NAC Dance celebrates the power of dance with Ballet BC triple bill
Accompanied by the NAC Orchestra and dancers from Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver, Ballet BC showcases absolute group power in BOLERO X
NAC Dance proudly opens its 2024-2025 Ballet Series with an impressive triple bill by the prominent Canadian company Ballet BC. The evening begins with two works by Ballet BC’s artistic director Medhi Walerski, Chamber and Silent Tides, and finishes on a grandiose note with BOLERO X by choreographer Shahar Binyamini.
BOLERO X showcases the group's collective strength in a hypnotizing crescendo as 50 dancers grace the stage to Maurice Ravel’s iconic Boléro score, performed by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Joining the core dancers of Ballet BC are 30 dancers from four professional training institutions across Canada: The School of Dance (Ottawa), l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal (Montreal), l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec (Montreal), and Arts Umbrella Dance (Vancouver). These young dancers have been invited to perform on two of the most important national stages, at Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts (presented by Danse Danse), and on Southam Hall stage here at the National Arts Centre—giving them an invaluable professional development opportunity.
This is a chance for them to live their dream to the power of 10 and to gain unique experience. For us to watch them perform is an absolute joy, and the NAC is proud to be a part of this special mentorship initiative which is a collaboration between NAC Dance, Danse Danse and Ballet BC.” ̶ Caroline Ohrt, Executive Producer, NAC Dance
BOLERO X was created by Shahar Binyamini for Ballet BC in 2023. He wanted to explore the power of repetition, the great natural forces which we are made of—infusing classic with a modern touch. The piece reveals Ballet BC’s exceptional dancers, impressively pushing the boundaries of movement.
The first piece of the evening, Chamber, is one of Medhi Walerski’s most acclaimed and elegant ballets. It is a visually rich echo of what Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring provokes in the choreographer’s imagination. The original music by British composer Joby Talbot will be performed by the NAC Orchestra, marking its revival with orchestra since its premiere in 2013. Walerski’s second piece, Silent Tides, is an intimate work between two dancers that reflects our relationship to one another and to ourselves—the infinite gates where our bodies receive nourishment and otherness, vibration and energy.
A pre-show chat with Ballet BC artistic director Medhi Walerski will be held on Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in the NAC Salon. This discussion is hosted by NAC Dance Executive Producer Caroline Ohrt, in both English and French, and precedes the evening's presentation.
A free Contemporary/Fusion class led by Xander Sen, one of the 5 Ottawa dancers joining Ballet BC on stage in BOLERO X, will be offered on October 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Peter A. Herrndorf Place. Info here.
SHOW AND TICKET INFORMATION
October 17-18 at 8 p.m. – Southam Hall
Chamberby Medhi Walerski (32 minutes)
Intermission (20 minutes) Silent Tidesby Medhi Walerski (18 minutes)
Intermission (20 minutes) BOLERO X by Shahar Binyamini (15 minutes)
To purchase tickets to this performance, visit nac-cna.ca/en/event/36014 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To learn more about the NAC’s building and facilities before you arrive, click: nac-cna.ca/en/visit.
Visit the NAC Dance page to learn more about the 2024-2025 season.
ABOUT BALLET BC
Founded in 1986 by David Y.H. Lui, Jean Orr, and Sheila Begg, Ballet BC is one of Canada's leading contemporary dance companies. Based in Vancouver and led by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, the company performs at venues throughout British Columbia and on the world's best stages. Ballet BC dancers are a group of open-minded and curious artists, each unique for their exceptional artistry while sharing an intuitive passion for movement. Deeply committed to new creation in addition to presenting masterworks from today's most sought-after voices in dance, Ballet BC's diverse repertoire includes works by choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, Medhi Walerski, Out Innerspace, Imre and Marne van Opstal, Roy Assaf, and Micaela Taylor. The company offers a variety of professional development and educational opportunities in the community, aiming to bring the power of dance to the widest audience possible. More info: balletbc.com.
THANK YOU TO THE NAC DANCE SPONSORS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank the generous support by an anonymous donor and Official Hotel Partner of NAC Dance, The Lord Elgin Hotel.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Racines: A show for little ones from which even adults will leave more grown up
The ultimate season of NAC French Theatre Associate Artistic Director, Youth Programming, Mélanie Dumont, begins in gentleness in a week!
October 1, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre (NAC) French Theatre’s new season of Youth programming opens with a sensory and poetic reverie by La Minoterie and Petits bonheurs, intended for children aged 18 months and older. Racines (Roots) is an invitation in a shimmering space, a forest of emotions where one can hear, as if by magic, a child’s inner voice, their desire for both closeness and separation.
Step by step, a child learns to exist on their own. This magnificent piece by Elie Marchand gives voice to the maelstrom of sensations experienced during these key moments. On stage, the dazzling Léa Noblet Di Ziranaldi takes the voice-over and gleefully turns it into riveting physical play. The work billows with sounds and shimmers, and plunges us into a state of reverie.
Racines is, above all, an early childhood theatrical proposition that isn’t afraid to use its words. The speech is in constant dialogue with the body, substance, stunning soundtrack–all transmuted through an alchemy possible thanks to the performer’s multiple talents.
Alongside this production is taking place the free installation of light and sound Les eaux (The Waters), in the NAC Salon. Under a comfortable translucent canopy showing projections of the seaside and children playing, you’ll hear words bubbling up, a tingling joy and the tender voice of a parent telling their soon-to-be-born child that they’re waiting for them, that they already love them. This calming cocoon of sights and sounds will allow families let their dreams ebb and flow with the tides, while reconnecting to the magical substance that connects all living things: water.
PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY
Because the experience of going to the theatre begins long before you step into the performance hall, families are welcome to arrive 45 minutes before the start of the performance to warm up their imaginations. Around the Fountain by the Studio, families are welcome to enjoy a cozy reading corner, engage in a drawing activity, set in a seaside, and meet Marie-Ève Fontaine, one of NAC French Theatre’s artists in residence.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Racines
Azrieli Studio, October 12 (Saturday) and 13 (Sunday), at 11am and 3pm; duration: 30 minutes.
It may be possible for members of the media to attend the matinees (October 9-11), upon availability.
Intimate show in French for children from 18 months to 5 years old; tickets at $15 only.
Les eaux
NAC Salon, October 12 (Saturday) and 13 (Sunday), on-going from 11:30am to 4:30pm.
Free installation for children from 0 to 7 years old, as well as their families.
To purchase tickets for Racines, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/35988 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS); to obtain more information about Les eaux, click here: https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/37060. To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the https://nac-cna.ca/en/%20%20theatrefrancais to learn more about the NAC French Theatre.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNER
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
After a dazzling success at the Rideau Vert, the Collective arrives at the NAC
September 17, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Next week, the 2024 Collective’s Faire le bien will be showing at the National Arts Centre’s French Theatre.
Showered with praise following its creation in Montreal, the show is the result of a collaboration between director Claude Poissant and authors François Archambault and Gabrielle Chapdelaine. Together, they have prepared some twenty sketches in which, with twisted morality and awkward dialogue, poke fun at our mechanisms of toxic positivity and other seemingly benevolent gestures.
“This project takes seizes on our reflections to punctuate our exchanges, to find dissimilarities and resemblances between our clear certainties and these sudden doubts which grip us, attempting to illuminate a little of what remains elusive in humans.”
– Claude Poissant, Director of Faire le bien
The Collective is an initiative of Mani Soleymanlou, who, following a troubling discussion with theatre graduates, wanted to “dream of the future”:
“‘No horizon’, they made me understand. This ‘impossibility of dreaming’, ‘of projecting oneself’, moved me. So, I thought: let’s go ahead, let’s offer them a horizon, a base. Let’s take a risk and offer this generation a breath of fresh air, a possibility, a first rendez-vous, hoping that their path will be full of possibilities.”
– Mani Soleymanlou, Artistic Director, NAC French Theatre and initiator of the Collective
This rendez-vous is driven by the talent and enthusiasm of eight young performers from six different theatre schools: Xavier Bergeron and Léa Roy (Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal); Anaelle Boily Talbot (École de théâtre professionnel du Collège Lionel-Groulx); Mehdi Boumalki (École supérieure de théâtre de l’UQAM); Simon Champagne (École de théâtre du Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe), Christophe Levac and Elizabeth Mageren (École nationale de théâtre du Canada); Charlotte Richer (Conservatoire du Département de théâtre de l’Université d’Ottawa). Together, they work alongside renowned actress, Eve Landry.
In Faire le bien, “empathy, kindness and benevolence can sometimes be disguised as a mission, slowly allowing the formula, the discomforts to emerge,” Director Claude Poissant insists.
As entertaining as it is hilarious, the show is, first and foremost, a great and essential cry for love addressed to the world of today and tomorrow.
MANI REÇOIT CLAUDE POISSANT
On Thursday, September 26, the opening night of Faire le bien, Mani Soleymanlou will be joined by director Claude Poissant as part of the Grandes rencontres du Théâtre français discussion series. The conversation will begin at 6:15 pm in the NAC Salon.
PODCAST “PLUS QUE DU THÉÂTRE”
Julien Morissette spoke with Claude Poissant about Faire le bien; the director's words are interspersed with those of the nine performers. Available in French, the podcast can be accessed here: https://nac-cna.ca/en/podcasts/episode/claude-poissant-et-le-collectif-2024
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Babs Asper Theatre
Thursday September 26 and Friday September 27 at 7:30 pm, and Saturday September 28 at 3 pm
Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes without intermission
Tickets from $31
To purchases tickets, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/35974 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2024-2025 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNER
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
NAC Indigenous Theatre Opens Its Fifth Anniversary Season with Homelands
Powerful production from award-winning Six Nations choreographer Santee Smith and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre hits the stage September 19 and 20
September 6, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Braiding earthy and cinematic media, sound design, and performance, Homelands places Yethi’nihstenha / many womxn within the homelands and waters of Kahnyen’kehàka territory of upper state New York and around Ohswé:ken / Six Nations of the Grand River.
Presented alongside NAC Indigenous Theatre’s Days of Truth and Reconciliation programming and as part of the NAC’s SPHERE festival, Homelands celebrates the timeless kinship between Indigenous women, their lands, and waterways. Audiences will be immersed in a striking fusion of earthy visuals, cinematic media, and powerful performances on A'nowarà:ke (Turtle Island).
Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Turtle Clan, Ohswé:ken/Six Nations of the Grand River. Santee trained at Canada’s National Ballet School; holds Physical Education and Psychology degrees from McMaster University and an M.A. in Dance from York University. Kaha:wi Dance Theatre is a Rotinonhsyón:ni led company renowned for exquisitely produced and viscerally impactful performances, embodying stories that cultivate space for transformation, dialogue, and connection to Indigenous knowledge and experience. Founded in 2005 by Santee Smith, Kaha:wi (Ga-HA-Wee) means “to carry” in Kanyen’kéha.
Inviting the Land to Shape Us | SPHERE Festival Talk: On September 17, Santee speaks about her creative process which takes inspiration from her Rotinohnsyónni family legacy, and a vision to alignment with Onkwehónwe’néha – our way of life and Ka’satsténhsera’kówa Sa’oyé:ra, the immensity of the natural world. For more information, click here.
Tionnhehkwen, an Indigenous Dinner featuring Resident Chef Chris Commandant: We’re pleased to offer a delicious three-course dinner of Indigenous cuisine before the show on September 19, expertly crafted by NAC sous-chef, and Resident Chef (Fall 2024), Chris Commandant. To see the menu and purchase tickets, please visit the event page.
In observance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, we proudly present a collection of virtual and in-person offerings, highlighting the strength and resilience of Indigenous cultures. These all-ages activities aim to educate and share the truths of Indigenous peoples, our stories, and the beauty of our communities. Additional activities are available here.
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
A True Love Story in the Face of Pandemic and Invasion
A TRUE LOVE STORY IN THE FACE OF PANDEMIC AND INVASION
Award-winning First Métis Man of Odesa makes its much-anticipated arrival at the NAC
“First Métis Man of Odesa is a timely, intimate love story. The whole thing is beautifully, unabashedly theatrical.” - Julia Peterson, Saskatoon Star Phoenix
September 10, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada). NAC English Theatre is proud to present the critically acclaimed First Métis Man of Odesa. After touring and captivating audiences in several cities nationwide, this deeply moving love story steps onto the Azrieli Studio from September 18 – 28.
Following a serendipitous encounter in Kyiv, an unexpected flirtation blossoms between a Métis playwright and a Ukrainian actress. Undeterred by the challenges of long distance, their love soon flourishes in a fervent romance spanning oceans and continents, from the scenic beaches of the Black Sea to the tranquil banks of the North Saskatchewan River. As they navigate the onset of a global pandemic and the eruption of war, their journey encompasses profound changes with marriage, the birth of their son, and the adventures of new parenthood.
First Métis Man of Odesa tells the real-life love story of award-winning Métis playwright Matthew MacKenzie and acclaimed Ukrainian actress Mariya Khomutova. Together, they weave the story of their Covid courtship with the personal impact of the war in Ukraine. Their enchanting narrative captures the unbreakable bonds formed in crisis and the transcendent resilience of love.
Winner of three Dora Mavor Moore Awards including Outstanding Production, Outstanding New Work, and Outstanding Direction, this hugely popular production is a must-see for Ottawa audiences.
FIRST METIS MAN OF ODESA – SEPTEMBER 18 – 28 AZRIELI STUDIO
An NAC English Theatre presentation of the Punctuate! Theatre Production
Written and Performed by Matthew MacKenzie and Mariya Khomutova; Directed by Lianna Makuch; Production Designer Daniela Masellis; Projection Designer Amelia Scott; Composer Daraba; Sound Designer Aaron Macri; Design Consultant & Scenic Artist Dawn Marie Marchand; Choreographer Krista Lin; Dramaturg Matt McGeachy; Beadwork Maria Nelson & Krista Leddy; Stage Manager Amy Height; Production Manager & Technical Director Trent Crosby; Associate Designer Cameron Fraser; Producer Andy Cohen; Producer Sheiny Satanove; Associate Producer Alyson Dicey.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank the Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Amélie Bergeron named NAC French Theatre's Associate Artistic Director, Youth programming
August 27, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre (NAC) French Theatre is delighted to announce that Amélie Bergeron will be joining its team as Associate Artistic Director, Youth Programming. She succeeds Mélanie Dumont, who has held this position since 2011.
A graduate (2012) of the Stage Direction and Artistic Creation program at the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec, Amélie Bergeron has worked with a wide range of Canadian organizations—particularly in Quebec City, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Winnipeg, and Ottawa—as a writer, director, and artistic director. In 2024, she completed a scriptwriting course at the École nationale de l’humour, further broadening her skills.
Active in the field of performing arts for young audiences since 2006, Amélie has worked in several capacities, including actor, host/mediator, and project coordinator. She worked for a decade with Les Gros Becs children’s theatre company, where she served as director of programming from 2018 to 2022. As a result of these various experiences, she has built relationships with many artists and partners across the country, a momentum she hopes to maintain as she takes on her new mandate at the NAC.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am at the prospect of joining the wonderful NAC French Theatre team and reconnecting with young audiences. I’m diving into this adventure with confidence and joy. To those I’ve already met: I can’t wait to see you again soon; to the rest of you (audiences, artists, colleagues and partners): I look forward to the great pleasure of meeting you at last!”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Amélie Bergeron to French Theatre. Her extensive expertise in theatre for young audiences, combined with her dynamic energy, make her an outstanding asset to our team, to the NAC, and to the theatre community as a whole. I can’t wait to dream with her about what’s next.”
–Mani Soleymanlou, Artistic Director, French Theatre
The 2024–2025 season of NAC French Theatre’s Children and Youth series will be the last to be directed by Mélanie Dumont, who has managed the program for 13 seasons—totalling more than 70 shows and special events—in addition to coordinating the presentation of the BIG BANG festival and forging lasting links between a number of cultural and artistic communities. She is currently developing a new international event for young audiences, La mèche courte, which will premiere in Montreal in fall 2025.
“Thanks to Mélanie Dumont, the arts for children and youth have enjoyed considerable growth, both locally and across Canada, and even abroad. We’re confident that with Amélie Bergeron’s impressive background, this unique work will continue to flourish, making the NAC a key player in supporting and developing the audiences of today and tomorrow.”
–Christopher Deacon, President and CEO
Amélie will officially take up her new position on Tuesday, September 3, when she will start working on designing the 2025–2026 season, her first as the National Arts Centre French Theatre’s new Associate Artistic Director, Youth Programming, with this idea of theatre in mind:
“I love the fact that theatre can be a place of joy, creativity and comfort. A place that can be simple, crazy, funny and outrageous, but where we can also express what moves us or worries us. A place where we can experience moments that are both intimate and collective, where play is at the heart of it all!”
–Amélie Bergeron
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
National Arts Centre to launch 2024-2025 season with new edition of SPHERE festival
SPHERE takes over NAC stages from September 10-20
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) is proud to open its 2024-2025 season with SPHERE, a multi-disciplinary festival highlighting connections between art and the natural world. Presented by the NAC Orchestra and curated by its Music Director Alexander Shelley, SPHERE will engage all the NAC’s artistic disciplines, with participation from the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, French Theatre, Popular Music and Variety, and 1 Elgin Culinary Arts. This year’s program builds upon SPHERE’s inaugural edition in 2022 to explore rivers, waterways, and watersheds through performances, talks, and visual art.
Attendees will be captivated by the diverse lineup of artists and events at SPHERE, including Polaris Prize and JUNO Award winner Jeremy Dutcher in concert with the NAC Orchestra, Québécoise actor and playwright Christine Beaulieu, GRAMMY Award-winning soprano Renée Fleming, and celebrated Indigenous choreographerTekaronhiáhkhwa Santee Smith. The festival will also premiere a double bill of radio dramas by Canadian playwrights David Yee and Berni Stapleton and feature a specially curated dinner by 1 Elgin’s Resident Chef for fall 2024, Chris Commandant. Throughout the festival, the NAC’s Kipnes Lantern will showcase an installation by renowned visual artist and microbiologist Chloé Savard, also known as @Tardibabe, to her more than one million Instagram followers.
SPHERE begins on September 10 with the world premiere of UAQUEin Southam Hall, a NAC Dance and NAC Orchestra co-commission that uniquely fuses dance, music and visual art, choreographed by Andrea Peña. UAQUE, meaning “kin, relative, neighbour, friend” in the Indigenous Muisca language from Peña’s native Colombia, will take audiences on a contemplative and immersive journey through dance. The piece sets ten performers against a backdrop of stirring photographs by renowned Canadian artist Edward Burtynskyand orchestral selections by the NAC Orchestra led by Alexander Shelley, alternating with works by electronic music producer and composer Eƨƨe Ran.
