Black History Month

Music Theatre Dance Workshops Talks

"Two Heads Are Better Than One" © Andy Akangah

We celebrate Black artists, culture and audiences in February and all year round. 

Join us online and at the National Arts Centre to honour and engage with Black art and narratives through performances, workshops, discussions, and more! 

This Black History Month, we celebrate The Year of Black Performance, an initiative spearheaded by The Black Pledge to mark the final year of the UN’s Decade of People of African Descent. 

On the Kipnes Lantern, Two Heads Are Better Than One by Benin-born, Ottawa-based artist Andy Akangah delves into vulnerability, self-imposed isolation, and cultural identity. The piece tells the story of a Ghanaian man and a Nigerian woman, each living in their own protective bubbles. Their worlds eventually blend, creating a heart-shaped bubble as a symbol of their shared heritage and connection. 

From February 13 to 22, Controlled Damage, an NAC English Theatre/Neptune Theatre co-production, honours black Canadian civil rights activist Viola Desmond. On February 15, we host a Black Out Night that coincides with the evening performance of Controlled Damage, marking the second anniversary of this inclusive affinity night experience. 

Throughout our 2024-2025 season, all our stages feature performances by Black artists and works about Black people and their experiences. 

Upcoming events

  1. Canada
    Vêtue d’une robe jaune, Tina se tient debout au centre de la scène et chante avec les deux mains en l’air. Elle est entourée de deux choristes qui portent la même robe et prennent la même pose. © Elesha Paul Moses incarne Tina Turner dans la comédie musicale TINA – The Tina Turner Musical.

    There was only one. Her voice was undeniable. Her fire was unstoppable. Her triumph was unlike any other. An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock…

  2. Canada Video
    Une image de Viola Desmond se superpose à un vieux billet de cinéma déchiré. L’arrière-plan montre une image floue d’hommes blancs dans une salle de cinéma.
  3. Canada Video
    Sur un fond rouge, deux mains noires semblent battre la mesure sur un tambour.

    In this lively show featuring juggling, rhythmic songs and percussive dance, four virtuoso Mozambican performers dazzle with sight, sound and sheer skill. The incredible memories of this show will sustain you for the rest of the year. 

  4. Free
     © Nana aba Duncan, Andrea Scott et Cherissa Richards

    Join us for a lively and engaging conversation with Controlled Damage Playwright Andrea Scott and Director Cherissa Richards and professor and award-winning journalist Nana aba Duncan, as they chat about the play, giving insight into the story and Canadian icon Viola…

  5. Canada Free

    Following the performance of Controlled Damage. After the performance of Andrea Scott’s Controlled Damage, show attendees are invited to step back in time and revel in an evening inspired by the glamour of the Harlem Renaissance and the Roaring Twenties. Embracing…

  6. Free
     © Les rythmes de l'âme

    Join instructor Suzan Richards and master percussionist Roger Hope on a special edition of SoulRhythms to celebrate Black History Month. About SoulRhythms Let your soul shine as we travel throughout Africa & The Caribbean on an exciting journey through movement…

  7. Canada Video
     © Maud Le Pladec, Silent Legacy

    Powerful dialogue on the legacy of inheritance with Adeline, a young krump prodigy, and Siaska Chareyre.

  8. Canada Free
     © Jr Maddripp

    Kevin Gohou, aka Jr Maddripp, invites you to explore krump.  This fast, powerful street dance is a concentrate of pure emotion and energy, requiring great body control and precision.    Dazzling in his presence and strength, Jr Maddripp was trained by…

  9. Canada
    L'Orchestre sur scène © Ottawa Jazz Orchestra

    Duke Ellington’s landmark symphonic jazz composition, Black, Brown and Beige is perhaps the most significant work in the jazz repertory. Composed as a musical parallel to the history of the Negro in America, it tells the history of African Americans through…

  10. New
     © Atelier de danse house avec Effect

    Celebrate Black History Month with Moov Ottawa Dance! With the support of the National Arts Centre, Moov Ottawa Dance brings you a series of special workshops in honor of Black History Month. While we celebrate Black dances and culture all year long, this February, we’re…

  11. New
     © Atelier de danse hip-hop avec VLove

    Celebrate Black History Month with Moov Ottawa Dance! With the support of the National Arts Centre, Moov Ottawa Dance brings you a series of special workshops in honor of Black History Month. While we celebrate Black dances and culture all year long, this February, we’re…

  12. New
     © Atelier de danse afrobeat avec Melly Mel

    Celebrate Black History Month with Moov Ottawa Dance! With the support of the National Arts Centre, Moov Ottawa Dance brings you a series of special workshops in honor of Black History Month. While we celebrate Black dances and culture all year long, this February, we’re…

  13. Free
     © Les rythmes de l'âme

    Let your soul shine as we travel throughout Africa & The Caribbean on an exciting journey through movement & dance. From traditional to modern Afro-Caribbean folklore-based movement, the Cultural Arts Studio will lead you through an energizing 45-minute group…

  14. Canada Video

    Take a musical journey to Trinidad and Tobago with the captivating sounds of steelpan drums

  15. Canada Video
    Samba Touré sur scène jouant la guitare.

    Samba Touré's music is characterized by hypnotic guitar grooves radiating with the intensity of the desert sun. It transcends borders, creating an authentic and groundbreaking sonic landscape—a journey of emotional depth and rhythmic brilliance where…

  16. Canada Video
    Profil de Jully Black sous lumière bleue

    The NAC is honored to be welcoming Jully Black, a true Canadian Icon, to the stage! Named as one of ‘The 25 Greatest Canadian Singers Ever’ (CBC Music), she has been dubbed ‘Canada’s Queen of R&B Soul’ by fans and industry leaders alike.…

  17. Canada Video
    Un homme porte un bonnet devant un train en mouvement flou.

    Golden-era taste, future-era based. Tylenol 3 for capitalist migraines. Resistance-based debauchery for disaffected baddies. Super Duty Tough Work is a constantly evolving art-rap ensemble with their intentions set on pushing a radical politic of revolution, party and…

  18. Free
     © Les rythmes de l'âme

    Let your soul shine as we travel throughout Africa & The Caribbean on an exciting journey through movement & dance. From traditional to modern Afro-Caribbean folklore-based movement, the Cultural Arts Studio will lead you through an energizing 45-minute group…

  19. Canada Video
    Une photo floue de Cadence Fitzpatrick dans un costume marron.

    Cadence Weapon is Edmonton-born, Hamilton-based rapper, producer, writer and poet Rollie Pemberton. His 2021 album Parallel World won Canada’s Polaris Music Prize. The son of a pioneering hip-hop radio DJ, Pemberton grew up around a diverse library of…

  20. Canada Video
    Les membres des Égarés sont assis dans une pièce. Ils tiennent chacun leurs instruments.

    New quartet Sissoko Segal Parisien Peirani presents "Les Égarés", an album recorded by two virtuoso duos (Sissoko-Segal and Peirani-Parisien), who for years have excelled in the art of cross-fertilising sounds and transcending genres. Ballaké Sissoko…

  21. Canada

    A swingin’ evening inspired by Harlem’s heyday at famed musical hot spots like the legendary Cotton Club and The Savoy.

  22. Canada Video
    Djely Tapa surrounded by numerous hands is looking up at the camera while wearing a crown of shells.

    Appearing at the NAC with a new album under her belt, Djely Tapa will enchant you with her voice and charisma.  With Dankoraba, Djely Tapa pursues her artistic vision at the intersection of Malian and Western cultures, past, present and future. Originally…

  23. Canada Video
    Donald Dogbo assis à côté de sa batterie sur un fond orange.

    Born into a line of drummers through his grandfather, Donald Dogbo is a visionary Ivorian artist-musician, drummer, arranger, and composer based in Canada. After several years as Senegalese rapper Didier Awadi's drummer, he moved to Canada in 2014, where he immediately…

  24. Canada Video
    Un groupe d'artistes en formation circulaire qui fléchissent les genoux sur un placher rouge.  © Faso Danse Théâtre C LA VIE

    Belgian-Burkinabe choreographer Serge Aimé Coulibaly’s effervescent dance celebrates the critical value of community strength, imbuing his show with transcendent energy.  

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    Finding community through music

    Randall Goosby shares his passion for Florence Price’s long-lost violin concerto and his desire to inspire the next generation in this… Randall Goosby shares his passion for Florence Price’s… Randall Goosby shares his passion for Florence Price’s long-lost violin concerto and his desire to inspire the next generation in this backstage chat with Alexander Shelley.

  • Andy-akangah-interview interview

    “Together, we can shape our future”

    Illustrator Andy Akangah shares the personal themes behind his Kipnes Lantern commission for Black History Month, Two Heads Are Better Than One.… Illustrator Andy Akangah shares the personal themes behind… Illustrator Andy Akangah shares the personal themes behind his Kipnes Lantern commission for Black History Month, Two Heads Are Better Than One.

  • Botisseva video

    Interview with BLKDOG choreographer Botis Seva

    Far From The Norm artistic director Botis Seva shares his story and journey to dance, how he overcame adversity, and what inspired his award-winning… Far From The Norm artistic director Botis Seva shares his… Far From The Norm artistic director Botis Seva shares his story and journey to dance, how he overcame adversity, and what inspired his award-winning Hip Hop dance theatre work, BLKDOG.

  • Module1  1024 Free

    Bring Reggae Roots to your school!

    Give your classroom a front-row seat to our video-on-demand learning series about the evolution of Jamaica’s most famous export: Reggae… Give your classroom a front-row seat to our video-on-demand… Give your classroom a front-row seat to our video-on-demand learning series about the evolution of Jamaica’s most famous export: Reggae music.

  • Stages essay resource

    Stages of Transformation

    This expansive digital resource brings together artists and creative communities from across so-called Canada to explore the imperatives of abolition… This expansive digital resource brings together artists and… This expansive digital resource brings together artists and creative communities from across so-called Canada to explore the imperatives of abolition movements and their applications to our work in the theatre sector. 

  • Thisgen-fellowship-2024-cohort-headshots web

    ThisGen Fellowship

    In partnership with Why Not Theatre, the NAC is delighted to announce the 2024 cohort of ThisGen Fellowship. Meet the fellows and faculty. In partnership with Why Not Theatre, the NAC is delighted… In partnership with Why Not Theatre, the NAC is delighted to announce the 2024 cohort of ThisGen Fellowship. Meet the fellows and faculty.