margaret Grenier wants to honour the precious artistic legacy inherited from her mother, the late elder Margaret Harris. Through dance and song, Dancers of Damelahamid, founded by Elder Harris and her husband, the late Chief Kenneth Harris in 1967, presents…
Fall is here, a comet has criss-crossed the sky, elections are looming, and here I am back at my letters to you – and just in time as there’s much to discuss. First up: Let’s talk about this momentous summer of creation. Seven shows supported by the Fund premiered between June and August,…
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As I drove back to Ottawa from the premiere of Kimiko’s Pearl, I listened to a podcast championing the idea of operating from a baseline of delusion. After finding myself – perhaps like you – so often searching for truth and clarity, it felt almost hilarious to consider the benefits of…
As summer bursts into life, the Fund’s season also blooms with new artistic creations. Let’s cheer these artists on as they take big artistic leaps. Let’s be fans of each other and show up ready for delight and a challenge. Let's find our summer art crushes and fall into sweet summer…
A tribute to the strength and resilience of the Japanese Canadian community The internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II is the inspiration behind Kimiko’s Pearl, premiering at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines on June 22. Supported by the National…
We have so much to update you on at the National Creation Fund. This month marks two new investments and an exciting list of Fund-supported shows on tour, including an unprecedented FIVE premieres. Also, the NAC’s 2024-2025 season was just launched! It features a record-setting ten…
This year marks the first Earth Day since the National Arts Centre launched Walking Gently on the Land, its first-ever Environmental Sustainability Action Plan, released on September 7, 2023. There are several ways that the NAC has been working to address climate change. On the energy…
The Creation Fund’s tag line is We fund risk. Artistic creation is inherently risky, conjuring creative and logistical ingredients together in entirely new ways, all driven by the question “What if...?” One of the beautiful/infuriating truths about artistic creation is that there is no…
In recent months, the National Creation Fund, fuelled by donors, has played a pivotal role in amplifying the voices of Quebec artists and propelling their creative endeavors to new heights. Projet Polytechnique Since November, the documentary theatre company Porte Parole has been touring…
Is there such a thing as a true beginning? Whether we’re talking about the start of a year, a new creation, or – in my case – a job, the word beginning can feel not quite right. For example, does creation begin with the spark of an idea, the first time you describe a concept to someone…
Sarah Conn loves dreaming with artists. “Listening to artists share early whispers of creative dreams is one of the most beautiful things,” she says. “Often these whispers are cryptic clues – a question, a feeling, an image, a sound.” The newly-appointed Artistic Producer of the NAC’s…
For the second consecutive year, the National Arts Centre (NAC) hosted the National Producer Gathering. Held from November 20 to 25, this gathering was an opportunity for the dozen participants to share their knowledge and find solutions to the issues they face. Despite the crucial role…
And suddenly, it is the end of November. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this means a time of shorter days and expanding nights. Here in Ottawa, brief sunrises accompany rumours of snow and the kind of cold that clears your mind. As we ease into darkness, I simultaneously…
Your generous support of the NAC’s National Creation Fund recently helped a new production make waves across the pond. After having its world premiere at the Shaw Festival in March 2023, Mahabharata, written and adapted by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes of Why Not Theatre, had its…