“I am thrilled to begin my tenth season at the NAC with the second instalment of such a timely and ambitious festival. At the heart of SPHERE is an invitation to celebrate the intellectual and artistic inspiration that Mother Earth gives us and to explore our fragile relationship with her,” says Alexander Shelley. “As a hub for performing arts in Canada's National Capital, we will honour the region's three major rivers and its numerous waterways through adventurous, vibrant, and thoughtful programming presented by some of the country's most celebrated and emerging artists. We invite our audiences to journey with us as we consider the future of the natural world and its most abundant resource through song, dance, theatre, and visual art.”
The season-opening festival welcomes another significant milestone as Caroline Ohrt introduces her first season as the Executive Producer of NAC Dance.
“I can't think of a better way to begin my inaugural season at the NAC than with the world premiere ofUAQUE, a commission for the multi-disciplinary choreographer Andrea Peña,” says Caroline Ohrt. “The NAC is honoured to partner with Andrea Peña & Artiststo premiere such a meaningful and important work, bringing together dance and music with Edward Burtynsky's striking photographs that speak volumes about our planet's vulnerable state. We invite audiences to pause and reflect on our connection to the earth.”
In addition to programming across the NAC’s stages, SPHERE includes free events such as panel discussions, live demonstrations, and a day of music and family activities at the Canadian Museum of History.
For more information and a complete festival schedule, visit nac-cna.ca/en/sphere.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Thank you to our Lead Donors, Earle O'Born & Janice O'Born, C.M., O.Ont.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded over 40 commercial recordings, including many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers.
These include:
The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13, commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra
Clara - Robert - Johannes: A multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero
The groundbreaking Life Reflected, which includes “My Name is Amanda Todd” by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year)
Ana Sokolović’s "Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes," 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds)
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre
ABOUT ALEXANDER SHELLEY
Alexander Shelley succeeded Pinchas Zukerman as Music Director of Canada’s NAC Orchestra in September 2015. The ensemble has since been praised as being “transformed, hungry, bold, and unleashed” (Ottawa Citizen) and Shelley’s programming credited for turning the Orchestra into “one of the more audacious in North America” (Maclean’s).
Shelley is a champion of Canadian creation. Recent hallmarks include multimedia projects Life Reflected and UNDISRUPTED and three major new ballets in partnership with NAC Dance for Encount3rs. He is passionate about arts education and nurturing the next generation of musicians. He is an Ambassador for Ottawa’s OrKidstra, a charitable social development program that teaches children life skills through making music together.
In April 2022, Alexander Shelley made his debut at Carnegie Hall with the NAC Orchestra in its long-awaited return, and in the spring of 2019, he led the Orchestra on its critically acclaimed 50th-anniversary European tour, with stops in London, Paris, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.
Shelley is also the Principal Associate Conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and, starting with the 2024/25 season, the Music Director of Artis-Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in Florida, USA. Previous releases with the NAC Orchestra include the JUNO-nominated New Worlds, Life Reflected, ENCOUNT3RS, The Bounds of Our Dreams, the acclaimed multi-volume Clara - Robert - Johannes series, all with Canadian label Analekta, as well as Truth in Our Time with Orange Mountain Music.
The Music Director role is supported by Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., ONL, LL.D. (hc)
The National Arts Centre and CBC/Radio-Canada Bring the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to Ottawa-Gatineau
Celebrate our Olympic athletes and experience the excitement of the Paris 2024 Games at the NAC.
During the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the National Arts Centre (NAC) and CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s Olympic Network, will be teaming up to bring Ottawa-Gatineau residents all the thrilling moments and celebrate the performances of Canadian athletes. From July 26 to August 10, CBC/Radio-Canada’s comprehensive coverage of Paris 2024 will be shown in the NAC’s public spaces. For the event, the NAC’s Kipnes Lantern will sport the colours of Paris 2024.
The festivities will kick off on July 25 at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s soccer game between Canada and New Zealand, followed by the Opening Ceremony on July 26, starting at 1 p.m. Afterwards, Olympic Games events will be broadcast in the NAC public spaces every day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., in French, English and Indigenous languages, when available.
“We are thrilled to partner with CBC/Radio-Canada to bring the excitement of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to our public spaces at the National Arts Centre. This collaboration not only celebrates the spirit of global athleticism but also strengthens our commitment to fostering community engagement and cultural enrichment. Together, we look forward to providing a vibrant and inclusive viewing experience for all visitors.”
– Christopher Deacon, President and CEO, National Arts Centre
“This collaboration is a testament to the strong ties between our two institutions, which each play a unique role in shaping our shared identity. Thanks to this partnership, visitors to the National Arts Centre can closely follow the Canadian athletes they admire, and together celebrate their Olympic exploits.”
– Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada
This collaboration between two national cultural institutions will allow residents and visitors in the National Capital Region to come together and cheer on our athletes, while sharing in the excitement of the first Olympic Games held before an international audience since 2018.
The NAC and CBC/Radio-Canada will also be working together for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. More information will follow in the coming weeks.
About the National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multidisciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
Media contacts:
National Arts Centre
Carl Martin
Senior Advisor, Strategy and Communications carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
CBC/Radio-Canada
Emma Iannetta
Senior Specialist, Media Relations emma.iannetta@cbc.ca
MYÜZ: An Accessible Immersive Escape Experience at the National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre has created, as part of its commitment to accessibility and diversity, an innovative and inclusive initiative entitled MYÜZ. Running from July 31 to August 17, 2024, with various entry times. MYÜZ reimagines traditional immersive experiences by blending puzzles, immersive art exhibits, and therapeutic sensory rooms.
MUSE noun /mjuːz/
MYÜZ is a unique experience that dares visitors to go deep into the mind of an artist and influence the creative process. The experience offers visitors of all abilities the opportunity to enter four interconnected rooms, each featuring tactile elements and visual stimulations designed to accommodate diverse sensory needs.
The catalyst for the project is Sarah MacKinnon, the NAC’s Chief Information Officer. Sarah is the mother of three children with disabilities: Téa, 17, has cerebral palsy, while her sons Rowan, 14, and Graeme, 11, are on the autism spectrum.
“When our family goes on vacation, it’s always hard to find attractions that are appropriate and enjoyable for everyone. Venues are rarely universally accessible, or they’ve been adapted after-the-fact, for example through the addition of a wheelchair ramp. When it’s a retrofit, it always shows,” said Sarah MacKinnon, Chief Information Officer at the NAC.
The project raised awareness among the NAC creative team as to what constitutes good inclusive design. Heather Gibson assembled a creative team, including Echo Zhou, Martin Conboy and Katharine Fountain who acted as set, lighting and sound designers, respectively. Visual artists Brad Hindson and Max Striecher, as well as the Canada Council Art Bank, also contributed. Consultants from the disability community were involved from the beginning in the conception of MYÜZ. They include Dominique Chabot of Autism Canada, Liz Winkelaar and Geoffrey Dollar of Propeller Dance, Pina D’Intino and David Wysocki of Aequum Global Access Inc, as well as Anna-Karina Tabuñar of Talent Untapped Group.
“It’s important that we push boundaries to not only find ways for all audiences to attend but also participate fully at the NAC. Projects like MYÜZ bring us closer to understanding what is needed for true accessibility both on and off the stage,” said Heather Gibson, Executive Producer Popular Music and Variety.
Advocates in the Disability Community are also taking notice.
“MYÜZ offers a truly neuro-inclusive environment,” says Dominique Chabot, Family Support Manager for Autism Canada and a parent to two children on the autism spectrum. “This work doesn’t just meet the standards set forth by the Accessibility Act, it’s actually a pioneering leap towards true inclusivity, redefining how cultural institutions engage with diverse audiences. Through initiatives like MYÜZ, the NAC continues to lead the way in promoting neurodiversity and breaking down barriers, contributing to a more inclusive and vibrant artistic landscape in Canada.”
While MYÜZ was designed to be universally accessible, it is suitable for all audiences and recommended. Group bookings are encouraged, as the experience is amplified when participating as a group of up to 8 people.
Dare to delve into the unknown, where reality and fantasy converge. Will you seize your destiny? Or succumb to the eternal embrace of the dream...
MEDIA CALL
Date: Tuesday, July 30th
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Studio Azrieli, 1 Elgin Street, National Arts Centre
Sarah MacKinnon will be on-site for interviews and discussions. Photos and videos are available below. For alternate times or to book pre-interviews, please contact Mathieu Roy at mathieu.roy@nac-cna.ca or 613-793-3998
MYÜZ takes place from July 31 to August 17, 2024, offering multiple entry times. Given the immersive nature of the experience, groups of up to 8 people are recommended. Tickets for group entries should be purchased together. Visit the ticket page for further information.
As part of our commitment to accessibility and diversity, we welcome individuals of all abilities and their service animals to join us on this adventure.
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Henry Kennedy appointed first Resident Conductor of NAC Orchestra
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) is delighted to announce that Nova Scotian conductor Henry Kennedy has been selected as its new Resident Conductor. Kennedy will commence his two-year term at the beginning of the 2024-2025 season.
Henry Kennedy hails from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and has spent his educational and professional life mostly based in the United Kingdom. His comprehensive experience and passion for music make him an invaluable addition to the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
27-year-old Kennedy is already a distinguished young conductor with a background in both opera and orchestral music, having recently completed his tenure as Conductor of Wroclaw Opera, in Poland, where he led numerous productions during the 2022-2023 season. Last summer, he was the Assistant Conductor to Sir John Eliot Gardiner for Berlioz’s monumental opera Les Troyens, touring prestigious venues such as the Berlioz Festival, Salzburg Festival, The Royal Opera of Versailles, Berliner Philharmonie, and BBC Proms. His forthcoming engagements include performances of Tosca in Italy with Orchestra Cherubini, marking the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death.
As the founder of the London, UK-based Resonate Symphony Orchestra and its music director since 2017, Kennedy has curated and conducted diverse programs across London’s prominent concert halls. His training includes studying under Riccardo Muti and assisting several esteemed conductors with leading symphony and opera orchestras worldwide.
Kennedy will visit Ottawa this summer to attend the NAC Orchestra’s summer concert series and officially starts his tenure in September 2024.
Reflecting on this new role, Henry Kennedy said, “I feel greatly honoured to be joining the National Arts Centre Orchestra as their Resident Conductor. I will never forget the lightning bolt response I received from the Orchestra in the audition when I gave the downbeat for the first movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. From the beginning to the end of the audition, I felt a musical electricity that I have never experienced before. This position offers a unique opportunity to work alongside some of the world’s finest musicians and contribute to the vibrant cultural landscape of Canada. I look forward to a period of immense growth and artistic collaboration in the beautiful city of Ottawa.”
Alexander Shelley, NACO Music Director, expressed his enthusiasm for Kennedy’s appointment: “I am delighted to be welcoming Henry to our artistic team. During his audition he demonstrated wonderful technique and poise in front of the orchestra and spoke eloquently about the role of the conductor in the community and about the importance of music to us all. He joins us at an exciting moment in his career as his work across the pond in the UK and Europe continues to blossom. I am confident that our audiences in Ottawa and across Canada will benefit greatly from his artistry. Welcome, Henry!”
The selection process, open to Canadians and Permanent Residents, involved reviewing over 50 applications, auditioning five finalists, and obtaining feedback from orchestra members and the Artistic Advisory Committee. The final decision was made by Alexander Shelley.
“This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the National Arts Centre, as we expand our suite of professional development opportunities for Canadian artists,” says Nelson McDougall, NACO Managing Director. “The number of applicants for this position shows the need for increased collaboration from orchestras across Canada to support the next generation of Canadian conductors, and we are already moving on plans to achieve this for the many talented young conductors we discovered through this process. By adding this new role to existing programs, like our NACO Mentorship Program, and programs we support such as Tapestry Opera’s Women in Musical Leadership Program, the international Maestra and Malko competitions, and OAcademy, we are maximizing efforts towards the development of young conductors. There is nothing more important than top-flight, hands-on work for a conductor in the early stages of their career.”
The new two-year Resident Conductor position, starting in September 2024, offers an immersive professional development opportunity under the mentorship of Music Director Alexander Shelley. Responsibilities include serving as assistant conductor for the Orchestra’s guest conductors, working closely with Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, and collaborating with NACO’s administrative team. The role includes a competitive salary and participation in a conductor exchange program with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
ABOUT HENRY KENNEDY
British-Canadian conductor Henry Kennedy recently completed a one-year tenure as Conductor of Wroclaw Opera. He is the founder and Music Director of the Resonate Symphony Orchestra, leading diverse programs in London’s prominent concert halls. Kennedy has assisted renowned conductors such as Marin Alsop, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Sir Simon Rattle. Upcoming engagements include debuts with the Warsaw Radio Orchestra and performances of Tosca with Orchestra Cherubini at various Italian opera houses. He holds a Master of Arts in conducting and a Bachelor of Music in clarinet from the Royal Academy of Music, London, and has been mentored by distinguished conductors including Richard Bonynge, Christopher Seaman, Christian Thielemann, Colin Metters, Riccardo Muti and David Zinman.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13, commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Clara - Robert - Johannes: A multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero.
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year).
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds).
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos.
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Greggory Clark
Communications Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
2024 : A Summer Odyssey – A World Premiere, A Local Violin Sensation, and Strauss' Epic Tone Poem
June 20, 2024 – OTTAWA – Take a break from the summer sun and experience a different kind of heat as the NAC Orchestra (NACO) brings you an epic tone poem, a brilliant homegrown international violin sensation, and a world premiere, inspired by Japanese sci-fi magic — all on the Southam Hall stage.
The evening begins with the world premiere of 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna, written for NACO by Métis composer Ian Cusson. This provocative new work, inspired by Haruki Murakami’s Orwellian novel 1Q84, blends Japanese sci-fi with magical realism, philosophy, and mythology.
Next, Ottawa’s own international violin sensation, Kerson Leong, will ignite the stage with Max Bruch’s romantic Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, one of the most beloved violin concertos of all time. Max Bruch is best known today for his first Violin Concerto which he began working on in 1857, but only completed it in 1866. Once finished, Bruch revised the concerto based on suggestions from the famous violinist Joseph Joachim and the final version premiered in Bremen on January 5, 1868. Nearly 40 years later, Joachim still considered Bruch’s violin concerto one of the four greatest of the nineteenth century, alongside those of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, calling it "the richest, the most seductive ". Additional program notes can be found here.
Finally, if the sunrise could be depicted by a song, it would be Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) by Richard Strauss. You’ve likely heard it before, as it symbolizes the dawn of time in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and, more recently, the dawn of film Barbie in 2023! While the opening theme, known as "Sunrise" in the composer’s program notes, is widely recognized, Also sprach Zarathustra offers a profound musical journey beyond this famous snippet. As a tone poem, the full composition is rich with depth and variety, promising a captivating experience that extends far beyond its renowned introduction. This work is an epic journey—powerful, unforgettable, and best experienced live.
This concert is the perfect opportunity to introduce someone to the world of live symphonic music as the program bridges the familiar and the extraordinary. Plus, enjoy accessible ticket prices ranging from $15 to $45!
Alexander Shelley, Ian Cusson, and Kerson Leong have limited availability, and may be available for virtual or in-person interviews. For scheduling and availability, please contact Mathieu Roy directly: mathieu.roy@nac-cna.ca.
See the full NAC Summer Programming lineup and additional ticket info on our website.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13, commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Clara - Robert - Johannes: A multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero.
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year).
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds).
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos.
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra, and Earle O'Born & Janice O'Born, C.M., O.Ont. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc).
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Nuits claires from Vancouver to Caraquet: Twelve Canadian theatres to collaborate on an ambitious cumulative French language writing project
June 11, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre is proud to announce that Nuits claires, a major pan-Canadian project initiated by Mani Soleymanlou, artistic director of NAC French Theatre, and Cory Haas, artistic and managing director of Vancouver’s Théâtre la Seizième, will kick off in a few weeks. The year-long collective venture will be launched in British Columbia in July 2024 and will gradually move across the country, finishing up in New Brunswick in spring 2025. Each month, the 12 participating theatre companies will assign a playwright to create a 10-minute script moving beyond traditional dramaturgy, inspired by the innovative and playful guidelines developed by Danielle Le Saux-Farmer and Gabriel Plante. The duo will also coordinate the final presentation of the project, a compilation of all the scripts, to be staged in the nation’s capital in September 2025 as part of the next edition of Zones Théâtrales.
WRITING THE NIGHT
Writing the night: about and during the night, to see what this space may open up by moving away from conventional issues of identity and language. This ambitious venture, a journey from west to east spanning five time zones, will unite the participants in a creative exploration of the night and its mysteries, as if to reflect Paul Lefebvre’s recent statement on receiving the Sentinelle Prize from the Conseil québécois du théâtre: “Theatre is to the community what nocturnal dreams are to the individual: a way of finding symbolic representations of and even solutions to vital questions that neither logic nor will can grasp or resolve.”
The writers will be chosen to reflect the diversity of today’s world, and will be closely supported by the two dramaturges in writing and editing the material produced. Combining performance, nocturnal exploration and transnational teamwork, the project promises to reveal new voices and visions from the Francophonie on the critical issues of our time.
PROPOSED SCHEDULE AND PARTICIPATING COMPANIES
July 2024 Théâtre la Seizième (Vancouver, BC)
August Open Pit Theatre (Whitehorse, YT)
September L’UniThéâtre (Edmonton, AB)
October La Troupe du Jour (Saskatoon, SK)
November Théâtre Cercle Molière (Winnipeg, MB)
December Théâtre français de Toronto (Toronto, ON)
January 2025 Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury, ON)
February La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins (Ottawa, ON)
March Théâtre de Quat’Sous (Montréal, QC)
April La Bordée (Québec, QC)
May Théâtre l’Escaouette (Moncton, NB)
June Théâtre populaire d’Acadie (Caraquet, NB)
The order of the stops may change along the way. The writers’ names will be announced at the beginning of each month. Project details will be meticulously documented and posted on a dedicated website: https://nac-cna.ca/en/theatrefrancais/nuits-claires
The NAC French Theatre will be the producer of this national project, in addition to being the co-creator with the Théâtre la Seizième. Each participating theatre will act as a collaborator.
DRAMATURGICAL SUPPORT
Danielle Le Saux-Farmer is an actor, director, playwright and translator. A graduate of the University of Ottawa (theatre) and the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec (acting), she was the artistic and general director of Théâtre Catapulte (Ottawa) from 2017 to 2023. She has performed at the Théâtre du Trident, La Bordée, Premier Acte, Le Périscope, Théâtre La Licorne, Théâtre Denise-Pelletier, and on tour across the country, notably in Mani Soleymanlou’s Un. Deux. Trois. In April 2025, she will direct the stage adaptation of Marie-Ève Thuot’s novel La trajectoire des confettis at the Théâtre du Trident.
