William Prince, Alex Cuba, and Lisa Leblanc. What do these acclaimed artists have in common? Before they performed in a full Southam Hall or Babs Asper Theatre, they made their National Arts Centre debuts at the Fourth Stage. This is the place to be to see both established and new emerging artists in a laid-back atmosphere, blending the comfort of a cozy bar with the thrill of live performances. And the sound? One of the best in the city!
From bookstore to community performance space
Did you know that the NAC Fourth Stage has quite the history? Back in 1969, the space was a charming bookstore showcasing a delightful collection of bilingual art books. In fact, it was two distinct bookstores: one half was dedicated to the French bookstore, La Librairie de la Capitale, while the other half was home to the English bookstore, Classic Bookshop. Over the years, the space was transformed into a banquet room known as the Elgin Room, but this proved to be impractical, leading to its conversion into a rehearsal hall.
In 2001 the Elgin Room was relaunched as the Fourth Stage. It’s where stories came alive with creativity and community taking centre stage! From heartfelt play readings to toe-tapping jazz, the venue housed small play readings and various series, including Ottawa Storytellers, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Contes nomades, Vendredis de la chanson, and Ottawa Fringe Festival. The Ottawa Folk festival presented a series of five shows a year, many of which featured local artists. Rogers TV saw this as a great opportunity to provide high quality produced content and filmed several of the shows. This led to collaborations with both CBC Radio and TV.
The evolution of the Fourth Stage
In 2015, the stage underwent significant renovations as part of the NAC's architectural rejuvenation project. The entire room was transformed: the ceiling was raised, larger windows were added facing Elgin Street, and a brand-new sound and lighting system was installed. Additionally, a bar and non-gendered washrooms were introduced, the stage and entrance were relocated, and a green room was created. Essentially, a completely new floor plan emerged. While it was always an accessible space to patrons, we’re thrilled to share that our stage just got a little more welcoming with the addition of a new ramp making it easier and accessible for all musicians!
The stage reopened in 2017 showcasing emerging Canadian artists. With a fresh vision under the leadership of the newly appointed Executive Producer, Heather Gibson, the Fridays at the Fourth series was created and the programming expanded to include international artists. With a capacity of 150 people, the Fourth Stage focuses on supporting Canadian emerging artists, nurturing their careers and providing a stepping stone to the NAC's larger stages. Popular Music & Variety program on average 50 shows each season at this stage alone. With community partnerships and programming, plus the addition of summer performances, the Fourth Stage hosts over 80 shows a year.
Intimate stage for emerging and established artists
Behind the scenes, Marilena Gaudio and Xavier Forget of Popular Music & Variety curate an impressive lineup for the Fourth Stage, featuring a diverse range of emerging and established artists. Peter Kealey has been the technical director since 2001, ensuring top-notch production quality. We take pride in having two of the best sound and lighting technicians in the city, with Jeremy and Adriannus aka AD, serving as our sound and lighting experts for over a decade.
Additionally, the Fourth Stage became equipped to livestream performances, a feature we introduced in 2019 as part of our Fridays at the Fourth series. This initiative allowed us to showcase artists to a broader audience across Canada, particularly during the pandemic when live, in-person performances were restricted or entirely inaccessible.
Over the decades, the Fourth Stage has undergone its own evolution, and it is now appreciated as one of the finest intimate performance spaces in Ottawa, featuring an array of exciting new bands and projects. From hip hop and R&B to electronic, indie rock, and jazz, you can experience a diverse range of musical genres. You'll also see a variety of series and events such as Ottawa Jazz Festival, Le Projecteur and summer theatre performances. We also organize numerous community events and offer rental services for use of the Fourth Stage.
