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Investing in creativity and new beginnings
February 8, 2024Is there such a thing as a true beginning? Whether we’re talking about the start of a year, a new creation, or – in my case – a job, the word beginning can feel not quite right. For example, does creation begin with the spark of an idea, the first time you describe a concept to someone…
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Ottawa’s artistic haven: The Studio experience
February 1, 2024Imagine a space where creativity knows no bounds, where artistic expression flows freely, and innovation thrives. Welcome to the intimate Azrieli Studio at the National Arts Centre, where unforgettable moments in theatre, music, and dance happen, drawing you closer to the action. Step…
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Fur-ocious satire flipping the script of Canadian history
January 23, 2024Frances Končan’s Women of the Fur Trade is a comedic and playful look at Canadian history, re-examining the narratives of Treaty 1 territory, the fur trade era, and the building of a new nation through a vibrant mix of rom-com and satirical gold. Frances is an Anishinaabe and Slovene…
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Producers, the “Alchemists” of the Performing Arts
December 7, 2023For the second consecutive year, the National Arts Centre (NAC) hosted the National Producer Gathering. Held from November 20 to 25, this gathering was an opportunity for the dozen participants to share their knowledge and find solutions to the issues they face. Despite the crucial role…
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Orienting ourselves in the dark
November 30, 2023And suddenly, it is the end of November. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, this means a time of shorter days and expanding nights. Here in Ottawa, brief sunrises accompany rumours of snow and the kind of cold that clears your mind. As we ease into darkness, I simultaneously…
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ThisGen Fellowship 2024: Call for Applications
November 12, 2023Why Not Theatre, in partnership with the National Arts Centre, is excited to announce the 2024 iteration of ThisGen Fellowship. ThisGen Fellowship is a national initiative that supports BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) women and non-binary performing arts practitioners get to the…
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The BIG BANG Ambassadors: “The standard-bearers of the event”
November 6, 2023A festival for children in which they are fully involved: welcome to the BIG BANG! Launched in Belgium in 1995 under the name Oorsmeer (Dutch for “oil for the ears”), the project has since been picked up by several European cities. The National Arts Centre (NAC) adopted the concept in…
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Wild visions for a new season
October 11, 2023New season, new Sarah! In truth, I am not so new… I started as Artistic Associate the day the NCF was born, arriving during a time of big dreams and big questions. The process of bringing the Fund to life was itself pure creation – feeling our way through the unknown, experiencing moments…
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Honouring Walter Borden – A celebration of a Canadian theatre icon
September 26, 2023We are eagerly counting down the days until we can unveil Walter Borden’s masterpiece, The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time, at the NAC this fall. You may recall that the original performance, slated for February 2022, had to be cancelled due to protests in downtown Ottawa. But Walter and the…
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L’ombre: “A Person Takes Flight…”
September 25, 2023Mani Soleymanlou’s second season at the helm of NAC French Theatre opens with L’ombre [The Shadow], a collective creation by the 2023 Collective. Initiated by Soleymanlou, the Collective is an annual project designed to broaden the horizons of the next generation of artists by giving them…
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Professional Development: Two “Vitrine sur l’admin” Mentees at the NAC
July 21, 2023As part of its “Vitrine sur l’admin” mentorship program, the National Arts Centre (NAC) had the pleasure of welcoming two enthusiastic mentees this spring: Shannon Lacroix and Kevin Monchaux. The aim of the program, set up by the Association des théâtres francophones du Canada (ATFC) and…
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Irresistible Neighbourhoods: Ottawa 2044
May 5, 2023Radio play series coming Spring 2024 An NAC English Theatre / NAC Digital Experiences & Design co-production The Future is Hyper-Local You are invited to cast your mind twenty years into the future of the place where you live. What would make your neighbourhood… irresistible? We’re…
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NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival
May 5, 2023NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival Curated by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin with Nina Lee Aquino and NAC Popular Music and Variety NAC English Theatre January 31 - February 10, 2024 Emerging in the 1970s from disenfranchised Black communities in the Bronx, hip hop has exerted a resounding influence on…
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The NAC is Alive with the Sound of Students
March 27, 2023You know when it’s student matinee day at the NAC. On those days, a quick trip to Equator coffee shop begs the question: “Do I weave my way through the hundreds of excited kids, or do I wait until later?” The caffeine enthusiasts among us will jump into the crowd and share the thrill, while…
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To The Moon and Back with Sarah Garton Stanley and the National...
March 27, 2023In July 2022, Sarah Garton Stanley (SGS) joined the NAC’s National Creation Fund as its new Artistic Producer. As an award-winning theatre maker, a change maker and a highly sought-after director and dramaturg, SGS seeks to forge connections between the performing arts and the questions of…