Gabriel Plante completed his playwriting training at the National Theatre School of Canada in 2015. Since 2012, he has written and produced over ten shows, including Histoire populaire et sensationnelle, Sur l’apparition des os dans le corps and Cette colline n’est jamais vraiment silencieuse; in 2016, he received the Gratien-Gélinas Prize for the text of the former. Gabriel is a past president of the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) and is currently co-artistic director of Création Dans la Chambre (Montréal). His artistic practice focuses on removing stories from their original context and presenting them from unexpected angles, and discovering dramatic possibilities in social practices that would seem to contain little in the way of drama.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Supporting Partner Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
NAC Orchestra presents stellar lineup at free Canada Day Concert
The spectacular Canada Day celebration takes place at Southam Hall on July 1st at 2:30pm
June 6, 2024 – OTTAWA – Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra is thrilled to announce the program of Canadian musical talent and composers for its annual Canada Day Concert. Admission is free.
On July 1st, Music Director Alexander Shelley will lead the NAC Orchestra alongside JUNO Award-winning vocalist Kellylee Evans, Ottawa-born violinist Kerson Leong, and the bilingual slam poet and songwriter YAO, showcasing an extraordinary repertoire by Canadian composers.
The NAC Orchestra will be joined by hundreds of singers from the Unisong Choral Festival; a special ensemble made up of choirs from all ages and from all parts of Canada.
The 75-minute performance, presented without intermission, will captivate audiences with a diverse selection of music from renowned Canadian composersFrançois Dompierre, Andrew Balfour, Keiko Devaux, and the legendary Oscar Peterson. Additional repertoire will be announced from the stage.
The NAC Orchestra has a proud tradition of presenting free concerts on Canada Day, and this year’s event continues that legacy with a stellar lineup of artists. The immensely talented jazz and soul vocalist Kellylee Evans first performed with the NAC Orchestra at the Canada Day Concert in 2014; bilingual songwriter and slam poet YAO also hosted the Canada Day Concert in 2022 and 2023; and the Ottawa-born international violin sensation Kerson Leong will perform in upcoming concerts with the NAC Orchestra on both July 1st (Canada Day Concert 2024) and July 4th (A Summer Odyssey) at Southam Hall. These collaborations bring an extraordinary dimension to the performance, showcasing Canadian music across diverse styles and languages.
To conclude the concert, the NAC Orchestra will deliver a moving rendition of “Hymn to Freedom”, a soul-stirring masterpiece by the late Canadian jazz pianist and composer, Oscar Peterson.
This free event provides a wonderful opportunity for fans of all ages to hear live music in the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall. “It’s a wonderful occasion where families, friends, and communities can come together,” says Alexander Shelley, Music Director of the NAC Orchestra. “Each year we feature the incredible talent of Canadian artists, our National Arts Centre Orchestra, and composers who represent the vast and varied Canadian music scene. Our program features work spanning over 100 years of Canadian music-making. It’s a powerful reminder of the vibrant and evolving nature of Canadian music.”
“What I love most about this concert is how it brings people together. Whether you’re performing on stage or singing along in the audience, you can feel the sense of togetherness in the room. Concerts like this are a beautiful reminder of the power of music,” says guest artist Kellylee Evans. “I’m looking forward to sharing in those magical moments of a live performance where we can all feel the energy and joy of the music together.”
“Personally, what I’m most looking forward to is seeing the audience’s reaction. Those are the moments that really stand out for me! There’s an energy in the air at these free concerts, a palpable sense of community and connection,” says YAO. “As a bilingual artist, it’s an incredible opportunity to be able to share my words and music with such a diverse audience and in the company of the superb NAC Orchestra. It’s truly an honour to be a part of this celebration, and to see how music can touch people’s hearts and minds.”
The 2024 Canada Day Concert by the NAC Orchestra will take place on July 1st at 2:30pm. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. Outside of Southam Hall, television screens will broadcast the Canada Day Concert live inside the National Arts Centre public spaces.
Doors to Southam Hall will open at 2:00pm, half an hour before the concert begins. The National Arts Centre and 1 Elgin Restaurant will be open before and after the show.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13, commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Clara - Robert - Johannes: A multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero.
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year).
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds).
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos.
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark
Communications Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
Casting Announced for the New Canadian Production of Come From Away
Casting Announced for the New Canadian Production of
COME FROM AWAY
Book, Music & Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Canadian Cast Features: Kyle Brown, Clint Butler, Saccha Dennis, Steffi DiDomenicantonio, Kate Etienne, Barbara Fulton, Lisa Horner, Barbara Johnston, James Kall, Jeff Madden, Jawon Mapp, Ali Momen, Sarah Nairne, Cory O’Brien, Kristen Peace, David Silvestri, Cailin Stadnyk, and Aaron Walpole
Performances In Ottawa Begin August 14, 2024 at The National Arts Centre
Performances In Toronto Begin September 22, 2024 at The Royal Alexandra Theatre
David Mirvish and The National Arts Centre English Theatre are delighted to announce the cast of the new Canadian production of the multi-award-winning global sensation Come From Away.
Come From Away will play a limited run at the Babs Asper Theatre, National Arts Centre in Ottawa from August 14 to September 1, 2024. It will then travel to Toronto for its return engagement, playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre from September 22 through December 22, 2024.
Tickets to Come From Away in Ottawa are on sale at nac-cna.ca. Tickets for the Toronto return (first block of performances until December 22) are on sale at mirvish.com.
This production of Come From Away is produced by Mirvish Productions and TheNational Arts Centre English Theatre.
About The Cast
Come From Away features an all-Canadian cast. All but three of the 18-member company were part of the earlier production of the show, which began in Toronto on February 18, 2018 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Its run was cut short by the global pandemic on March 13, 2020.
Starring are: Kyle Brown as Bob & others, Saccha Dennis as Hannah & others, Steffi DiDomenicantonio as Janice & others, Barbara Fulton as Diane & others, Lisa Horner as Beulah & others, James Kall as Nick/Doug & others, Jeff Madden as Kevin T. /Garth & others, Ali Momen as Kevin J. /Ali & others, Cory O’Brien as Oz & others, Kristen Peace as Bonnie & others, David Silvestri as Claude & others and Cailin Stadnyk as Beverley/Annette & others. The cast also includes Clint Butler, Kate Etienne, Barbara Johnston, Jawon Mapp, Sarah Nairne and Aaron Walpole as Standbys.
(New to the Come From Away family are: Barbara Johnston, Jawon Mapp and Aaron Walpole.)
Exclusive for the Ottawa engagement, Come From Away’s co-creator, Irene Sankoff, will perform Bonnie & others at The National Arts Centre.
About Come From Away
This New York Times Critic's Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
This breathtaking musical is written by Tony®-nominated Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein and featuring Tony®-winning direction by Christopher Ashley. Newsweek cheers, “It takes you to a place you never want to leave!”
On 9/11, the world stopped.
On 9/12, their stories moved us all.
Come From Away features a book, music and lyrics by Olivier, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winners and Grammy and two-time Tony Award nominees Irene Sankoff & David Hein, direction by Tony Award winner and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Christopher Ashley, musical staging by Olivier Award winner and two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine, and music supervision by Olivier Award winner and Grammy Award nominee Ian Eisendrath.
Come From Away features scenic design by Tony Award winner Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Tony Award nominee Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Howell Binkley, sound design by Olivier & Outer Critics Circle Award winner and Tony Award nominee Gareth Owen, orchestrations by Olivier Award winner and Grammy & Tony Award nominee August Eriksmoen, and music arrangements by Olivier Award winner and Grammy Award nominee Ian Eisendrath.
A “Best Musical” winner all across North America, the smash hit musical has won the Tony Award for “Best Direction of a Musical” (Christopher Ashley), 4 Olivier Awards (London) including “Best New Musical,” 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding New Broadway Musical,” 3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding Musical,” 4 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards (North American Tour) including “Best Production,” 4 Helen Hayes Awards (D.C.) including “Outstanding Production of a Musical,” 4 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including “Excellence in Production of a Musical,” 6 San Diego Critics Circle Awards including “Outstanding New Musical,” 3 Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including “Best New Musical,” 3 Dora Awards (Toronto) including “Outstanding New Musical/Opera” and “Outstanding Production,” and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto).
The Grammy Award-nominated original Broadway cast recording of Come From Away is available digitally and in stores everywhere. Grammy Award winner David Lai and Grammy Award nominees Ian Eisendrath, August Eriksmoen, Irene Sankoff & David Hein served as album producers.
Come From Away was originally produced by Junkyard Dog Productions (Randy Adams, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff and Sue Frost).
Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, and Mirvish Productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Come From Away was developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project (Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, ON), and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam, CT. It was also part of the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in New York 2013. The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, and the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, WA, also provided development support.
Come From Away
Tickets from $49
Mirvish.com
Performances Begin September 22, 2024
The Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St West, Toronto
SHARE THE AIR: Music by women continues to be underplayed
Landmark study shows significant gender inequity on Canadian radio over the last decade with only marginal improvement on pop-oriented formats
June 3, 2024 – TORONTO (Canada) – Share the Air: A Study of Gender Representation on Canadian Radio (2013-2023) was released today – an extensive study by Dr. Jada Watson through her research program SongData, prepared in collaboration with Eugénie Tessier and in partnership with the National Arts Centre and Women in Music Canada. The study was generously supported by Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, Ontario Creates, and Feisty Creative.
Taking an intersectional approach to radio data analysis, Dr. Watson evaluated representation amongst the top 150 songs played on Canadian commercial radio between 2013 and 2023 and of all songs played in 2023. Results indicate that songs by women – especially those by women of colour – are underrepresented in each format studied: country, alternative rock, active rock, Top 40, mainstream adult contemporary, hot adult contemporary, and on two specially curated portfolios of French-language stations of both mainstream and hot adult contemporary formats.
Women are almost invisible on some radio formats in Canada. Alternative Rock stations play on average only one song by women per hour, while Active Rock plays just one per 4- or 5-hour block. Country stations: only two per hour. The three pop-oriented genres show greater representation, but songs by women still capture just one third of overall programming.
The study also considers representation via Canadian Content designation, finding that songs by Canadian women are not prioritised in programming on Canadian radio and are programmed less than songs by international female artists. Programming of songs by women of colour are often impacted the most through as the study finds, as their songs are vastly under programmed across all formats. Trans, non-binary, genderqueer and 2-Spirit artists (referred to as Trans* artists in the study) are nearly absent overall, with only a few international artists receiving minimal support through programming on Top 40, mainstream adult contemporary, and hot adult contemporary playlists.
“The results of SongData’s study, which focused on the last decade of radio, are unequivocal: songs by women are underplayed on Canadian radio and those by women of colour and Trans* artists are on some formats entirely unplayed. This is most disconcerting for me in Country and Rock radio – formats with deep roots in Black musical culture and traditions. We see in these findings only a marginal bump in programming for songs by women in 2023 on Canadian radio – nothing to reverse the systemic inequity in the industry in any significant way. These findings are echoed within the programming of the two portfolios of French language stations that we curated specifically for this study, which reveal the same prioritising of songs by white male artists at all levels of analysis. Women’s voices – especially Canadian women’s voices – are lost in the programming pipeline. It’s time for change. It's time to share the air.”
Jada Watson
Principal Investigator of SongData and Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Ottawa
Songs that receive radio support have historically had a greater chance for commercial success in the industry’s mainstream and, as a result, artists careers have long often been determined by whether they were supported by radio.
“Radio plays a critical role in the music industry. It has a significant impact on determining mainstream success that includes artists programmed to headline festivals and at large venues across the country. The fact that gender inequity and lack of diversity persist at this level, almost 30 years after the Lilith Fair, is alarming. Women and diverse artists are doing incredible work in music, and we are calling on Canadian radio broadcasters to play their part in elevating and fostering gender equity on the air.”
Heather Gibson
Executive Producer of Popular Music and Variety, National Arts Centre
While the findings shared in this report reveal significant inequity within the Canadian music industry ecosystem, they are not surprising to those devoting their careers to music.
“We must shift from conversation to concrete action towards equity. Without pro-active measures like those put in place for Canadian content, the industry will continue to favour songs created and performed by men. This will continue to have a negative impact on women’s careers, notably on their representation in nominations for Juno Awards, the Canadian Country Music Awards, the ADISQ Gala, and representation on festivals and tours (especially as headliners), among other industry recognitions. Change needs to be done at multiple levels of the artist development and promotion pipeline. It is only through working together on this change that we will see movement to finally enjoying a truly more diverse, equitable and inclusive industry for all.”
Robyn Stewart
Executive Director and CEO, Women in Music Canada
Read the Executive Summary of A Study of Gender on Canadian Radio (2013-2023).
ABOUT SONGDATA
The SongData Project explores the potential of using discographic and biographic data to learn more about how popular music genres form, develop, and evolve over time. We are developing approaches for using information about songs and artists to explore the connections between musicians and the broader socio-cultural and institutional frameworks that govern genres.
ABOUT WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA
Women in Music Canada (WIMC) is a registered non-profit organization and one of the largest music industry associations in Canada. The organization is dedicated to fostering gender equality in the music industry through the support and advancement of professionals and creatives at every stage of their career. The goal is to strengthen the social-economic balance of the music industry by providing professional development, support and resources for our community. Women in Music Canada hosts educational, career development and networking events alongside broader programming initiatives, industry engagement, research and advocacy to serve the needs of our diverse community. Our panels, seminars, webinars, workshops and performance serve to educate, empower, and celebrate women contributions to the music world, and strengthen community ties.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Mireille Allaire
Director of Communications, Programming
NAC Celebrates National Indigenous History Month with a Vibrant Array of Events
Experience Indigenous artistry in all its forms, including comedy, theatre, markets and more
May 29, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – This National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, the NAC celebrates the strength and resilience of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation, their people, cultures, and perspectives.
Throughout June, we feature Indigenous artists in a curated collection of activities and events including the comedy show Got Land?, Indigenous Trivia Night and our Summer Indigenous Art Market. The highlight of the month is the theatre production You Used to Call Me Marie... by actor, playwright, director, and producer Tai Amy Grauman.
A love story, a historical epic, and a celebration of Métis song and dance, You used to call me Marie… brings to life the stories of the Callihoo women in Alberta. We follow Iskwewo, Napew, and Mistatim ('horse' in Michif) in eight intertwined love stories as the Métis Nation rises across the plains — through tales of the fur trade, governance, and organizing from the 1930s to today — in a beautiful new play featuring dance and live music, from French fiddle to contemporary country.
Tai Amy Grauman is Métis Cree with ties to Haudenosaunee voyageurs from Ardrossan, Alberta. Her family comes from a community in Alberta formerly known as St. Paul des Métis. She is the first elected Provincial Women’s Representative as part of the first Otipemisiawk Métis Government within Alberta.
Join us online and at the National Arts Centre to honour and engage with Indigenous artists through workshops, performances, discussions, and more.
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites, and Major Sponsor of Indigenous Programming TD Bank Group. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
The 2024 RBC Emerging Artist Award goes to Nehiyaw actor, writer, and improviser Todd Houseman
RBC continues to shine a light on new artistic talent with award part of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards
May 28, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – As Presenting Sponsor of the 2024 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, RBC is once again showing its commitment to Canada’s emerging artists.
Todd Houseman (aka Kaskitew Asiniy) was chosen as the 2024 recipient of the RBC Emerging Artist Award in a selection process conducted by a committee of artistic leaders based on merit and impact on the community.
Todd is a graduate and current teacher at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. A player and instructor with Edmonton’s Rapid Fire Theatre improv company for over a decade, he was awarded Alberta’s Best Actor at the Alberta film and Television Awards (Rosies) in 2020. The following year, in 2021, he was awarded a position on the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation’s Top 30 Under 30 list in recognition of both his artistic and cultural facilitation work.
He is currently working with Toronto’s Outside the March on his new play The Children of the Bear, which has been in development as a large-scale immersive play.
“Winning this prize makes me feel grateful, humbled, and complex. Throughout my career, I have felt a lot of imposter syndrome so it's sometimes difficult to accept a compliment. Also, with everything happening in the world right now I feel extremely privileged to be in this position; to be recognized for my artistic practice. I'm grateful for this recognition and I give thanks to all the people who came before me who forged this path that I am following. I only hope to make the most of this moment and this prize by continuing to make work that I think would make my ancestors proud. Kinanâskomitin ekwa hiy hiy.”
- Todd Houseman, RBC Emerging Artist Award recipient
Todd was nominated by the NAC’s Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre, Kevin Loring.
“Todd Houseman is an innovative artist whose work blends traditional and contemporary Indigenous narratives. Todd's exceptional talent, professionalism, dedication to his craft and commitment to using his platform to highlight Indigenous issues and inspire the next generation of artists makes him an exemplary choice for this prestigious award.”
- Kevin Loring, Artistic Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre
Todd Houseman will be celebrated with all the 2024 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards on June 8, 2024, at the National Arts Centre.
"RBC’s commitment to emerging artists is extraordinary. We are deeply grateful that, as the Presenting Sponsor for the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, RBC is awarding this significant prize for a second year. Their unwavering support for emerging artists helps nurture the next generation of Canadian talent, ensuring a vibrant and dynamic future for the arts in our country. RBC's dedication to supporting emerging artists is truly commendable and plays a crucial role in fostering creative excellence and innovation."
- Juniper Locilento, CEO, NAC Foundation
The inaugural RBC Emerging Artist Award was presented last year, in 2023. It recognized Ralph Escamillan, a queer, Canadian-Filipinx performance artist, teacher and community leader based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Mireille Allaire
Director of Communications, Programming
SCOOOOOTCH! at the NAC French Theatre will stick with you
A playful performance without words for children of ages 2 to 8
May 22, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The NAC French Theatre wraps up its 55th season with vibrant colours and a material as sticky as it is delightful: (recyclable) scotch tape!
Conceived and directed by Amélie Poirier, SCOOOOOTCH! is produced by Synthèse additive, a Montreal-based company boasting contemporary puppet theatre where numerous disciplinary sources are combined – dance, puppetry, theatre, visual arts, etc. – and where abstraction comes to meet young and old alike.
Here a trio of girls with a rock-star look, no delicate flowers among them, create an artistic space before our eyes. It’s a super playful demonstration showcasing the transformation of an ordinary material like scotch tape through human imagination. It’s also a touching illustration of the many, sometimes almost invisible, connections between and among us.
Due to the excitement generated by the show, a performance has been added on Sunday, June 2. This is a joyful occasion for kids to ask themselves “How do I build myself? What constitutes me? How do I inhabit the world?” thanks to a collective experience that will touch them regardless of their language.
PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY
Because the experience of going to the theatre begins long before you step into the performance hall, families are welcome to arrive 45 minutes before the start of the performance to warm up their imaginations. This time, artist Emily Rose Michaud has concocted a colourful activity that will challenge children’s ingenuity and creativity.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio
Duration: 35 minutes
School matinees (it is possible for the media to attend if there are seats available): Wednesday May 29, Thursday May 30, and Friday May 31.
Family performances: Saturday, June 1, at 11am and 3pm; Sunday, June 2, at 11am, 1pm (added performance) and 3pm.
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Montreal composer Gabriel Dharmoo releases new album with musicians of Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra
Vestiges d’une fable presents a diverse range of chamber music pieces, each showcasing Gabriel Dharmoo’s distinctive style.
