Celebrating Five Years of Indigenous Storytelling at the NAC

NAC Indigenous Theatre Marks Fifth Anniversary with Special Event and Sold-Out Opening of Raven Mother

November 5, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre’s Indigenous Theatre celebrates five years with an event on November 20, 2024, bringing together elders, community, and friends for a feast, live music by DJ Kookum, and a chance to visit Indigenous art installations, including the Pinock canoe crafted during the inaugural Mòshkamo festival in 2019.

The celebration aligns with the opening night of the sold-out Raven Mother, a powerful co-production between NAC Indigenous Theatre and NAC Dance in partnership with the NAC’s National Creation Fund. Created by the Dancers of Damelahamid, Raven Mother honours Elder Margaret Harris and the vital role of women in preserving Indigenous cultural knowledge.

Since its launch in 2019, NAC Indigenous Theatre has brought Indigenous stories to the forefront with its groundbreaking productions and innovative programming. Guided by the vision "Our Stories are Medicine," the department has transformed the NAC into a dedicated platform for Indigenous voices, celebrating the beauty, strength, and diversity of experiences from coast to coast to coast.

Indigenous Theatre’s inaugural season began with Mòshkamo, a multi-day, NAC-wide festival celebrating Indigenous arts and culture, opening with a canoe procession along the Rideau Canal led by Algonquin community members. Sold-out shows, school matinees, and extensive community outreach have marked Indigenous Theatre's programming over the past five seasons.

NAC NATIONAL CREATION FUND

The NAC’s National Creation Fund investment of $175,000 into Raven Mother supported several residencies to integrate lighting, projection and motion control. The investment also contributed to the design and creation of a Raven Canoe and Raven sculpture and provided the resources necessary to integrate all technical aspects into the embodied Indigenous narrative.

PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION

For more information, please visit: https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/37593

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.

ABOUT THE NAC

The National Arts Centre 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. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742
ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca