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A Pandemic Year: Behind the Scenes
March 12, 2021In March 2020, we abruptly closed the NAC’s doors to the public, as did stages and performance venues across the country and around the world. Our artistic team immediately asked themselves: How can we continue to bring art to Canadians, and support the performing arts, a sector in which so…
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Peter “Spike” Lyne: The Mentor Backstage
March 11, 2021We miss our colleagues. We miss being with them. We miss working with them. And we miss learning from them. That last part is critical, particularly if you work behind-the-scenes like Peter Lyne does. Known to just about everyone at the NAC as “Spike,” he’s the highly respected Technical…
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BIG BANG: An Incredible Celebration of Music
March 8, 2021Thanks to generous donors like you, thousands of children from across the country were transported on a magical, musical adventure from the comfort of their homes the weekend of February 13 and 14 during the BIG BANG festival. This year BIG BANG’s Artistic Director and Associate Artistic…
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2021 Annual Public Meeting
February 22, 2021The National Arts Centre’s 2019–2020 season included the launch of NAC Indigenous Theatre, special initiatives to support artists through COVID-19, the release of our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, and a new vision to lead and support the renewal of the performing arts…
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Honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
February 12, 2021February 14 is a day to honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA (Two-spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual) people, and acknowledge the grassroots initiatives that continue to raise awareness and…
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Livestreams: Creating a New Stage for Canada’s Performing Artists
February 3, 2021Thanks to your generous support, the NAC Orchestra and performing artists from across the country have found a new stage through the NAC’s livestreams. In response to the closure and limited capacity of performing arts venues, the NAC has showcased many beloved artists through livestream…
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Spreading Love through Music
February 3, 2021As passionate supporters of the performing arts, you know that music, dance and theatre can be powerful expressions of love. This year, to show appreciation for dearly missed audience members, the NAC Orchestra invited patrons to dedicate a virtual performance to a loved one as part of a…
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NAC Indigenous Theatre seeking artists & memory holders for new storytelling project
February 2, 2021NAC Indigenous Theatre is seeking artists and memory holders to submit to participate in a new storytelling project. This project is based in three cities: Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Vancouver. Each region’s project will be artistically led by NAC Indigenous Theatre (Ottawa), Gordon Tootoosis…
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Supporting Canadian artists in a time of crisis
January 22, 2021Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly changed the way we live and work, and we have all been called to see and imagine the world in different ways. The performing arts sector was hit particularly hard, and with many artists facing an uncertain future, the National Arts…
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How do Canadians feel about returning to live performances?
January 19, 2021Latest findings of the Arts Response Tracking Survey Canadian culture-goers increasingly mention vaccines as a precaution for returning to indoor arts and culture performances. It’s one of the latest findings in the Arts Response Tracking Survey, which gauges Canadians on how they feel…
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Colour, Health, Hope: Art installation offers colour as a tool for mental...
December 14, 2020If you come by the National Arts Centre, you may see a spectacular array of colours and imagery on the Kipnes Lantern. The NAC recently commissioned the art installation called Colour, Health, Hope from Jacquie Comrie, an acclaimed Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist. Centred on colour,…
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Interview with Jacquie Comrie about her installation Colour, Health, Hope
December 14, 2020An interview with Jacquie Comrie, an acclaimed Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist whose installation Colour, Health, Hope is featured on the National Art Centre’s Kipnes Lantern during the 2020 holiday season. Centred on colour, this vibrant, visually powerful work was created as a tool…
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Black Theatre Workshop named inaugural Co-Curating Company for NAC English Theatre
December 9, 2020On Wednesday, December 9, National Arts Centre English Theatre, in partnership with Black Theatre Workshop, announced an unprecedented shared curation model for the national stage. Beginning in the 2021–22 season, NAC English Theatre has committed to the annual appointment of a Co-Curating…
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A theatre project about the French language
December 7, 2020In 2019, Zones Théâtrales presented Oh! Canada : un forum sur la langue, a project led by Nicolas Gendron and Danielle Le Saux-Farmer. This workshop launched a vast research project on the state of the French language. From November 23 to 27, Zones Théâtrales welcomed Danielle and Nicolas…
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Gerry and Rebecca Grace – Loyal patrons, loyal donors
December 2, 2020“The shows we’ve seen on the stages of the National Arts Centre are equal to if not better than those we have seen in New York, London, Berlin and other places around the world”. So say Gerry and Rebecca Grace of Ottawa, and they should know, after seeing hundreds of amazing and memorable…