May 17, 2024 – OTTAWA – Available today under the Centrediscs music label, Gabriel Dharmoo’s latest album, Vestiges d’une fable, showcases five chamber music compositions that demonstrate Dharmoo’s unique fusion of influences and innovative cross-cultural exploration.
A Creative Partner of the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO), Gabriel Dharmoo draws inspiration from his research of Indian music, particularly Carnatic music, which heavily influences the rhythms, melodies, and ornamentation present in his compositions. Dharmoo describes his own music as the creation of an “imaginary folklore,” blending traditional and experimental elements in a way that defies easy categorization.
“In this album, I set out with the idea of exploring Indian music, but in such a hybrid way and so linked to my very own idiosyncratic ear and way of thinking about music that it doesn’t really read as Indian music,” says Dharmoo. “It dawned on me I was actually conceptualizing the music of an imaginary culture.”
Featuring compositions spanning from 2010 to 2017, Vestiges d’une fable presents a diverse range of chamber music pieces, each showcasing Dharmoo’s distinctive style and sonic explorations. From the intimate trio of “Sur Bà nôi” to the expansive ensemble of “the fog in our poise”, listeners are invited on a journey through Dharmoo’s imaginative musical landscapes.
Gabriel Dharmoo’s career spans various disciplines, including composition, vocal performance, improvisation, interdisciplinary art, and research. He has received numerous awards for his compositions, including the Canada Council for the Arts Jules Léger Prize and a Conseil Québécois de la Musique Opus Award. His extensive research in Carnatic music and interdisciplinary projects have garnered international recognition.
Vestiges d’une fable will be available in both digital and physical formats, accessible on major streaming platforms, online music stores, and the CMC Centrediscs label website. Stay tuned for live performances and promotional events in relation to the album release, with details to be announced.
ABOUT GABRIEL DHARMOO
As a composer and interdisciplinary artist, Gabriel Dharmoo’s career has led him around the globe, notably with his solo show Anthropologies imaginaires, which was a prize-winner at the Amsterdam Fringe Festival (2015) and the SummerWorks Performance Festival (2016). They also explore queer arts and drag artistry as Bijuriya (@bijuriya.drag).
Having researched Carnatic music with four renowned masters in Chennai, India, between 2008 and 2011, Gabriel Dharmoo’s personal musical style encourages the fluidity of ideas between tradition and innovation. His work around voice, theatricality, and character is featured on his monographic album Quelques fictions (2020), as well as online art videos.
He holds a PhD in research-creation from the Individualized Program of Concordia University and is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre. For more information about Gabriel Dharmoo, visit <www.gabrieldharmoo.org>.
ABOUT CMC CENTREDISCS
CMC Centrediscs is the only recording label that exclusively promotes Canadian composers, with a focus on releasing classical, contemporary, and experimental music recordings from Canadian composers who are Associate Composer members of the Canadian Music Centre. For a complete catalogue and more information about CMC Centrediscs, visit <www.cmccanada.org>.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13, commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Clara - Robert - Johannes: A multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero.
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year).
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds).
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos.
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark
Communication Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
The National Arts Centre Unveils a Stirring New Season for 2024-2025
Get your calendars ready for an epic journey of stage performances and beyond.
MAY 9, 2024 – Ottawa, Canada – The National Arts Centre today revealed its programming for the 2024-2025 season. Building on the success of the current season featuring some of the most diverse and creative Canadian and international artists, the 2024-2025 season will take audiences on breathtaking journeys through an enthralling blend of powerful new works and absolute classics.
The 2024-2025 season begins with SPHERE, a 10-day festival running from September 10-20. It will pick up themes from the NAC’s first SPHERE festival in Fall 2022 around the exploration of our relationship to Earth and the environment, with a focus on rivers, water and watersheds. Produced by the NAC Orchestra and curated by festival Artistic Director Alexander Shelley, SPHERE will engage all the NAC’s artistic disciplines, with participation from NAC Dance, English Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, French Theatre, Popular Music and Variety, and 1 Elgin Culinary Arts.
SPHERE will feature a new dance commission, choreographed by Andrea Peña and orchestral concerts curated with and performed by renowned artists including Jeremy Dutcher, playwright Christine Beaulieu and soprano Renée Fleming. In addition, the festival will premiere newly commissioned radio plays by Canadian playwrights David Yee and Berni Stapleton, with composers Chris Thornborrow and Duane Andrews, a theatrical dance piece by prominent Indigenous choreographer Santee Smith, and a specially curated dinner by Indigenous resident chef Chris Commandant.
And that is just the beginning, as the season welcomes several significant milestones. Executive Producer for NAC Dance Caroline Ohrt introduces her inaugural season featuring the most creative choreographers and artists. Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director Kevin Loring commemorates five years since the Mòshkamo Indigenous Arts Festival welcomed Indigenous Theatre’s opening season. Music Director Alexander Shelley celebrates his 10th season conducting the NAC Orchestra. English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino continues the success of her first season, inviting audiences on a theatrical odyssey. French Theatre Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou shares personal works created by some of the best Francophone artists and organizations, and Popular Music and Variety Executive Producer Heather Gibson continues to reach beyond the stage to showcase legendary performers and up-and-coming artists from Canada and around the globe.
“The performing arts are essential to the human experience, inviting us to connect with beauty and wonder, laughter and tears.” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “Through performance and story, the arts bring us together and enable us to learn from one another. We invite everyone to come and experience our extraordinary 2024-2025 season, featuring wonderful performances and brilliant artists from across Canada and around the world. We greatly look forward to welcoming you to the NAC.”
All six NAC artistic leaders have created exceptional opportunities to take both audiences and artists on an exciting journey on stage and beyond for the 2024-2025 season. nac-cna.ca/season
National Arts Centre 2024-2025 Season
NAC Dance
The 2024-2025 NAC Dance season marks a new beginning, with Executive Producer Caroline Ohrt eagerly unveiling her inaugural season. Daring creations by Canadian and international artists, timeless classics from the ballet canon, and innovative works by new voices will awaken senses and provoke reflection.
A significant new commission fusing dance, music, and the visual arts opens the season as part of the SPHERE festival. Choreographer and designer Andrea Peña will premiere UAQUE, a contemplative creation that responds to the breathtaking photographs of Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, performed to live symphonic music conducted by Alexander Shelley.
Ballets with the NAC Orchestra are cornerstones of NAC Dance seasons, and 2024-2025 presents a rich array of offerings. Ballet BC – in their first invitation to perform with live orchestra – brings an evening of mixed repertoire including their hugely successful Bolero X that features 50 dancers on stage. The National Ballet of Canada presents their gorgeous rendition of the Romantic drama Giselle. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet performs Jekyll & Hyde, a new story ballet based on the famous novella. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens returns with their beloved rendition of The Nutcracker.
Renowned international companies making their NAC debuts include the UK’s fearless Far From The Norm, Belgium’s multiple-award-winning company Peeping Tom, France’s rising star Maud Le Pladec who combines krump with contemporary dance, and Burkina Faso’s Serge Aimé Coulibaly with his company Faso Dance Theatre. The season closes on a spectacular note with the return engagement by the USA’s MOMIX and their amazing dancer-illusionists.
NAC Dance also proudly presents four co-productions with Canadian artists this season: Compagnie Catherine Gaudet’s Les jolies choses, Compagnie Virginie Brunelle’s Fables, Le Patin Libre’s Murmuration, which takes us outside the NAC walls to an arena in Gatineau, and Dancers of Damelahamid’s Raven Mother, a new work in honour of the late Cree Elder Margaret Harris, co-presented with Indigenous Theatre.
“Dance is essential to everyone. From ballet to contemporary, and everything in between, our 2024-2025 season is filled with thought-provoking pieces that explore themes anchored in our time and offer reflections on societal issues while bringing light and beauty.”
— Caroline Ohrt, Executive Producer, NAC Dance
Check out the full NAC Dance season
NAC Orchestra
Music Director Alexander Shelley continues to lead the NAC Orchestra with passion and innovation, highlighted by cross-disciplinary collaboration with choreographer Andrea Peña and Canadian photographer and artist Edward Burtynsky in the season-opening SPHERE festival. This upcoming season sees Shelley presenting new works by Ian Cusson, Alexina Louie, and John Estacio, all commissions for a recording project which pairs the timeless music of Richard Strauss with the creative brilliance of leading Canadian composers.
The season boasts an impressive lineup of soloists, including Jeremy Dutcher, violin virtuoso Hilary Hahn, jazz legend Branford Marsalis, opera superstar Renée Fleming, pianists Angela Hewitt, Gabriela Montero, Yeol Eum Son, Jonathan Biss, Marc-André Hamelin, and Broadway star Norm Lewis, among others.
Notable performances include Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds’s interpretation of Carl Nielsen and Kaija Saariaho, offering a fresh perspective on the Nordic composers’ work. Moreover, the 2024-2025 season will feature an abundance of Beethoven, including the iconic Fifth Symphony and the lively Seventh Symphony, along with two enthralling piano concertos. Renowned Baroque specialist Trevor Pinnock, former Music Director of the NAC Orchestra (1991-1997), returns to lead the Orchestra in performances of Handel’s Messiah. A series of recitals featuring luminaries such as Barbara Hannigan and NOBU (a.k.a. Nobuyuki Tsujii) will enchant audiences at Southam Hall.
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser curates a lively night of Calypso music featuring a steelpan soloist in Steelpan Symphony. He also leads the Orchestra’s highly popular Family Adventures series for all ages.
Final Symphony features orchestral music by legendary Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu, written for the hugely influential FINAL FANTASY video games. This will be the NAC Orchestra’s first-ever concert of music from a video game soundtrack.
The long-running Pops series, helmed by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, showcases the best of Broadway, jazz, and cinema, with the NAC Orchestra performing live soundtracks to Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Will Ferrell’s Christmas comedy, Elf. Jazz trumpeter and conductor Byron Stripling presents Harlem Nights: From Ella to Ellington.
“As we continue to explore new horizons and push the boundaries of the symphonic experience, I invite audiences to join us for what promises to be an unforgettable season of music and inspiration. This season marks a special milestone for me as I celebrate my tenth anniversary with my beloved NAC Orchestra and our wonderful audience. Whether you are a seasoned concertgoer or attending your very first performance, thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to sharing these remarkable programs. Our upcoming season is brimming with opportunities for connection.”
— Alexander Shelley, Music Director, NAC Orchestra
Check out the full NAC Orchestra season
NAC Indigenous Theatre
On the fifth anniversary season of NAC Indigenous Theatre, Artistic Director Kevin Loring is thrilled to invite audiences to experience brilliantly and beautifully told stories of kinship, resilience, and the power of love. These stories pay tribute to the lands, honour the enduring influence of the Matriarchs, and celebrate the indomitable spirit of the Ancestors.
The season kicks off with Homelands, a multimedia dance performance honouring the Indigenous women's lasting connection to land and waterways. In partnership with NAC Dance, the visually stunning piece Raven Mother celebrates Northwest Coast culture and storytelling. By popular demand, Bear Grease returns with the Bear Grease Christmas Special, promising a night of laughter, spirit, and Indigenized musical theatre—holiday style!
Moving into the New Year, Qaumma highlights the fierce perseverance of Inuit women in protecting their culture, language, and families. In March, The Secret to Good Tea tells a poignant story of familial resilience post-residential schools. Closing the season, the powerful French-language play Marguerite: le feu ignites the fight for justice and memory.
“We believe that Our Stories Are Medicine. We continue to share Indigenous stories because they are the stories of this land. And they are our stories told in our voices. They are a celebration of our ancestors, our communities, and future generations. We are so excited to share these moments with you.”
Building on the exhilarating success of Nina Lee Aquino’s inaugural season, English Theatre’s 2024-2025 programming invites audiences on a rich theatrical odyssey. The wide-ranging lineup offers a captivating journey from reality to fantasy, and from history to myth, intrepidly guiding audiences through a dizzying array of productions. This season boldly showcases the transformative potential of art, serving both as performance and messenger, where political themes are woven with deeply personal narratives to forge unforgettably powerful experiences.
Featuring exciting collaborations with theatre companies across the country as well as with our own NAC family, our adventure begins with Walking on Water (the second volume of Irresistible Neighbourhoods), co-produced with NAC Orchestra for the SPHERE festival, followed by Punctuate! Theatre’s intercontinental love story First Métis Man of Odesa, based on the creators’ real-life events.
From there, the season’s odyssey travels from the Shaw Festival’s production of Snow in Midsummer, directed by Ms. Aquino – a haunting ghost story of revenge rooted in an ancient folktale – to Salesman in China from the Stratford Festival, inspired by Arthur Miller’s ground-breaking journey to China for an East-meets-West collaboration that revolutionized the theatre world. Controlled Damage, co-produced with Neptune Theatre, offers a rich portrait of Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond, while Trident Moon, co-produced by Crow’s Theatre and also directed by Ms. Aquino, takes audiences through a journey of survival in 1947 India.
Lastly, Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata closes out the season with a sprawling two-part, once-in-a-generation theatrical experience based on the ancient Sanskrit epic, which took audiences by storm at the Shaw Festival and London’s Barbican.
“The 2024-2025 season charts an epic journey across the globe, weaving a rich tapestry of sweeping tales in personal settings with intimate stories set against expansive backdrops. Join us on a voyage through time as we explore the most pressing issues of our own era through the bifocal lens of history and myth, underpinning the many diverse cultures we visit. Embedded within every production is the understanding that only by examining our past can we address the ailments of our present, and take control of our collective narrative to write a better future.”
Mani Soleymanlou’s third season is an invitation to “step out of the box.” Resolutely fictional, his engaging program aims to take us out of ourselves, away from our individual reality, and put the “we” back at the centre of the experience. The season comprises fifteen shows, including six for children and youth, programmed by Mélanie Dumont in her final season as director of this important component of French Theatre.
The season opens with La traversée du siècle, an epic performance/reading based on the work of Michel Tremblay. Created by Alice Ronfard and the late André Brassard, this unique event is coming to Ottawa to kick off the theatre season in style!
Faire le bien is the second edition of the Collectif, a project initiated by Mani Soleymanlou. Directed by Claude Poissant, the company will perform scenes of toxic positivity by François Archambault and Gabrielle Chapdelaine. This is one of five French Theatre co-productions, which also include Surveillée et punie, a powerful show created by Philippe Cyr for a singer, an actress and backup singers, based on the hateful comments directed at Safia Nolin.
In April, in Classique(s), a fabulous team led by Mani Soleymanlou will take a collective trip into the past to explore the works that make up the so-called “repertoire.” Equally jubilant is Philippe Boutin’s The Rise of the BlingBling, a baroque fresco that borrows from pop culture (dance, kung fu, pantomime, lip-synching) to tell the founding myth of Jesus.
Other joint projects that revisit familiar stories include Peau d’âne, a production for both adults and teenagers, and the masterpiece Au cœur de la rose, a spellbinding maritime fable by filmmaker Pierre Perrault.
French Theatre’s residency program will continue in 2024-2025 with Ottawa-Gatineau artists Marie‑Ève Fontaine and Guillaume Saindon, as well as Mélanie Binette, who has already begun working on a participatory project entitled Camions : fantômes de la liberté.
The lineup for children and youth includes notably the return of Le Carrousel with Joséphine et les grandes personnes, in which a mini life coach gives a hilarious talk about adults, and Potager (Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke), an immersive show where carrots rock in a translucent greenhouse!
“The 2024-2025 season is an invitation to get out: not only out of our homes, but also out of the frames that confine us. When a poem stops time, when a story reaches out to us, when the mind takes flight and the imagination freely accompanies the heart, when for a fleeting moment, however brief, furtive and inadequate, there is movement, we achieve that. Together.”
– Mani Soleymanlou, NAC French Theatre Artistic Director
Check out the full NAC French Theatre season
NAC Popular Music and Variety
The Popular Music & Variety 2024-2025 season promises to bring another exciting year of music and entertainment to all four stages at the NAC. The season begins on September 13 with celebrated Indigenous artist Jeremy Dutcher who, for the first time, will perform with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Later in the season, Canadian R&B sensation Jully Black will take the Babs Asper Theatre stage on February 28, 2025. On March 12, 2025, we are thrilled to present the renowned Japanese taiko drum group Kodo.
In the 2024-2025 season, there are also remarkable shows with some of entertainment’s most revered voices. On October 9, we are honoured to present Grammy Award-winning and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist Graham Nash. Canada’s legendary rock band Glass Tiger will perform with host Erica Ehm on November 23. In March, the legendary Montreal drag queen Mado Lamotte will grace our stage with their widely loved cabaret show, on tour for the first time in over a decade.
We’ll also be celebrating 30th anniversary tours with Susan Aglukark, The Kingdom Choir, and Pink Martini. And you can enjoy some returning favourites like Donovan Woods, Les Hay Babies, and Choir! Choir! Choir!
Music enthusiasts will come together in the most premium listening rooms in Ottawa, at the Azrieli Studio and Fourth Stage for performances by artists from across Canada like Chloé Sainte-Marie, Héritières and so many more.
Stay tuned for more announcements throughout the year!
“This season we will be bringing the best of the world to our stage; new voices, renowned groups and artists, and of course celebrated Canadian artists, both established and emerging, that will entertain and inspire.”
Family shows and Student matinees with our Arts Alive programming
After last season’s successful return, Arts Alive is delighted to announce that family and school programming for the 2024-2025 season will once again thrill young audiences. Our season includes 17 shows for children, seven for teenagers, eight for elementary schools and nine for secondary schools.
Teenage lovers of the performing arts will also be happy to find a space specially dedicated to them, thanks to a brand-new web page featuring programming for 12-17-year-olds.
"We’re overjoyed to have all these young, cheerful faces back in our halls. And it’s with the same enthusiasm that we present incredible, rich and varied new programming for families and schools, opening with the SPHERE festival. The variety of programming that is offered at the NAC is sure to entertain young audiences of all ages.”
— Natasha Harwood, Director, Arts Alive
Learn more about Arts Alive
NAC’s National Creation Fund
For the first time in its seven-year history, the NAC’s National Creation Fund is delighted that ten landmark productions supported by the Fund will shine on the NAC’s stages during the 2024-2025 season.
From the epic Mahabharata (English Theatre) to the magnificent Murmuration (NAC Dance), from the monumental Traversée du siècle (French Theatre) to the powerful Raven Mother (Indigenous Theatre), the range of shows for the coming season reflects the importance of investing in artistic creation. The Fund offers Canadian artists the opportunity to realize artistic projects that are close to their hearts, resulting in performances that are meaningful contributions to creating the vibrant culture that artists, audiences and communities deserve. The National Creation Fund invests in imagination and creation.
“The Fund is dedicated to the alchemy of artistic creation; we work in service of the imagination. We are committed to encouraging the beautifully bold creative dreams of Canadian artists. A record ten Fund-supported productions are in the NAC 2024-2025 season, all beacons of possibility and light. We can’t wait for audiences to experience them.”
