News Releases

  1. Birks Named New Presenting Sponsor for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala at the NAC

    November 17, 2016

    Birks, Canada’s leading jeweller since 1879, has signed a multi-year deal as the new Presenting Sponsor for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala, which takes place annually at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The sponsorship begins with the 25th anniversary edition of the Gala on June 29, 2017 – during Canada's 150th birthday year – and continues for... Read more

  2. STATEMENT: National Arts Centre Mourns the Loss of Leonard Cohen

    November 10, 2016

    The National Arts Centre (NAC) lowered its flag this evening to pay tribute to the extraordinary life, career and artistic achievement of Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen. Cohen last performed in 2009 at the National Arts Centre in a moving concert. In 1993, he received Canada’s highest lifetime achievement in the performing arts, the Governor General’s Performing... Read more

  3. René Cormier, Artistic Director of Zones Théâtrales to leave the NAC on March 31, 2017

    November 7, 2016

    As a result of his recent appointment to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, René Cormier, the Artistic Director of the Zones Théâtrales biennial, will be stepping down on March 31, 2017. “In order to be able to devote myself fully to my new duties as an independent non-partisan senator, while continuing my efforts to defend and promote the arts and... Read more

  4. The NAC Recruits First Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre

    November 3, 2016

    The National Arts Centre (NAC) has opened a national competition to recruit its first Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre. The creation of a new Department of Indigenous Theatre was announced on March 24, 2016 when the NAC unveiled details of its Strategic Plan entitled Canada is Our Stage: 2015-2020. The NAC is Canada’s largest multi-disciplinary performing arts organization and is... Read more

  5. DIRECTOR NADIA ROSS WINS 2016 SIMINOVITCH PRIZE IN THEATRE

    October 28, 2016

    News Release DIRECTOR NADIA ROSS WINS 2016 SIMINOVITCH PRIZE IN THEATRE Sarah Conn and Shaista Latif Chosen as Protégées Prize awarded Friday, October 28 at the National Arts Centre October 28, 2016 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Director Nadia Ross has been named the 2016 recipient of the Siminovitch Prize, Canada’s most prestigious prize in Theatre. This year marks the... Read more

  6. NAC Congratulates René Cormier on Appointment to Canada's Senate

    October 27, 2016

    The National Arts Centre (NAC) is delighted that René Cormier – Artistic Director of the Zones Théâtrales, the NAC’s biennial showcase of professional Francophone theatre from across Canada and the Quebec regions – has been recommended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for appointment to Canada’s Senate. In addition to being a rendezvous for the creators... Read more

  7. The 20th Annual NAC Gala with Diana Krall and Alexander Shelley Raises $724,500 for Arts Education Program's Across Canada

    October 22, 2016

    Tonight’s 2016 National Arts Centre Gala – featuring five-time GRAMMY winning jazz pianist and vocalist extraordinaire Diana Krall and the NAC Orchestra, under the leadership of its Music Director Alexander Shelley, has raised $724,500 (net) for the National Youth and Education Trust (NYET) in support of the NAC’s arts and education programs across Canada. The annual NAC Gala has... Read more

  8. National Arts Centre Mourns the Death of Jim Prentice

    October 14, 2016

     It is with great sadness that the National Arts Centre (NAC) has learned of the death of former Alberta Premier and federal cabinet minister Jim Prentice, last night in a plane crash near Kelowna, B.C.. Mr. Prentice, along with his wife Karen, was a devoted supporter of the arts across Canada. During Mr. Prentice’s time as vice-chair of CIBC, he championed the bank’s support of... Read more

  9. NAC launches $500,000 Name your Seat in Southam Hall Campaign

    October 3, 2016

    The National Arts Centre Foundation today launched the Name your Seat in Southam Hall Campaign in support of the National Arts Centre’s work in performance, creation and learning across Canada. The Campaign was announced the same week as the re-opening and major renovation of Southam Hall – the first in the NAC’s 47-year history. The goal of the 5-year Name your Seat in Campaign... Read more

  10. NAC Unveils $25 Million Fundraising Campaign in Support of Canadian Performing Arts Creation, Including $5 Million Gift by Gail Asper

    September 28, 2016

    The National Arts Centre (NAC) today launched a transformative $25 million fundraising campaign to support the creation of new works of Music, Theatre and Dance in collaboration with artists and arts organizations across the country. The campaign is the first-ever in the history of the 47 year-old institution. The goal of the NAC’s “Creation Campaign” is to provide a source of... Read more