November 15 2018 – OTTAWA (Canada) The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased to announce that Derek Andrews has been awarded the 2018 National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring.  The award will be presented at the closing gala dinner of the 18th CINARS (International Exchange for the Performing Arts) Biennale in Montreal on Saturday, November 17.

Mr. Andrews is being recognized for his tremendous influence on the Canadian music scene, and in particular, his work supporting Indigenous and world music artists. Throughout his career as an artistic director, music curator, producer, manager and advocate, he has worked tirelessly to promote Canadian artists and culture across Canada and internationally.

Mr. Andrews is currently the Artistic Director of Mundial Montreal, the country’s first world music conference.  This year’s edition, which runs from November 13 to 16, connects more than 30 Indigenous and world music artists with over 300 delegates from across Canada and around the world.  Mundial Montreal has established itself as the go-to event in North America for world music discovery and professional opportunities.

“Mundial Montreal has been my labour of love over our eight years - results oriented, practical and totally appropriate for our times,” said Mr. Andrews.  “I tip my hat to a mentor like Mariposa Folk Festival maven, the late Estelle Klein, who was the architect of a Canadian summer festival model that encouraged me to build bridges between presenters.  Mundial Montreal has been an offset vehicle to correct the historical inequity across the Canadian arts landscape.  Canadian presenters have a responsibility to reflect and involve the totality of society in their programming, from Indigenous communities to new arrivals and everyone in between.”

Mr. Andrews has been the music curator and programmer for some of Canada’s most important venues and festivals, including the Harbourfront Centre, where for almost two decades he booked more than 4,000 shows and developed summer festival programming in blues, jazz, folk and world music.  He was the Executive and Development Director of the Guelph Jazz Festival, and has been the music programmer for the Luminato Festival, Cultura Festival, the NAC’s Canada Scene festival, the 2015 Pan Am Games, Canadian Music Week, and more.

Through his Global Café agency, Mr. Andrews acts as a manager or consultant for a variety of Canadian independent musicians, including JUNO Award winners Digging Roots, Kobo Town and Quique Escamilla.  He has served on the boards of many organizations, including Folk Music Ontario and Folk Alliance International, and he’s the founder and President of the Toronto Blues Society, acting as the Executive Producer of the Blues Summit, Maple Blues Awards, and the Women’s Blues Revue.

Established in 1992 in collaboration with the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA), the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring honours exceptional achievement in fostering the touring of live performing arts in Canada.  The recipient is chosen from nominations solicited from within the industry and is selected by a committee composed of presenters, agents, administrators, the National Arts Centre and CAPACOA.  The recipient may be an individual, performing company, corporation or other organization. For more information about CAPACOA, please visit http://www.capacoa.ca.

The Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring consists of $2,500 and a specially designed porcelain sculpture by Paula Murray, one of Canada’s finest ceramic artists.    

Previous recipients include the East Coast Music Association (2017), Paul Tanguay (2016), Norman Armour (2015), Tafelmusik (2014), Alain Paré (2013), Peter Feldman (2012), Ballet Jörgen Canada (2011), La danse sur les routes du Québec (2010), Uriel Luft (2009), the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (2008), Judy Harquail (2007), Ottie Lockey (2006), Colin McIntyre (2005), CBC Radio/la radio de Radio-Canada (2004), Debut Atlantic (2003), Richard Stoker (2002), Nicholas Goldschmidt (2001), Bruce Owen (2000), the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1999), David Haber (1998), Dr. Elmer Iseler (1997), Jean-Paul Gagnon (1996), Hugh Davidson (1995), Mark Porteous (1994), George Zukerman (1993), and CAPACOA (1992).

CAPACOA is a federally incorporated, non-profit pan-Canadian organization serving the performing arts touring and presenting field. The National Arts Centre is Canada’s pre-eminent showcase for the performing arts and the catalyst for the performing arts nationally. The National Arts Centre is home to the internationally acclaimed National Arts Centre Orchestra, and is a leader in the presentation of: classical music, dance, English and French theatre, variety and community programming.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
 

Mélanie Bureau
Operations Manager
CAPACOA
613-562-3515
melanie.bureau@capacoa.ca

 
Mary Gordon
Senior Communications Advisor
National Arts Centre
613 947-7000, ext 849
mary.gordon@nac-cna.ca