— Sarah Conn, National Creation Fund Artistic Producer
More information on the NAC’s National Creation Fund season and investments
Purchase tickets for 2024-2025
Renewing season subscribers can book Fixed Series and Create Your Own subscriptions as of May 10.
New subscriptions and individual show tickets for most of our programming will go on sale June 18.
As in past seasons, Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer community-engaged activity, learning opportunities and corollary programming in and around the work presented on stage. We are honoured to be able to continue to offer $15 All My Relations tickets to the Indigenous community in the upcoming season. It extends to most of the programming at the NAC.
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30, including teens and kids! We know high ticket prices can keep away some young arts lovers, so we created Under30 to make it easier to enjoy amazing theatre, dance and music at the NAC.
Some restrictions apply. Under30 and All My Relations tickets are not available as subscription packages.
Thank you to our partners
Programming at the National Arts Centre is supported by many generous organizations from across the country. The NAC Foundation would like to thank the Adrian Burns Fund for Women Leaders in the Performing Arts, the Azrieli Foundation, BMO Financial Group, the Janice & Earle O'Born Fund for Artistic Excellence, the Lord Elgin Hotel, Mark Motors Group, Meta, The Metcalfe Hotel, National Bank of Canada, Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites, Power Corporation of Canada, the RBC Foundation, Rogers Communications, Scotiabank and TD Bank Group.
A huge thank you to our devoted Donor’s Circle individual donors for making programming at the NAC possible.
About the National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Mireille Allaire
Director of Communications, Programming
National Arts Centre
343-998-4244 mireille.allaire@nac-cna.ca
Why Not Theatre and the National Arts Centre launch ThisGen Fellowship 2024
National Training Program Celebrates 8 BIPOC Women & Non-Binary Performing Arts Professionals from Across Canada
April 30, 2024 – TORONTO (Canada) – Why Not Theatre, in partnership with the National Arts Centre, is proud to announce the cohort for ThisGen Fellowship 2024. This national initiative is an accelerator for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) women and non-binary* performing arts professionals that provides paid training and mentorship opportunities with world-class artists, national residency gatherings, and peer connection. The program offers a unique opportunity that equips participants with the skills, networks, and resources to expand the kind of work seen on Canadian stages, as well as reimagine the process of making it.
*ThisGen Fellowship is a Trans-inclusive program.
In 2024, ThisGen Fellowship will focus on the collaboration between directors and designers, with eight artists selected for the cohort. "I am thrilled to share the incredible lineup of Canadian and international artists who are part of ThisGen Fellowship 2024,” said Why Not Theatre’s Co-Artistic Director Miriam Fernandes. “ThisGen is unique in the Canadian training landscape, in that it provides the opportunity for Fellows to learn from international arts leaders. This year we have assembled a cohort of designers and directors together to nurture this powerful collaborative relationship and provoke a deeper understanding of the collision between the practices.”
THISGEN 2024 FELLOWS
Selected from 87 applicants from across Canada, the ThisGen 2024 Directing Fellows are Arthi Chandra, Lisa Karen Cox, Roshanak Jaberi, desirée leverenz and the ThisGen 2024 Design Fellows are Ashley Au, Samay Arcentales Cajas, Meghan Cheng, and Sarah Uwadiae.
This year’s program starts with an online paid training intensive led by internationally renowned artists, followed by an in-person residency at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa from June 10-14. The fellowship will culminate in a two-week hands-on lab in Toronto where the Fellows will apply their learnings in an exploratory setting.
Now in its fifth year, ThisGen Fellowship has been committed to redefining the future of cultural leadership in Canada by advancing the careers of 40 BIPOC artists. "The connections I made both in Canada and internationally through ThisGen Fellowship were invaluable,” shared Vanessa Sears, a 2022-23 Fellow whose mentorship was with Lileana Blain-Cruz, a Tony-nominated director who invited Sears to New York City to observe rehearsals at The Metropolitan Opera as part of their mentorship exchange. “That, coupled with the practical knowledge and skills passed on from the faculty and shared within our cohort made the experience truly singular and transformative. I am so grateful for my time and my learning with this program. It has truly evolved my directing practice and inspired new artistic goals."
By introducing Fellows to leading international artists creating groundbreaking work, the fellowship aims to expand imagination around artistic and leadership practices and equip this generation of cultural leaders in Canada with the tools to shape the future of the performing arts.
ThisGen Fellowship 2024 faculty from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States includes Omar Elerian (directing), Katie Mitchell (directing), Maiko Yamamoto (directing), Gareth Fry (design), Andy Moro (design), Rajha Shakiry (design), Madeline Sayet (directing), Asa Benally (design), Dawn Walton (directing), Simon Kenny (design), Alex Eales (design), Hana S. Kim (design) and Christian Lapointe (directing).
"We are so grateful to be partnering once again with Why Not Theatre on ThisGen Fellowship, said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “This outstanding professional development opportunity will not only benefit its Fellows: by sharing their knowledge going forward, they will help strengthen and advance the Canadian performing arts. We congratulate the 2024 cohort and look forward to welcoming them to the NAC for their residency in June.”
For more information about ThisGen Fellowship, visit Why Not Theatre.
ThisGen is produced by Why Not Theatre in partnership with the National Arts Centre.
THANK YOU
ThisGen Fellowship is made possible by the generous support of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Arts Training Fund, the National Arts Centre and RBC Foundation, with additional support provided by Canada Council for the Arts, Kingfisher Foundation, Lindy Green Family Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, Toronto Arts Council and Youssef Warren Foundation.
ABOUT WHY NOT THEATRE
Founded in 2007, Why Not Theatre is a Toronto-based theatre company with an international scope. Why Not has established a reputation for inventive and cross-cultural collaborations. Over 15 years, Why Not has developed 55 new works with 81 tour stops to 40 cities and 11 countries, including the world-wide hit A Brimful of Asha, performed more than 300 times globally, and the critically acclaimed Mahabharata. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Miriam Fernandes and Ravi Jain and Executive Director Karen Tisch, the company has an international reputation for creating innovative, cutting-edge theatre, and providing opportunities for artists to be seen across Canada and around the world. Follow Why Not Theatre on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Anicée Lejeune
Communications Strategist
Programs and Special Projects
National Arts Centre
514 237-9553 anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca
The National Arts Centre’s Indigenous Theatre department is seeking to contract several Indigenous artists for the digital project, #ReconcileThis
ABOUT THE PROJECT
#ReconcileThis began in 2022/2023 and is generously supported by Meta as a means of addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s “Calls to Action”. The funding is intended to presence digital creations by Indigenous artists across Turtle Island that can be shared over social media platforms. Now entering its second year, the project is expanding its scope to new digital spaces and styles of content.
For the 2022/2023, the NAC contracted several artists as “Fire Starters.” Now, we are looking for artists to become “Fire Carriers.” In that spirit, we are inviting Indigenous artists to build upon the foundations already started, and to encourage the next generation of artist to help carry on the fire.
ARTIST CALL
Indigenous artists are encouraged to submit their interest in collaborating and facilitating a creative process with Indigenous youth and young artists. “Indigenous youth” refer to Indigenous students under 18 and in Junior High or High School. “Indigenous young artists” refer to early-stage Indigenous artists not in Junior High or High School and in the early-stages of their careers. Selected artists will help select up to 3 Indigenous youth/young artists from their local community and work together over a four-month period to develop new work speaking to the #ReconcileThis goals. The theme(s) explored in the creative product are up to the artists, but the starting question is, “what does reconciliation mean to me?”
Both the contracted artists as well as the Indigenous youth/young artists will receive honorariums for their creative work.
With guidance from Josh Languedoc, the Associate Producer for #ReconcileThis, the selected artists will:
Decide an artistic lens of exploration.
Recruit and engage up to 3 Indigenous youth/young artists.
Define an artistic project to be shared digitally.
Meet, mentor, and collaborate with Indigenous youth/young artists to support in developing their project.
Meet digitally semi-regularly.
When needed, work in-person with the Indigenous youth/young artists.
Work within a set budget and report expenditures.
Submit a final video component.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Indigenous artists from any artistic disciplines such as theatre, visual art, music, dance, spoken word, interdisciplinary, etc.
The NAC welcomes anyone of any ability and identity to apply. We strive to foster the diversity of artist identities and artists at various stages of their careers throughout the country.
The ideal candidates will represent a variety of Indigenous Nations, identities, abilities, and artistic disciplines from across the country. Applicants should also enjoy the process of youth mentorship and group collaboration.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The National Arts Centre will be responsible for:
Contracts.
Payments to the contracted artists.
Payments to the contracted Indigenous youth/young artists.
Any rentals associated with any in-person work with the youth/young artists.
Hosting all digital gatherings.
Disseminate the final videos in our digital spaces.
Sharing past creations as sources of inspiration.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
Submissions should include:
Letter of Interest.
CV.
Examples of your work.
A story about yourself as an artist.
Please send all submission information to josh.languedoc@nac-cna.ca by June 14. Please include the subject “#ReconcileThis.”
In the spirit of community and connection, all those who submit will be contacted for a brief conversation.
Selected artists will be paid $5000 for their facilitation and creative artistic work.
Chii Miigwetch.
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MEDIA INQUIRIES
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
343 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
More than $24,000 awarded to young musicians at the 2024 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition
24-year-old oboist Luca Ortolani wins the Grand Prize
April 8, 2024 – OTTAWA – On Sunday, April 7, a talented group of music students aged 16 to 26, each with ties to the National Capital Region, competed for a chance to win prizes worth more than $24,000 in the 43rd annual National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition.
Winners were evaluated on their performance of short orchestral excerpts and movements from a concerto or sonata written for their instrument. The 2024 Bursary competition was open to emerging young players of wind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), brass (horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba), percussion and timpani.
Grand Prize-winner Luca Ortolani was delighted with the win: “I’m so thrilled to have been awarded this year’s NAC Orchestra Bursary. This award is very meaningful to me because I grew up attending NACO concerts. The orchestra is the reason I fell in love with classical music and remains a constant source of inspiration. It’s especially moving for me to have also been awarded the Sturdevant Orchestral Excerpts Prize as it was Pace Sturdevant himself who, early on, encouraged me to pursue a life in music. Thank you to the judges and organizers who made this wonderful competition possible. Also, much gratitude to my teachers throughout the years — Titus Underwood, Sarah Jeffrey, Anna Petersen and Angela Casagrande, as well as my family and friends for many years of support.”
Luca Ortolani completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto. He is currently concluding a Master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Titus Underwood. In Fall 2024, he will be returning to Toronto to pursue an Artist’s Diploma at The Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Sarah Jeffrey.
New this year, the Don Renshaw Memorial Award for Brass was presented to Constance Prost. In memory of Don Renshaw, the NAC Orchestra’s principal trombonist from 1986 to 2022, this new prize is awarded to a brass player who exhibits a flair for style, sound, and emotion as a future professional orchestral musician.
The jury to select this year’s award winners comprised of Bursary Committee Chair Christina Cameron (non-voting); four NAC Orchestra musicians (Leah Roseman, upper strings; Marc-André Riberdy, lower strings; Stephanie Morin, winds; Steven van Gulik, brass and percussion); and two external judges (Jo Ann Simpson, bassoonist, and Doug Burden, retired NACO trombonist).
Past recipients of the NAC Orchestra Bursary Award include Justin Saulnier (violin, 2023); Bryan Cheng (cello, 2016), Kerson Leong (violin, 2013), and current NAC Orchestra members Leah Roseman (violin, 1990); Steven van Gulik (trumpet, 1993); and Darren Hicks (bassoon, 2012).
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA BURSARY AWARD
The NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition was first held in 1981. The prime objective of the competition is to encourage the pursuit of excellence on the part of young instrumentalists aspiring to orchestral careers. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and competition.
The Bursary was created in 1979 by members of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who supported the Orchestra during its first decade. The bursary is meant to provide recognition and financial support that helps further the development of young musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region (NCR). Funding for the award originally came from two sources: the NAC Orchestra Bursary Fund, created in 1979 by the members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and from the NAC Orchestra Trust (originally the Capital Trust, founded in 1932 to benefit the Ottawa Philharmonic Society which, on its demise in 1970, transferred the income to the NAC). The fund is now known as the NAC Orchestra Trust Fund.
In 1981, one prize of $1,000 – the NAC Orchestra Bursary – was awarded. In subsequent years, thanks to the growth of the Fund, as well as the generosity of private organizations and individuals, prizes now total more than $24,000.
In 2025, the competition will be open to students of stringed instruments and the harp.
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos.
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year).
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds).
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre.
Clara - Robert - Johannes: A multi-year, multi-album exploration of the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, featuring pianists Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, and Gabriela Montero.
The 2024 album Truth in Our Time, including the premiere recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 13.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark
Communication Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
Together under the sun: Spend your summer with us at the National Arts Centre
Introducing the NAC's third summer programming season with exciting new offerings
April 9, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The NAC welcomes locals and visitors alike to gather 'Together under the Sun' from July 2nd to August 30th, 2024, for its third summer programming season.
Visitors are invited to enjoy interactive exhibits, music, dance, and theatre performances, as well as children’s summer camps and more. Our 2024 summer programming offers audiences the opportunity to participate in over 70 shows and events, featuring free and accessibly priced programs. These events take place in a variety of indoor venues, as well as outdoors, including the rooftop wooden terrace and along the picturesque Rideau Canal.
Whether you are looking for a family-friendly event or strolling downtown on a summer night, there will be something for everyone, every day of the week at the NAC.
"Bring your family, friends, and your summer visitors to experience a wide variety of family friendly programming in dance, theatre, and music. You'll discover Canadian artists, many who have never performed at the NAC before, and artists from around the world, many who are performing in Canada for the first time. We also have an exciting new immersive adventure created right here at the NAC, beginning in July called MYÜZ - be sure to watch for more details.”
- Heather Gibson, Executive Producer of NAC Popular Music and Variety
SUMMER PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Stage Series
Indulge in a sing-along to beloved Broadway musicals or immerse yourself in the intimate settings of the Babs Asper Theatre, Azrieli Studio, or the Fourth Stage, where you can connect with a diverse array of Canadian, Indigenous, Latin, and international artists. Feel the rhythm of Argentina with Social Tango Project, get to know the Gilsons, an MPB musical trio, experience São Paulo's intense indie music scene with Passarim, a tribute project to the godfather of bossa nova Tom Jobim, or the soulful fusion style of French Cameroonian singer Valérie Ekoume, there's something for everyone to enjoy! Finally, take a seat in Southam Hall with the NAC Orchestra presenting the world premiere of Canadian Métis composer Ian Cusson’s latest work, 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna.
The Feeling of Free
From June 27 to July 27, join us Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. for separate performances by Miguel de Armas and members of the NAC Orchestra aboard a boat cruising down the Rideau Canal. The boat will make a stop at Lansdowne Park. For the detailed schedule, please check our website. Weather permitting.
Take your lunch to the Atrium and enjoy live musical performances starting July 2nd, at noon, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you can hear performances from Ottawa Chamberfest artists, including 2 shows from their “bring the kids” series, our very own NACO musicians, and Diyet, among other artists who will also be performing on our wood terrace.
Wood Terrace
The public can access the NAC’s wood terrace and its iconic view from Elgin Street or the Mackenzie King Bridge. Every Tuesday and Wednesday night at 7:30 pm, audiences can enjoy a variety of live music from across Canada, including Quique Escamilla, Okavango African Orchestra, Moneka Arabic Jazz, Turkwaz, Beauxmont, Les Fireflies and more! These performances are also free.
$8 Plays
We are thrilled to be able to offer 3 productions for our 8$ play series. Each play runs for a week.
MixTape (Crow’s Theatre) – From Neil Diamond to Kate Bush, from show tunes to Mozart, and from squeaky oven doors to the thwap of a heartbeat, Sadiq curates the ultimate mixtape for life; part memoir, part scientific inquiry, and part love affair with listening. In English, 16+, from July 16 to 20.
The Written Note (L’Écrit, D'Ubus Théâtre) - is an Ode to happiness. A fragile thread along which the meeting between young Célestine Olivier Myata and her great-aunt Murasaki Chizuko is drawn. In French, ages 6+, from July 29 to August 3.
Renard Doux (de Sylvie Gosselin) - A precious moment of tenderness, humor and creativity between a child, Renard Doux, and her grandmother. In French, ages 4+, from August 5 to 8.
About MYÜZ
Find yourself in a house of dreams! Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new immersive adventure, created right here at the NAC, set to launch in early July.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Tickets are on sale as of April 9, 2024. Find the full lineup and ticket info on our website.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Anicée Lejeune
Communications Strategist, Programs and Special Projects
National Arts Centre
514 237-9553 anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca
Jennifer Payette
Marketing Strategist, Audience Engagement
National Arts Centre
613 668-5958 jennifer.payette@nac-cna.ca
General Audition Notice: Indigenous Theatre, National Arts Centre
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: JULY 22, 2024
ABOUT
The Indigenous Theatre department within the National Arts Centre was created to develop, nurture, and showcase Indigenous stories at community, national and international levels. Our mission is to honour our storytellers and thereby aid in the retention, resurgence and resilience of the multiple and diverse Indigenous cultures of this land.
NAC Indigenous Theatre’s Artistic Director, Kevin Loring, will be conducting general auditions, as an invitation to meet the local Indigenous performer community and with an eye to casting future productions.
Those selected to audition will be asked to prepare two contrasting monologues from plays written by Indigenous playwrights; each must be two minutes or less in length. For performers with a musical and/or dance background, you are welcome to (optional) prepare a song and/or movement piece no longer than one minute in length.
Please come prepared to showcase your unique talents and perspectives.
ROLES AVAILABLE
All roles for the 2024-25 season have been cast. General auditions are primarily a way to introduce yourself and your work. Participants in general auditions may be considered for:
Roles in future productions
Work in play development processes (readings, workshops, etc.)
Participation in artistic development or training programs.
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Auditions are by appointment only. Please note, we are currently not accepting video submissions or virtual auditions.
NAC Indigenous Theatre is eager to meet Indigenous performers from across Turtle Island, and welcome both CAEA members and non-members. The National Arts Centre is committed to diversity and inclusion in a safe, supportive, welcoming work environment. Artists of all ages, genders and abilities will be considered for roles where identity characteristics are not specific. Indigenous artists will be cast in Indigenous roles.
DATES AND LOCATIONS
Vancouver, BC, The Cultch on April 23rd, 2024.
Edmonton, AB, The Citadel Theatre on May 4th, 2024.
Saskatoon, SK, Persephone Theatre on May 6th, 2024.
Winnipeg, MB, Prairie Theatre Exchange on May 8th, 2024.
* Montreal, QC, National Theatre School of Canada on July 30th and 31st, 2024.
Toronto, ON, Meridian Arts Centre on August 1st and 2nd, 2024.
*Montreal auditions will be available in both French and English, courtesy of Emilie Monnet.
