Margo Kane Receives National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased to announce that Margo Kane has been awarded the 2023 National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring. 

Ms. Kane is being recognized for her lifelong commitment to creating new performance and touring opportunities for Indigenous artists and companies, and the development of Indigenous touring networks in Canada and abroad.  The $2,500 award was presented on Saturday, November 4 during the opening of the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts’s (CAPACOA) annual conference in Ottawa, which runs through November 8.

" Encouraging touring for Indigenous artists and audiences has been uppermost in my work for some time now,” said Ms. Kane.  “By developing relationships with presenters and artist representatives along with our national and international Indigenous artists, presenters and producers, we are working together to achieve our goals of bringing the stories of our People's to audiences longing to hear them. Thank you for this encouragement!"

Cree-Saulteaux performing artist Margo Kane is the Founder and Artistic Managing Director of Full Circle: First Nations Performance.  For over 45 years she has been active as an actor, performing artist and community cultural worker.  Her desire to share artistic performance that has meaning for her people is the catalyst for her extensive work, travels and consultation within Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad. Moonlodge, her acclaimed one-woman show, an Indigenous Canadian classic, toured for more than 10 years nationally and internationally.  The Sydney Press (AU) during The Festival of the Dreaming praised it as being ‘in the top echelon of solo performance.’ 

Ms. Kane developed and runs the annual Talking Stick Festival in Vancouver, as well as numerous programs including Moccasin Trek: Arts on the Move!, Indian Acts and an Indigenous Ensemble Performing Arts Program.

Ms. Kane has received numerous awards and honors during her distinguished career including the Order of Canada, honorary degrees from the University of the Fraser Valley and SFU – Simon Fraser University, and an International Citation of Merit from ISPA – International Society for the Performing Arts.

Established in 1992 in collaboration with the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (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.

Previous recipients include Ballet BC (2019), Derek Andrews (2018), 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).

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada.  CAPACOA is a federally incorporated, non-profit pan-Canadian organization serving the performing arts touring and presenting field.

- 30 –

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
 

Chandel Gambles
Membership and Programs Manager
CAPACOA
613 562-3515
chandel.gambles@capacoa.ca

 
 

Carl Martin
Senior Communications Advisor
National Arts Centre
613 291-8880
carl.martin@nac-cna.ca

Join our email list for the latest updates!