NAC Foundation
In recent months, the National Creation Fund, fuelled by donors, has played a pivotal role in amplifying the voices of Quebec artists and propelling their creative endeavors to new heights.
Projet Polytechnique
Since November, the documentary theatre company Porte Parole has been touring throughout Quebec with Projet Polytechnique, a play that explores the ongoing impacts of the femicide at Montreal’s École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989.
Amandine Gauthier, Executive Director of Porte Parole, shares “Thanks to the National Creation Fund, we were able to create this difficult, yet important piece of work — an experience now etched into our company’s history. After four years of intensive research, creative workshops, in-depth musical exploration and collaborative writing with other artists, it was curtains up for Projet Polytechnique at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde (TNM).”
The National Creation Fund’s investment in this compelling work provided its creators with the time and resources needed for it to live up to its potential. “This was a first for us—collaborating with the finest theatre in Quebec—and the TNM’s first time staging a documentary experience,” Amandine continues. “The National Creation Fund’s support made it possible to produce a remarkably vast work that is worthy of the subject matter.”
Murmuration
Another National Creation Fund supported show is by former championship figure skaters turned movement innovators, Le Patin Libre. Murmuration, which draws its inspiration from “flocking”, the complex movements exhibited by large groups of birds and fish, is experiencing incredible success right now—locally, nationally and worldwide. It was part of a special offseason presentation of Venice’s Biennale Danza and has been included in the Cultural Olympiad program for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And its American premiere broke attendance records for the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
“Murmuration is Patin Libre’s first large-scale show. This project has been a dream of ours for years, but we were never financially able to bring on all of the figure skaters we needed. It’s the National Creation Fund that finally brought our dream to life,” says Alexandre Hamel, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Le Patin Libre.
Investment from the Fund allowed Le Patin Libre to conduct lengthy research and creative residencies to develop and refine choreography for the group of 15 skaters, the company’s largest ensemble ever.
“Murmuration’s sustained international reach brought in the money we needed to self-produce and promote a series of performances at an affordable price for our fellow Montrealers,” shares Alexandre. “And by putting on a much larger number of shows, we were able to extend our appeal beyond the regular audiences of our co-presenters (Fall for Dance North and TO Live) and reach people who don’t usually attend cultural events.”
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Thanks to the generous donors who support the National Creation Fund, Francophone artists are not only creating amazing shows but are also sharing their unique stories with the world!