Send an email to indigenoustheatre@nac-cna.ca; in the subject line please write “Indigenous Theatre Audition” and include the city you want to audition in. If you are sending an email submission, please include your headshot, performance resume, and a 150-word paragraph introducing yourself and the kind of work you enjoy—such as new work, comedies, musical theatre, experimental, interdisciplinary, and your experience with creating and/or performing in Indigenous work in a traditional and/or contemporary context.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applicants to self-identify as members of the following designated groups: women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities.
Please note, due to a high number of interest and submissions, only those selected for an audition will be contacted.
Questions may be directed to Brit Johnston, Associate Producer, NAC Indigenous Theatre at indigenoustheatre@nac-cna.ca.
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MEDIA INQUIRIES
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
343 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
Resilience and Laughter Unite in Michelle Thrush’s Inner Elder
Gemini Award-winner Michelle Thrush unveils her life with remarkable honesty and humour in her one-woman show
March 28, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Michelle Thrush’s Inner Elder is set to grace the Azrieli Studio stage at the National Arts Centre from April 11-13, finally coming to fruition after its initial scheduling challenges. Originally slated for the 2019-2020 debut season of NAC Indigenous Theatre, the show faced postponements first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then again from its planned January 2022 performance. This eagerly awaited presentation promises to be a highlight of the season.
Inner Elder recounts one woman’s transformation from a young girl navigating the shambles of her family life to award-winning actor and artist. Thrush weaves the seemingly disparate anecdotes from her life into powerful and hilarious testimony that will open your eyes, sear your heart, and have you laughing out loud.
Her distinguished career in entertainment spans both television and film, marked by memorable roles in North of 60, Blackstone and notable appearances in Bones of Crows and Prey. Beyond her roles, she has received many accolades, including the prestigious August Schellenberg Award of Excellence and the Betty Mitchell Award for her performance in Inner Elder.
Thrush's ability to transform personal and collective pain into comedy highlights the healing power of art. Inner Elder is her love letter to audiences, a testament to survival, resilience, and the universal human experience.
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
Celebrating Canadian Talent: 2024 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Laureates Announced
NEWS RELEASE
CELEBRATING CANADIAN TALENT:
2024 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS LAUREATES ANNOUNCED
OTTAWA, February 22, 2024 – The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts.
The laureates of the 2024 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, which recognize artists who have made an indelible contribution to cultural life in Canada and around the world, are:
Measha Brueggergosman-Lee – Soprano and faith advocate
Soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee’s engaging personality, exceptional musicianship and powerful voice have taken her to the major orchestras and concert halls of every continent, as well as the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill, and a Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II.
Ronnie Burkett, O.C. – Puppeteer, playwright, designer and performer
Recognized as one of Canada’s foremost theatre artists, Ronnie Burkett has been credited with reinventing the art of puppetry. Provocative, topical, compassionate and entertaining, his work has revitalized puppet theatre, consistently attracting adult audiences who are enthralled by the colourful characters populating his miniature world of big ideas. His productions have been commissioned and presented by major theatres and festivals, and have earned critical and public acclaim across Canada and around the world. He has also shared his knowledge and experience with hundreds of aspiring artists through masterclasses, workshops and lectures.
Diane Juster, C.M. – Songwriter, composer, performer, pianist and arts advocate
One of Canada’s most successful music artists, Diane Juster has been captivating audiences with her talent as a singer and pianist for nearly 50 years. She has written hit songs for such leading Canadian and international performers as Céline Dion, Ginette Reno (GGPAA 1999) and Dalida, and has a rich discography of her own. A tireless advocate for the promotion and protection of the work of Canadian artists, she is the co-founder of the Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec (SPACQ).
Andrea Martin’s hilarious characterizations and heart-warming performances have been delighting audiences for over 40 years. A beloved icon of stage and screen, she gained prominence in the 1980s as a regular on the award-winning sketch comedy series SCTV (Second City Television). Her Broadway career has earned her Tony Awards for featured actor in the musicals My Favorite Year (1993) and Pippin (2013), and she has an equally impressive list of film and television appearances.
Wes “Maestro” Williams – Recording artist, actor, author and motivational speaker
Often regarded as the “godfather of Canadian hip hop,” Wesley (Wes) “Maestro” Williams is the first Canadian rapper to achieve mainstream success. His debut album, Symphony in Effect, was the first album by a Canadian hip hop artist to reach platinum status, and his landmark single “Let Your Backbone Slide” was the first rap recording to go gold and the first rap song inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Alongside his musical career, Mr. Williams is also a successful film and television actor, author, and motivational speaker.
The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts, which recognizes outstanding contribution by an individual or group in voluntary service to the performing arts in Canada:
Jenny Belzberg, C.M.
Jenny Belzberg is known across Canada as a passionate community activist and philanthropist. An enthusiastic advocate for the arts and education, and an outstanding volunteer, she has shown exemplary leadership in her involvement in a range of cultural and social action organizations, particularly Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. With her late husband, Hyman (Hy) Belzberg, she helped promote and develop the arts in her home town of Calgary, and has been a prominent force in her community for over 50 years.
The National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes work of an extraordinary nature by an individual artist or company in the past performance year:
Mélanie Demers – Multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, stage director and performer
Mélanie Demers is the founding artistic director of Montréal-based contemporary dance company MAYDAY. She is known for complex, highly imaginative works that reflect her fascination with the human condition, the role of the artist in society, the interplay between language and movement, and the powerful link between the poetical and the political. In a prolific career spanning nearly three decades, she has created over 30 works that have toured internationally and captivated audiences and critics alike.
The unique Mentorship Program, generously supported by The Keg Spirit Foundation, provides a way for past GGPAA recipients to inspire the next generation by offering guidance to talented Canadian artists in mid-career. “Through The Keg Spirit Foundation, we are proud to support mentorship programs that enhance personal and professional growth, and enhance the broader community,” said David Aisenstat, Chairman and Founder of The Keg Spirit Foundation. “We are thrilled that widely acclaimed singer–songwriter Susan Aglukark will be sharing her depth of knowledge with her protégée Angela Amarualik for the next year through the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Mentorship Program.”
The participants for 2024 are:
Susan Aglukark, O.C. – Mentor
Inuk singer–songwriter Susan Aglukark (GGPAA 2016) is one of Canada’s most distinctive music artists. She blends English, Inuktitut, and other Indigenous languages with contemporary pop arrangements to tell the stories of her fellow Inuit and other Indigenous groups. The emotional depth and honesty of her lyrics, her pure, clear voice, and her themes of hope, spirit and encouragement have captivated and inspired listeners from all walks of life. She has released 10 albums and is much in demand as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.
Angela Amarualik – Protégée
Angela Amarualik was born and raised in Igloolik, Nunavut. Like many other small Indigenous communities, her town had its share of social problems. Ms. Amarualik worked hard to retain a good attitude, improve her circumstances, and be a role model for the younger generation. Starting with the ukulele, she began writing Inuktitut songs in her bedroom closet. Her musical style combines elements of traditional Inuit melodies and throat-singing with pop and folk.
“The arts play a vital role in our lives, bringing joy, hope and understanding of diverse cultures,” said Douglas Knight, Chair and CEO of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation (GGPAAF), and Anik Bissonnette, Co-Chair of the Foundation. “While we celebrate and congratulate the exceptional 2024 Awards laureates, we should also pause and be grateful to all Canadian artists, and their supporters, who have given us light and a sense of community.”
“Through their artistic contributions, the recipients of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards have left a lasting mark on the cultural landscape of Canada and beyond,” said Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “This award is a testament to the breadth of these artists' talent and their ability to inspire and unite us. Congratulations on this major honour, and thank you for your contribution to the arts as well as for your impact on society as a whole.”
“The National Arts Centre is proud to be a founding partner of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards,” said Christopher Deacon, NAC President and CEO. “We congratulate the 2024 laureates, whose extraordinary body of work has brought inspiration and joy to Canadians and to the world. We invite everyone to come celebrate the laureates with us at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala on June 8 in Southam Hall.”
The 2024 laureates will be honoured at three events in Ottawa, culminating in the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala at the National Arts Centre on Saturday, June 8 at 8:00 p.m.
"We're thrilled to welcome back RBC for a second year to celebrate our country's performing arts luminaries," said Juniper Locilento, CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation. "Our sincere thanks to RBC for their continued support as Presenting Sponsor.”
“RBC is proud to partner with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards which underscores our belief in the power of performing arts to connect and inspire,” said Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President, Corporate Citizenship & ESG, RBC. “Congratulations to the 2024 laureates – our communities are strengthened by your incredible passion, talent and excitement.”
Thank you to our partners
Thanks also to the many sponsors and donors who make the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala possible, including Lead Donor Donald K. Johnson, O.C., The Keg Spirit Foundation, The Azrieli Foundation, The Power Corporation of Canada, and Telefilm Canada.
These awards would not be possible without the support of our partners at the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the National Arts Centre (NAC). Compass Rose is our Communications Partner. As well, each year the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates incomparable short films that capture the essence of the laureates, and will première at the Awards Gala at the NAC on June 8 and online on NFB.ca.
“For 16 years, the National Film Board of Canada has been honoured to be part of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, bringing together talented filmmakers, NFB producers and creative teams from across the country to celebrate our GGPAA laureates. These short film portraits offer a unique tribute to Canadian performing arts excellence, showcasing the vision and dedication of our laureates. They’re also creative works of cinema in their own right, and a growing audiovisual heritage for all Canadians, freely accessible online. Congratulations to this year’s GGPAA laureates—your talent and dedication enriches and inspires us all,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada.
“As the official Media Partner for the GGPAA, CBC/Radio-Canada is again delighted to bring this celebration of Canada’s luminaries to people across the country. This year’s laureates have made an indelible mark on the performing arts in Canada and beyond. Congratulations!” said Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada.
Tickets for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala go on sale to the public on Thursday, February 22 at 10:00 am ET online at nac-cna.ca/ggawards or by phone at 1‑844‑985‑2787.
Created in 1992 by the late Peter Herrndorf, C.C., and Brian Robertson, under the distinguished patronage of the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, then-Governor General of Canada, and his late wife Gerda, these prestigious awards are presented annually to Canadians whose accomplishments have inspired and enriched the cultural life of our country. Nominations for these highly acclaimed awards are submitted by members of the public to recognize artists who have made a lifetime commitment and contribution to the performing arts in Canada.
Vástádus eana / The answer is land Takes Centre Stage at the National Arts Centre
Choreographer Elle Sofe Sara presents the transient beauty of Indigenous Sámi culture through dance, music, and joik
February20, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada)–NAC Dance and Indigenous Theatre have joined forces to present Vástáduseana / The answer is land, a production by Sámi choreographer Elle Sofe Sara. The company will grace the Babs Asper Theatre stage from February 28-29, 2024, presenting a striking and transitional performance.
Elle Sofe Sara, an Indigenous Sámi from Norway, delves into the intentions of movements, glances, and stage presence, drawing inspiration from demonstrations, Sámi spiritual practices, and group dance. Seven unique female dancers, each with their own stories, contribute diverse life experiences, bodies, and voices to the performance. Accompanying the choreography is a specially crafted polyphonic joik composed by Frode Fjellheim, known for his work on the 2002 song 'EatnemenVuelie,' featured in Disney's Frozen.
"Elle Sofe is the voice of the Sámi people, expressing their efforts to battle injustice and to retain and celebrate their culture, mirroring the experience of many of the world's Indigenous peoples, including here in Canada."— Kevin Loring, Artistic Director, NAC Indigenous Theatre
"This production is a unique experience for audiences, who join the procession of the seven women in the show, marching in unity as they invite us into an evening of polyphonic yoiking and powerful movement."— Caroline Ohrt, Executive Producer, NAC Dance
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
As an integral artistic part of the show, the performance begins outdoors and the audience will make its way to the theatre, guided by the performers.
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
Thank you to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa for their support.
THANK YOU TO OUR INDIGENOUS THEATRE PARTNERS
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Alexandra Campeau
Communications Strategist, NAC Dance National Arts Centre
(613) 668-2736 alexandra.campeau@nac-cna.ca
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
Two Orchestras, One Symphony: A Groundbreaking Tour and Recording Project Celebrating Late Composer Jacques Hétu
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre symphonique de Québec unite on stage to present concerts featuring Canadian piano sensation Kevin Chen and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
February 13th, 2024 – OTTAWA – Under the direction of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec (OSQ) will perform at Le Grand Théâtre de Québec (February 28), Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto (March 2) and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa (March 7-8).
The foundational building block for this program is Symphony No. 5 by the internationally renowned Québecois composer Jacques Hétu (1938-2010). Hétu’s final work, one of his most significant achievements, takes inspiration from Paul Éluard’s poem “Liberté”, exploring themes of freedom and hope. Commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and premiered posthumously in 2010, Hétu’s masterpiece will be reprised by the combined forces of NACO, OSQ, and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (TMChoir).
“We are tremendously excited to unite with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir to perform the incredible music of renowned Québec composer Jacques Hétu”, says Nelson McDougall, Managing Director of NACO. “Together, and with the young Calgarian Kevin Chen as our featured soloist, we will celebrate Canada’s remarkable artistic talent – past, present and future. This collaboration will also strengthen connections between Canadian arts organizations, artists and communities to continue to support their renewal and regrowth after a very challenging pandemic.” McDougall continued: “The tour will culminate in the recording of Hétu’s symphony for worldwide release on the Analekta music label, ensuring that the impact of this extraordinary collaboration will resonate beyond its live performances, reaching an international audience and adding to the legacy of Canadian orchestral music.”
The Orchestre symphonique de Québec, founded in 1902, is the oldest orchestra in Canada and has a history that has closely paralleled that of Québec City. The orchestra participates in a host of national and international events and produces major pieces from the symphonic repertoire, as well as pieces by Quebec, Canadian and foreign composers.
Helmed by music director Jean-Sébastien Vallée, TMChoir was established over 125 years ago, and is one of Canada’s oldest and largest choral ensembles. This partnership marks the first collaboration between NACO and the JUNO-winning and GRAMMY-nominated choir.
CONCERT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 -Grand Théâtre de Québec, Québec
Saturday, March 2, 2024 - Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto
Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8, 2024 – Southam Hall, Ottawa
NACO TOUR SOLOIST & PROGRAM
The upcoming tour also showcases the exceptional young pianist, Kevin Chen, who at just 18 years old will make his orchestral debuts in Québec, Toronto, and Ottawa, performing the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Chen’s extraordinary talent, marked by recent accolades at prestigious competitions such as the Rubinstein Competition and the Geneva International Piano Competition, brings Canada's youngest generation of classical artists to the fore.
“These are some of the highest accolades you can receive as a young pianist. To receive them in his very young years is extraordinary,” says Alexander Shelley. “It’s going to be my first time working with Kevin [Chen], I’m so excited about it. The soloist that we’re taking with us on tour is one of the most exciting young artists in the world—and he happens to be Canadian.”
In anticipation of the tour, Kevin Chen expresses his excitement, saying, “It is such a great honour to be invited on this tour with two amazing orchestras and the terrific Alexander Shelley. Performing with such esteemed musicians in this celebration of Canadian orchestral music inspires me greatly. I’m very much looking forward to my orchestral debuts in Québec, Toronto, and Ottawa, and hope the audiences will enjoy this Canadian tour!"
Opening the concert program is Dark Nights, Bright Stars, Vast Universe, a debut commission for NACO by prominent Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy (1964-), which premiered at Southam Hall in 2023 with a free livestream that is available on-demand on the NAC website.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra, and the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc).
Programming at the National Arts Centre is made possible through the support of many generous individuals and organizations from across the country. For a list of our donors, please visit: www.nac-cna.ca/en/foundation
ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 100+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart piano concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara, Robert, Johannes, a multi-album series including Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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Truth in Our Time: Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra and Alexander Shelley present the world premiere recording of Philip Glass's Symphony No. 13
Truth in Our Time complements American minimalist’s new symphony with compelling programming including Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, Korngold’s Violin Concerto, featuring James Ehnes, and potent contemporary works by Nicole Lizée and Yao
"The concert was as much a capsule presentation of the orchestra as an institution as well as a performing ensemble. The NACO has a crisp, slightly light sound, sonorous but expressive through articulation, color, and agility rather than mass, and this suited all the pieces," New York Classical Review of the US Premiere at Carnegie Hall, April 2022
FEBRUARY 9, 2024 – OTTAWA, CANADA – Music and the arts have long played their part in confronting ‘alternative facts’ with reality and deconstructing political propaganda and reductive rhetoric. The latest recording from Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra stands as a fitting tribute to the Canadian American journalist Peter Jennings, anchor of ABC World News Tonight for more than thirty years before his death in 2005, diving deep into the debate surrounding the value of truth and the ways in which composers have probed and reinforced it.
Truth in Our Time includes the world premiere recording of Symphony No. 13 by Philip Glass, commissioned by the NAC Orchestra (NACO) and first performed by NACO and its Music Director Alexander Shelley in 2022. The new album, set for release by Orange Mountain Music on February 9, 2024, opens with Zeiss After Dark by Canadian composer Nicole Lizée. Its compelling program also includes Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto, with James Ehnes as soloist, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 and the haunting Strange Absurdity / Étrange absurdité by Yao, a bright star of Canada’s Francophone music scene.
Peter Jennings gained the trust of his audience for impartial and honest reporting, qualities that he inherited from his father, a prominent radio journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. To honour his commitment to truth-telling, his family supported the NAC Orchestra to commission a new work from Philip Glass in his memory. The composer’s Thirteenth Symphony, inspired by the veracity of Jennings’s reporting, explores the theme of truth in our time. Alexander Shelley chose to couple Glass’s score with Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony, which was completed weeks after the end of the Second World War, later condemned by Stalin’s regime for its ‘ideological weakness’ and dismissed as an inappropriate response to the great sacrifice made by the Soviet people in their Great Patriotic War against Nazism.
The program, recorded live in Southam Hall, the Orchestra’s Ottawa home, reflects the Music Director’s determination to create a supporting context for diverse compositions. “Although music can be purely abstract, composers throughout history have often written works to serve a purpose with an intent,” comments Alexander Shelley. “It could have been simply to entertain an audience, to make a deeper point or reflect a story back to us. Truth in Our Timegrew from the long conversation we’ve been having at the National Arts Centre about our multifaceted roles as an orchestra—something we try to refresh as often as possible—one of which is to consider art as one of the pillars of truth in society, or as a means of holding up a mirror to the time in which we live. ‘What is Truth?’ is among today’s most pressing questions, especially with the advent of AI, and this album looks at how composers have responded to it at various times.”
The composer, whose works frequently explore social and environmental issues, and who admired Peter Jennings, was at the top of the NAC Orchestra’s commission hitlist. “He [Philip Glass] jumped at the idea and said he’d like it to be his next symphony,” recalls Alexander Shelley. “This was the perfect vehicle for us to perform as part of our return to Carnegie Hall after a hiatus. We decided to pair it with works written in the aftermath of the Second World War that showed how the distortion and obfuscation of truth at the time had affected composers. We came to Carnegie Hall just after Russia invaded Ukraine, which raised other questions about war and objective truth.”
“What can a piece of music express about the idea of truth? When we consider a figure like Peter Jennings, a Canadian by birth, an immigrant, a journalist, an American by choice, rather than making a proclamation about ‘what is truth,’ for the composer we are on much better ground when we talk about ‘This is the music that I listen to, this is the music that I like, and this is the music that I write,’” says Philip Glass about his Symphony No. 13.
Shelley and the NAC Orchestra gave the world premiere of Glass’s three-movement symphony at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on March 30, 2022, presented its US premiere at New York’s Carnegie Hall the following week and returned home to Ottawa soon after for a run of performances at the National Arts Centre. In its assessment of the work’s Carnegie Hall outing, New York Classical Review found that the symphony ‘was full of surprises that felt personal, the artist doing what pleased him rather than what might have been expected. It was simple, and guileless, not trying to guide any feelings but instead nonchalantly opening a myriad of them.’
Nelson McDougall, Managing Director of the NAC Orchestra, recalls how audiences in Toronto, New York and Ottawa were receptive to the stories behind the works in Shelley’s Truth in Our Time.
“If you want to punch through the noise of what’s happening on the cultural front in a place like New York, turning up and playing Beethoven Five is not going to cut it,” he notes. “Alexander Shelley’s bold program with the storytelling that runs through it, offered the opportunity to explore the present state of truth in the media. He took part in a pre-concert talk with David Muir, Peter Jennings’s successor at ABC; Gillian Tett, editor-at-large, US of the Financial Times;and Javier C. Hernández, culture reporter for the New York Times. They had a rich and thoughtful conversation around the subject of truth. That’s entirely in tune with the package of work that the NAC Orchestra has delivered since Alexander arrived in post eight years ago.”
Truth in Our Time seeks to continue that conversation by encouraging listeners to reflect on the album’s overarching theme. Alexander Shelley points to the case of Korngold, whose Violin Concerto represented his return to writing absolute music after a long and successful run of Hollywood soundtrack scores. The Austrian composer, who found refuge in California following Hitler’s annexation of Austria in 1938, marked the defeat of the Nazis in 1945 by making substantial revisions to the score of the Violin Concerto he had written eight years earlier. “Korngold refrained from writing concert music while the Nazis were in power,” notes Shelley. “This concerto was his joyful response to their fall and celebration, if you will, that falsehood had been cut down so that truth could live again.”
Shostakovich, he adds, subtly undermined the falsehoods and cynicism of Stalin’s regime with his Ninth Symphony, another product of 1945. The light-hearted, occasionally introspective, often ironic score was anything but the triumphal work that the authorities expected from its composer in the aftermath of victory over the Nazis.
James Ehnes first recorded Korngold’s Violin Concerto in studio in 2006. He says that it was an “unexpected delight” to record the work again. “I value this relationship with Alexander Shelley and the NAC Orchestra as one of the most important and rewarding in my career,” he reflects. “There had been discussions for many years about potentially recording together, but as it turned out, this ‘recording’ was not planned at all. Rather, it was the serendipitous result of having microphones in place for the recording of Philip Glass’s Symphony, and capturing, almost coincidentally, the excitement and energy of a very special night. We have a great history with this piece, having performed it on two separate tours. The concert performance you hear on this recording is the culmination of years of collaboration and a testament to the unique bond between Alexander, the orchestra, and me. I’m beyond delighted to have this souvenir of such a special experience.”
Canadian composer Nicole Lizée, born in 1973 in Saskatchewan, compresses a wealth of ideas into the brief span of Zeiss After Dark. The work, co-commissioned by the NAC Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as part of Canada’s sesquicentenary celebrations in 2017, is built from multiple layers of percussion, wind and brass sounds that move in and out of focus like an image viewed through the lens of an old Zeiss camera. The piece was directly inspired by the cinematography in a famous scene from Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon lit solely by candles and filmed with intimate warmth using a special low-light Zeiss lens. “Nicole’s one of the most mind-bendingly brilliant composers of our time,” comments Alexander Shelley. “Her music is rooted in the world of machines, of records, CDs, analogue and digital entities getting stuck and scratching. Zeiss After Dark deals with how music can reflect the flickering light and atmosphere of a film scene, the real-life ‘sound picture’ of a Zeiss lens.”
Strange Absurdity / Étrange absurdité, written and performed by singer-songwriter and spoken-word artist Yao, is an intensely moving incantation that confronts racism and media culture with references to Billie Holiday and George Floyd.
ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s NACO has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart piano concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara, Robert, Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The Philip Glass Commission is made possible thanks to The Jennings Family. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge and thank the donors who have made the 2022 NACO Tour possible: Adrian Burns, LL.D. & Gregory Kane, Q.C., Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc), Susan Glass, C.M. & Arni Thorsteinson, O.M., Ambassador Bruce Heyman and Vicki Heyman, John Roger McCaig, Michael F. B. Nesbitt, Gail O'Brien, LL.D. & David O'Brien, O.C., Earle O'Born and Janice O’Born, C.M., O.Ont, Dasha Shenkman, OBE, Hon RCM, R.N.C. Tennant, and The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation.
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The National Arts Centre returns to the Salon du livre de l'Outaouais
Many exciting activities are on the docket for 2024
February 7, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The NAC is pleased to be partnering with the Salon du livre de l’Outaouais for the first time since 2020, when the pandemic forced the collaboration to be put on hold. There’s a full schedule of events planned for this important cultural landmark, which will be taking place from February 22 to 25 in the Palais des congrès de Gatineau:
Thursday, February 22
6 p.m. (Place Yves-Thériault): Opening ceremony co-hosted by Mani Soleymanlou (Artistic Director of the NAC French Theatre) and Jhade Montpetit (host of the show Les Malins on ICI Radio-Canada Première)
Friday, February 23
6-7 p.m. (booth 402): Signing session with Mani Soleymanlou at publisher Le Quartanier’s booth
Saturday, February 24
3-3:45 p.m. (Espace Théâtre): “Mise en bouche théâtrale” – Reading of an extract from Mani Soleymanlou’s play Neuf (titre provisoire), published at Le Quartanier, followed by a signing session
6-6:45 p.m. (Place Yves-Thériault): “Le théâtre publié” – Round table on published theatre, hosted by Joël Beddows, with Jean Marc Dalpé (Prise de parole), Soleil Launière (Remue-ménage), Mishka Lavigne (L’Interligne) and Mani Soleymanlou (Le Quartanier).
In addition to these scheduled events, the NAC will have its own booth (#1127) where employees representing all artistic disciplines will be available to chat with the public, answer questions and draw show tickets for our programming.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Call for Applications: National Arts Centre Orchestra Announces New Resident Conductor Program
Canadian, early-career professional conductors are invited to apply by March 7
February 1, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) is expanding its suite of professional development programs with the announcement of a new Resident Conductor Program.
The new two-year position, commencing at the start of NACO’s 2024-25 season, provides an immersive professional development opportunity for an emerging Canadian conductor under the mentorship of Music Director Alexander Shelley. Primary responsibilities will include serving as assistant conductor for the Orchestra’s guest conductors as well as with Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. The Resident Conductor will also work closely with NACO’s administrative team to learn about orchestra management, media relations and audience and community engagement. The position will offer a competitive salary and will finance travel for additional professional development.
EXCHANGE WITH MONTREAL AND TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
As part of this new program, NACO will collaborate with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in a conductor exchange program. The participants from the three orchestras will each spend one week per season with the other two orchestras, working as assistant conductor alongside the respective music director or visiting conductor.
During his tenure as Music Director of the NAC Orchestra, Shelley has championed orchestral musicians, young conductors, music librarians and administrators—creating opportunities for hundreds of young artists to immerse themselves into the full-time professional environment of a world-class orchestra.
“There is nothing more important than top-flight, hands-on experience for an emerging conductor. Reflecting our passion for professional development and its central role in our work, I believe that our new Resident Conductor position offers a significant opportunity for early-career Canadian conductors. In their side-by-side work with me, our guest conductors and administration and, not least, the time spent conducting our world-class NAC Orchestra, this will be an enriching, wide-ranging and challenging role that will offer an important stepping-stone into the profession."- Alexander Shelley, NACO Music Director.
Nelson McDougall, Managing Director of the NAC Orchestra, expressed his enthusiasm for the creation of this position: “We are thrilled to support the professional development of Canadian conductors andto collaborate with our dear friends at the Montreal and Toronto symphony orchestras in this meaningful exchange which greatly enriches the experience for the conductors.I can’t wait to welcome our new resident conductor and witness their growth under the expert mentorship of our outstanding Music Director, Alexander Shelley, as well as with our NAC Orchestra andadministration.”
Applications open February 1, 2024, and the deadline is March 7, 2024. The Resident Conductor Program is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and welcomes candidates who identify as women, Indigenous, Black, People of Colour (IBPoC), and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and persons with visible and invisible disabilities. Complete application information is available online.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LL.D. (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence.
ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 100+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart piano concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara, Robert, Johannes, a multi-album series including Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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THE HOTTEST KIDS PARTY THIS WINTER: THE BIG BANG FESTIVAL AT THE NAC
January 16, 2024 – OTTAWA – On February 17 and 18, the National Arts Centre will be bursting at the seams with children’s joyful energy during the BIG BANG Festival. Two days of colourful festivities and musical adventures for kids and their families, perfectly timed for Family Day weekend during Winterlude.
From interactive sound installations to the return of the famous singing plants, there are lots of activities to bring joy and wonder to young and old alike. With performances that range from brass band fanfare to micro-concerts featuring household items turned instrument, the variety of musical offerings is as eclectic as a child’s imagination. Artists hailing from diverse backgrounds, several all-women performances, and a concert co-created with a class of nine and ten-year-olds – it is safe to say all voices are welcome at this party!
The BIG BANG Festival puts kids front and centre, including in the role of host. Ten superstar young people from across the Ottawa-Gatineau region have been selected as ambassadors and will help to welcome families and artists. Spending five weeks working with Festival Curator Melanie Dumont and her team, this crew of young people will get to meet and interview artists and see behind-the-scenes preparations. This enriching experience for local youth is a staple of BIG BANG Festivals worldwide and at the heart of thefestival’s philosophy.
Since 2019, the BIG BANG Festival has attracted thousands of young visitors and their families to the NAC for an incredible weekend of adventures in sound. In addition to the affordable paid shows, a wide range of performances and activities are presented free of charge for all families to enjoy.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The BIG BANG events will blow your mind ... and your ears. The 2024 edition of the festival has something for everyone!
FREE ACTIVITIES AND SHOWS
Burning BRASs Band
Funk for the family
Make way for the Burning BRASs Band! Canada’s first brass and percussion band composed exclusively of women and gender diverse people, it will blow you away with its joyful feminist funk. Its lively arrangements of popular songs tickle the ears with traditional brass band favourites, not to mention a few nods to upbeat pop classics.
February 17-18 | Free | 3 Showtimes each day Bilingual ● For all ages
Solarium
Interactivesound garden
Solarium is back! This enchanted greenhouse delighted festivalgoers in 2022 for the summer edition of BIG BANG. A unique opportunity to (re)discover this magnificent garden, filled with musical plants, where every child can dream of being a sound gardener.
February 17-18 | Free Without words ● For all ages
Picture a makeshift piano keyboard and an array of old tape recorders. The ingenious mechanism that links all this together is just waiting for you to set it in motion. So, take control of this bizarre machine with its tapes and motors and compose a sensational score! Chain reaction: You press a key on the keyboard, a tape recorder starts up, and the first note of an amazing symphony rings out!
February 17-18 | Free Without words ● Ages 5+
NOMAD
Concert performed by kids for kids
Nomad is an emblematic BIG BANG Festival project. It unites, connects and delights wherever it is recreated. London-based artist Paul Griffiths will bring his electric guitar and jazz, funk and rock influences to meet with 9- and 10-year-olds from St. Dominic Elementary School in Ottawa. A week to get to know each other, master the groove, and savour the joy of singing together before they perform their free concert.
February 17-18 | Free | 2 Showtimes each day Bilingual ● For all ages
Liminal
Interactive video installation
In an empty space, a glowing arch seems to float in mid-air. A highly sophisticated and joyfully light-hearted interactive installation, Liminal invites you to play with your image. Thanks to hidden sensors and a screen facing the luminous ring, your movements produce a strange soundtrack as your reflection is repeatedly stretched, twisted, multiplied and distorted!
February 17-18 | Free Without words ● For all ages
Hip Hub
Interactive musical dance
Step into a virtual space and become a percussionist—all in the blink of an eye, thanks to the magic of Hip Hub! In this fascinating interactive installation, Congolese singer Junior Akwety appears opposite you—not the real one, but his avatar. Let him guide you! First, Junior’s pixelated double teaches you a few tricks. Then he turns your movements into music, and you determine the groove!
February 17-18 | Free Without words ● Ages 5+
TICKETED EVENTS
Families will find accessible prices with ticketed events ranging from $5-$15.
Pantayo
When the gong is pop
This Toronto based quintet, made up of members of the Filipino diaspora, remixes kulintang music, and it's downright cool! Pantayo brings a pop flavor to the traditional instrumental music made with gongs by integrating vocals, guitar, synths and drum machines.
February 17 | $15 45 minutes ● Bilingual ● Age 6+
Les Royal Pickles – Second show added due to popular demand!
Bite into swing
A swing band inspired by the street music of New Orleans, Les Royal Pickles will get everyone up on their feet dancing! Banjo, guitar, tuba and vocals are all they need to rock out to tasty hits from the 20s and 30s as well as compositions of their own. A joyful, boisterous mix of jazz, blues and folk, the perfect treat for young and old alike.
February 18 | $15 45 minutes ● Bilingual ● Age 5+
Music Rooms
À la carte micro-concerts
With just a small group of audience members and an accessible price, these micro-concerts are a festival favourite. Enjoy the casual atmosphere, as artists perform in a tucked away and mysterious NAC setting. There will be three Music Rooms to choose from in 2024, featuring instruments ranging from an oud to everyday household objects, not to mention a duet of hoop dancing and Indigenous music.
Take a seat inside a fantastic lantern/stage, illuminated by spellbinding video projections and brought to life by the music, singing and dancing of incandescent Japanese-born performer Tsubasa Hori. A journey through a kaleidoscopic world of images and music.
Produced by Zonzo Compagnie and ChampdAction
February 17-18 | $15 40 minutes ● Performed without words ● Ages 5–12
Photos of featured productions and festival creative are available here.
WHAT MAKES THE BIG BANG UNIQUE?
The BIG BANG is a one-of-a-kind festival of musical adventures. It invites children and their families on a colourful journey featuring a rich array of sound concepts whose diversity and originality make the festival a hit wherever it goes.
The BIG BANG loves to travel, and what’s more, it loves to take visitors of all ages on adventures. It builds on the legacy of the OORSMEER festival, founded by Wouter Van Looy in 1995, to offer children an artistic and musical program designed specifically for them, and which they even help deliver by participating in certain interactive installations.
Since its inception, the festival has travelled to several European cities, from Tallinn to Lisbon, from Antwerp to Athens, from Seville to Dublin, from Lille to Enschede, via Ghent, Brussels, Rouen, Reykjavik and Copenhagen. In 2019, the event took a giant leap across the ocean to land in its first North American city: Ottawa! Since then, each edition has been a resounding success, bringing together thousands of curious people attracted by the many guest artists and invigorating performances and micro-concerts.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR BIG BANG FRIENDS
The Ottawa presentation of the BIG BANG is the result of the NAC’s relationship with Belgium’s Zonzo Compagnie, which specializes in musical theatre for young audiences and is directed by Wouter Van Looy. In recent years the NAC has presented several Zonzo performances, including Listen to the Silence, set to the music of John Cage; Slumberland, an exploration of the world of dreams and the night; Mile(s)tones, a show about legendary jazzman Miles Davis; andHUSH: Henry’s Dream Machine, an off-the-wall concert-performance about Henry Purcell, the Shakespeare of English music! .
The BIGBANG is an initiative of Zonzo Compagnie.The 2024 festival will be in full swing duringWinterlude.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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Sarah Conn Appointed Artistic Producer of the NAC’s National Creation Fund
The National Arts Centre today announced that Sarah Conn has been appointed Artistic Producer of the NAC’s National Creation Fund, effective immediately.
One of the NAC’s major national initiatives, the National Creation Fund invests up to 2 million dollars a year in the development of compelling new creations in the performing arts. Fuelled by donors, the Fund has invested more than $13 million in projects over the last six years. The 88 productions supported by the Fund Since include the acclaimed productions of Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata, Mani Soleymanlou’s epic Un. Deux. Trois., Kidd Pivot’s Revisor, and Kid Koala’s The Storyville Mosquito.
Sarah Conn is an award-winning performance creator, producer and curator. She has been part of the National Creation Fund team since it started and has been the Fund’s Acting Artistic Producer since the departure of Sarah Garton Stanley at the start of the season.
Sarah has played a leadership role in developing relationships with artists and companies across the country over the past six years. From initial conversations to collaborating with creators and producers in the months leading up to opening night, Sarah has shared her passion for creation, deep experience in creative development, and extensive network to support the hundreds of artists and dozens of ambitious projects that have received Fund investments.
“I’ve been so fortunate to work with Sarah since the Fund opened its doors,” said Chris Dearlove, Managing Director of the National Creation Fund and Professional Development. “Sarah is a thoughtful and generous collaborator and is passionate about engaging with artists and fostering a sector where everyone can thrive. In recent years, she has led the Fund’s work on strategic initiatives centered on accessibility, sustainability, equity, and international partnerships, and has developed exciting relationships with industry innovators. All of us at the Fund look forward to working with her in this new role.”
“I am deeply honoured to step into the Artistic Producer role, at a moment where sustaining time and space for artistic creation feels increasingly urgent,” said Sarah. “Artistic creation is a critical response to the questions facing our world. It needs latitude to breathe, to iterate, to transform. The National Creation Fund is uniquely positioned to champion dreaming, to dare us to reimagine, and to carve out space for risk-taking and transformation. I am excited to build on the rich legacies of my predecessors Heather Moore and Sarah Garton Stanley. And, with our incredible curators, National Advisory Committee, and the entire NAC team, I look forward to supporting new models of creation, encouraging the beautifully bold creative dreams of Canadian artists, and inviting audiences to fall in love with creation.”
ABOUT SARAH CONN
Sarah Conn is an interdisciplinary performance creator, producer, and curator. Her practice is centered in collaboration across disciplines, and the creation and dissemination of new performance. Her career layers together institutional and independent practice, collaborations with local communities and high-profile artists, international touring and hyper local work, and traditional and experimental productions. Her creative work includes site responsive performance installations and live art rooted in relationship and community, which have toured to festivals and galleries in Canada, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and England. Her research and writing focus on curatorial frameworks, creative process design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the politics of co-existence. Her writing has been published in Canadian Theatre Review, Dance Research Journal and TURBA.
She is a passionate collaborator, and has supported hundreds of Canadian artists of all disciplines in the creation, presentation, and touring of work on national and international stages. As the National Creation Fund’s inaugural Artistic Associate and Senior Manager of Artist Engagement, she has collaborated with artists across Canada to create 88 bold new performance works, develop new creation methodologies, and drive emergent curatorial practices. The resulting productions have toured to 33 countries and won many awards, including the UK’s Olivier Award. She has developed partnerships with industry leaders including artEquity, Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, and Fogo Island Arts.
Sarah holds a Master of Arts in Performance Curation from the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance. She is a recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s Pauline McGibbon Award and is a Siminovitch Prize Protégé.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL CREATION FUND
The NAC’S National Creation Fund is dedicated to the alchemy of artistic creation and driven by a conviction in the power of creation as a means of evolving culture, sparking innovation, and shaping our world. The Fund champions creation through transformative investments in the development of bold new music, dance, theatre and interdisciplinary performances, and through our work as a home for research and experimentation on the conditions required to create ambitious work.
The Fund invests up to $2 million per year in the development of 10 to 12 compelling new Canadian performance works. Fuelled by donors, the Fund has invested more than $13 million in 88 projects since it opened in 2017.
The Fund is a catalyst for Canadian artists to take their creations to a new level. Fund investments provide the time, space and resources necessary to make inspiring and impactful work for national and international stages. It invests in both new work, and in promising productions that need additional development after their initial run before going on tour.
The Fund invests in work that reflects the vitality and diversities of Canada, and supports bold and ambitious work representing a diversity of disciplines, abilities, genders, ethnicities, languages, cultures, and regions.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Carl Martin
Senior Advisor, Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre
613-291-8880 carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
Frances Končan's Women of the Fur Trade Flips the Script of Conventional Tales
Lively Historical Satire Launches at the NAC in a Sold-Out Co-Production with the Great Canadian Theatre Company and Native Earth Performing Arts
JANUARY 9, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Francis 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.
With the British advance and confederation becoming increasingly inescapable, we meet three women in a fort along the banks of the Reddish River. Unable to go anywhere, they sit together, sharing work, tea, and thoughts about the heartthrob Louis Riel and his assistant, Thomas Scott.
Končan's irreverent touch pokes fun at the sober precision of colonial recorded history, connecting our shared past, present, and future. Co-produced with the Great Canadian Theatre Company and Native Earth Performing Arts, this sold-out production hits the stage at the National Art Centre’s Azrieli Studio from January 17 - 27 before heading to Native Earth Performing Arts’ Aki Studio in April.
The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) is celebrating its 49th Season in 2023-24. GCTC is dedicated to producing outstanding theatre that provokes examination of (Canadian) life and our place in the world. GCTC aims to increase the diversity on its stages, in its creative teams, make its work inclusive for more audiences, and deepen their experience. GCTC embraces artistic risk and promotes a wide range of theatrical experiences.
NATIVE EARTH PERFORMING ARTS
Native Earth Performing Arts is Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous performing arts company. Currently, in our 41st year, we are dedicated to developing, producing, and presenting professional artistic expressions of the Indigenous experience in Canada. Through stage productions (theatre, dance, and multi-disciplinary art), new script development, apprenticeships, and internships, Native Earth seeks to fulfill a community of artistic visions. It is a vision that is inclusive and reflective of the artistic directions of members of the Indigenous community who actively participate in the arts.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
The layers and colours of an important Canadian painter's life
NAC French Theatre ends 2023 in style with Le projet Riopelle
Decembre 14, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Hailed by critics in Montreal and Quebec City, Le projet Riopelle, a biography in living canvases by Robert Lepage / Ex Machina, hits the stage tonight in Ottawa for four performances. Sold-out for months in advance, the show is part of a series of activities in the capital, including the National Gallery of Canada’s exhibition “Riopelle: Crossroads in Time”, that highlight the centenary of the birth of one of Canada’s most important painters, Jean-Paul Riopelle (1923-2002).
With his incomparable theatrical genius, Robert Lepage revives the light-and-shadow existence of the master of lyrical abstraction. The anchor point: Riopelle’s fresco L’hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, which he began the day after the announcement of the death of his soulmate, painter Joan Mitchell. Thirty paintings like thirty sequences of a torrid love story and an extraordinary life woven into the fabric of a sociocultural revolution.
This spectacular creation, for which NAC French Theatre acts as co-producer with the Fondation Jean-Paul Riopelle, Duceppe, and Le Diamant, marks the return of Robert Lepage, NAC French Theatre’s former artistic director (1989-1993), whose last production at the NAC was 887, in 2016. Seven years later, Le projet Riopelle closes the first half Mani Soleymanlou’s actual season with a bang, and sets the tone for 2024, a new year which is filled with projects and collaborations that are as beautiful as they are varied.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Babs Asper Theatre
December 14 (Thursday) and 15 (Friday) at 7pm, December 16 (Saturday) at 3pm, and December 17 (Sunday / added performance) at 1:30pm.
Although the show is sold out, it is always advisable to check the event page as tickets sometimes become available at the last minute; to do so, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/33682 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Quand tu me regardes: A theatrical dance with endless play possibilities
NAC French Theatre’s Enfance/jeunesse series continues with a mobile ball that will remind the whole family of the beauty of being oneself
December 11, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – What’s better, amid the frenzy of December, than taking some time off to dream together? Quand tu me regardes [When you look at me] unleashes vibrating bodies and wheelchairs on stage, taking your imagination with them. Three impressive performers twirl their super machines, dance with them, break them into pieces so that they become puppets, light wheels, disco robots... what else? There are no limits here!
Corpuscule Danse dedicates itself to developing inclusive dance—an artistic endeavour that unites performers with and without disabilities, whether visible or invisible. On December 16 and 17 in the NAC Azrieli Studio: original music and songs with choreography by Guillaume Chouinard (assisted by Georges-Nicolas Tremblay) featuring bodies in unison highlighted by individual movement as each one reveals its own story; Quand tu me regardes will make the senses your children (age 6+) dance too. It’s poetic, it’s funny, it’s beautiful!
ACCESSIBILITY MEASURES
The performance on Sunday, December 17 will be offered in French audio description to people with visual loss. Please write directly to Véronique Lavoie-Marcus (veronique.marcus@nac-cna.ca) to find out more or to register.
Additionally, a certain number of spots are wheelchair accessible. These being limited, please let us know your needs when confirming your presence.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
School matinees: December 13, 14 and 15 (it is possible for the media to attend if there are seats available)
Family performances: December 16 and 17, at 3pm
Duration: 60 minutes (followed by a post-show discussion)
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
FAMILY FUN AHEAD: THE BIG BANG FESTIVAL IS BACK FEBRUARY 17-18
December 5, 2023 – OTTAWA – Beat the drums and sound the trumpets: the BIG BANG Festival is set to return Family Day weekend in 2024!
The NAC will be booming with performances and activities perfect for kids aged 5-12 and their families on February 17 and 18, for this two-day festival of sonic adventures.
Every square inch of the NAC will be transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound not to be missed! From gong pop to pickles with a swinging beat, via an immersive experience from a Japanese artist, there is an amazing collection of festival performances on sale today.
“Music in all its forms has a tremendous power to connect people of different generations and backgrounds. We see this at the BIG BANG, and it's what makes this festival such an incredible celebration!”
—Mélanie Dumont, Curator for BIG BANG Festival Ottawa and Associate Artistic Director of Youth Programming, NAC French Theatre
Since 2019, the BIG BANG Festival has attracted thousands of young visitors and their families to the NAC for an incredible weekend of adventures in sound. This year’s edition will once again be a Winterlude highlight with enchanting mini concerts, magical projections, musical surprises, and a party atmosphere!
Full details about the current performance lineup available online: www.bigbangfestival.ca. Additional free activities and events will be announced on January 16.
FEATURED PERFORMANCES
A host of captivating performances for the young and young at heart are on offer at this year’s festival. As always, BIG BANG has a real international flavour with artists and musical styles hailing from far and wide. Traveling from Belgium, Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal, drawing from Filipino, Japanese and Ottoman musical influences to name a few, the musical landscape on display will be diverse. Families will find accessible prices with ticketed events ranging from $5-$15.
roundABOUT # Tsubasa Hori
Like Japan, but in a dream
Take a seat inside a fantastic lantern/stage, illuminated by spellbinding video projections and brought to life by the music, singing and dancing of incandescent Japanese-born performer Tsubasa Hori. A journey through a kaleidoscopic world of images and music.
Produced by Zonzo Compagnie and ChampdAction
February 17 & 18 | $15
40 minutes ● Performed without words ● Ages 5–12
Pantayo
When the gong is pop
This Toronto based quintet, made up of members of the Filipino diaspora, remixes kulintang music, and it's downright cool! Pantayo brings a pop flavor to the traditional instrumental music made with gongs by integrating vocals, guitar, synths and drum machines.
February 17 | $15
45 minutes ● Bilingual ● Age 6+
Les Royal Pickles
Bite into swing
A swing band inspired by the street music of New Orleans, Les Royal Pickles will get everyone up on their feet dancing! Banjo, guitar, tuba and vocals are all they need to rock out to tasty hits from the 20s and 30s as well as compositions of their own. A joyful, boisterous mix of jazz, blues and folk, the perfect treat for young and old alike.
February 18 | $15
45 minutes ● Bilingual ● Age 5+
Music Rooms
À la carte micro-concerts
With just a small group of audience members and an accessible price, these micro-concerts are a festival favourite. Enjoy the casual atmosphere, as artists perform in a tucked away and mysterious NAC setting. There will be three Music Rooms to choose from in 2024, featuring instruments ranging from an oud to everyday household objects, and mysteries still yet to be revealed!
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Explore the performance lineup at www.bigbangfestival.ca
Additional free activities and events to be unveiled on January 16.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photos of featured productions and festival creative are available here.
WHAT MAKES THE BIG BANG UNIQUE?
The BIG BANG is a one-of-a-kind festival of musical adventures. It invites children and their families on a colourful journey featuring a rich array of sound concepts whose diversity and originality make the festival a hit wherever it goes.
The BIG BANG loves to travel, and what’s more, it loves to take visitors of all ages on adventures. It builds on the legacy of the OORSMEER festival, founded by Wouter Van Looy in 1995, to offer children an artistic and musical program designed specifically for them, and which they even help deliver by participating in certain interactive installations.
Since its inception, the festival has travelled to several European cities, from Tallinn to Lisbon, from Antwerp to Athens, from Seville to Dublin, from Lille to Enschede, via Ghent, Brussels, Rouen, Reykjavik and Copenhagen. In 2019, the event took a giant leap across the ocean to land in its first North American city: Ottawa! Since then, each edition has been a resounding success, bringing together thousands of curious people attracted by the many guest artists and invigorating performances and micro-concerts.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR BIG BANG FRIENDS
The Ottawa presentation of the BIG BANG is the result of the NAC’s relationship with Belgium’s Zonzo Compagnie, which specializes in musical theatre for young audiences and is directed by Wouter Van Looy. In recent years the NAC has presented several Zonzo performances, including Listen to the Silence, set to the music of John Cage; Slumberland, an exploration of the world of dreams and the night; Mile(s)tones, a show about legendary jazzman Miles Davis; and HUSH: Henry’s Dream Machine, an off-the-wall concert-performance about Henry Purcell, the Shakespeare of English music! .
The BIG BANG is an initiative of Zonzo Compagnie. The 2024 festival will be in full swing during Winterlude.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
The NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition opens for applications
Close to $25,000 to be awarded to talented young musicians from across Canada
November 30, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) continues to nurture young musical talent in Canada’s National Capital Region with its 2024 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition, which opens to applications on Friday, December 1st, 2023.
The 2024 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition will take place on April 7th, 2024, at the University of Ottawa School of Music in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. A jury comprised of four NACO musicians, two invited guests, and two non-voting members of the NACO Bursary Committee will select up to eight finalists.
This year’s competition is open to students between 16 and 26 years of age who play wind, brass, percussion, and timpani instruments, including the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, and percussion. Complete eligibility criteria are detailed online.
The upcoming Bursary competition brings several notable updates. Donald Renshaw, the NAC Orchestra’s former principal trombone who passed away in December 2022 at the age of 66, will be honoured a with a new bi-annual $500 grant. Don was a longtime supporter of the Orchestra’s community engagement activities, including the Bursary.
In addition, Christina Cameron is appointed as the new NACO Bursary Committee Chair. The 2014 Order of Canada recipient is a resident of Ottawa. Her professional career as a public servant with Parks Canada and as a Canada Research Chair at the Université de Montréal has focused on heritage conservation. In particular, she has worked with UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention since 1987, chairing the World Heritage Committee in 1990 and 2008.
2023 Grand Prize-winner Justin Saulnier expressed, “I feel honoured to have participated in the NACO Bursary Competition and to have been chosen as the first prize winner. I would like to thank my family and circle of friends for their continued support, and my violin teacher, Andrew Wan, for his wisdom and admirable dedication.” Justin Saulnier is an 18-year-old violinist from Orléans, Ontario. He was the recipient of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Scholarship to attend McGill University Schulich School of music and is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in violin performance with Andrew Wan.
The application deadline is Friday, January 26, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
To learn more about the competition and how to apply please visit our website: www.nac-cna.ca/bursary
ABOUT THE BURSARY
The National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition was first held in 1981. The prime objective of the competition is to encourage the pursuit of excellence on the part of young instrumentalists aspiring to orchestral careers. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and competition.
The Bursary was created in 1979 by members of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who had been so supportive of it during its first decade. It is meant to provide recognition and financial support to help further the development of young musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region (NCR). Funding for the award came originally from two sources: the NAC Orchestra Bursary Fund created in 1979 by the members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the NAC Orchestra Trust (originally the Capital Trust founded in 1932 to benefit the Ottawa Philharmonic Society which on its demise in 1970 transferred the income to the NAC). It is now known as the NAC Orchestra Trust Fund. In 1981, one prize of $1,000 – the NAC Orchestra Bursary – was awarded. In subsequent years, thanks to the growth of the Fund as well as the generosity of private organizations and individuals, prizes now total nearly $25,000.
ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart piano concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara, Robert, Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the generous support of the Crabtree Foundation and Friends of NACO.
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Près de 25 000 $ en prix pour de jeunes instrumentistes de talent du Canada
Le 30 novembre 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – L’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts (CNA) continue à encourager les jeunes talents musicaux de la région de la capitale nationale grâce au Concours de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du CNA 2024. Les candidatures pourront être déposées dès le vendredi 1er décembre 2023.
Cette année, le Concours se tiendra le 7 avril 2024, à l’école de musique de l’Université d’Ottawa (Ontario), dans le centre-ville. Le jury, formé de quatre membres de l’Orchestre du CNA, de deux personnes invitées et de deux membres, sans droit de vote, du Comité de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du CNA, sélectionnera jusqu’à huit finalistes.
L’édition 2024 est réservée aux jeunes interprètes de 16 à 26 ans des sections des vents, des cuivres et des percussions, ce qui comprend la flûte, le hautbois, la clarinette, le basson, le cor français, la trompette, le trombone, le trombone basse, le tuba, les timbales et les percussions. Les critères d’admissibilité sont consultables en ligne.
Plusieurs nouveautés sont attendues dans cette édition du Concours. Le prix commémoratif Don Renshaw pour les cuivres, une bourse bisannuelle de 500 $, a été créé à la mémoire de l’ancien trombone solo de l’Orchestre du CNA. Don Renshaw, qui est décédé en décembre 2022 à l’âge de 66 ans, a longtemps contribué aux activités communautaires du CNA, y compris la Bourse.
Par ailleurs, Christina Cameron a été nommée présidente du Comité de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du CNA. Décorée de l’Ordre du Canada en 2014, elle travaille comme fonctionnaire chez Parcs Canada et est titulaire d’une chaire de recherche du Canada à l’Université de Montréal sur la préservation du patrimoine. Plus précisément, l’Ottavienne est impliquée dans la Convention du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 1987 et a présidé le Comité du patrimoine mondial en 1990 et 2008.
Le lauréat du grand prix de 2023, Justin Saulnier, mentionne : « Je suis très honoré d’avoir pu participer au Concours de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du CNA et d’avoir été choisi pour le premier prix. Je voudrais remercier ma famille et mes amis pour leur soutien infaillible, ainsi que mon enseignant de violon, Andrew Wan, pour sa sagesse et son dévouement admirable ». Justin Saulnier est un violoniste de 18 ans d’Orléans, en Ontario. Il a reçu la bourse d’études pour cordes Lloyd Carr-Harris de l’École de musique Schulich de McGill, où il effectue un baccalauréat en interprétation du violon sous la tutelle d’Andrew Wan.
La date limite de candidature est le vendredi 26 janvier 2024, à 17 h (HE).
C’est en 1981 qu’a eu lieu la première édition du Concours de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts. Ce concours a pour but premier d’encourager l’excellence chez les jeunes instrumentistes qui aspirent à faire carrière au sein d’un orchestre. Chaque année, un jury choisit les personnes lauréates par voie d’auditions et de concours.
Le Concours a été créé en 1979 par les interprètes de l’Orchestre du CNA, qui souhaitaient ainsi remercier les auditoires qui avaient soutenu l’ensemble au cours de sa première décennie d’existence. Il vise à reconnaître de jeunes instrumentistes qui ont un lien avec la région de la capitale nationale et à leur fournir un soutien financier aux fins de perfectionnement. Au départ, son financement provenait de deux sources : d’une part, le Fonds de la Bourse de l’Orchestre du CNA créé en 1979 par l’Orchestre et, d’autre part, la Fiducie de l’Orchestre du CNA (à l’origine la Fiducie de la capitale, fondée en 1932 au profit de la Société philharmonique d’Ottawa qui, au moment de sa dissolution en 1970, fut transférée au CNA). Le Fonds porte désormais le nom de Fonds de fiducie de l’Orchestre du CNA. La première Bourse de l’Orchestre du CNA, en 1981, était d’une valeur de 1 000 $. Par la suite, grâce à la croissance du Fonds et à la générosité d’organisations et de particuliers, d’autres prix sont venus s’ajouter, pour un total de 25 000 $.
À PROPOS DE L’ORCHESTRE DU CNA
Depuis sa création en 1969, l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts (OCNA) reçoit des éloges pour la passion et la clarté de ses interprétations, ses programmes éducatifs novateurs et son apport à l’expression de la créativité canadienne. Sous la conduite inspirée du directeur musical Alexander Shelley, l’Orchestre du CNA est le reflet de la diversité des paysages, des valeurs et des communautés du Canada. Il est reconnu pour sa programmation audacieuse, ses contenus narratifs marquants, son excellence artistique et ses partenariats innovants.
Depuis son inauguration, l’Orchestre du CNA a commandé plus de 80 nouvelles œuvres, la plupart à des compositeurs et compositrices du Canada, et compte plus de 40 enregistrements commerciaux à son actif. Parmi ceux-ci, notons :
Un album de concertos pour piano de Mozart interprétés par Angela Hewitt (prix Juno 2015);
L’avant-gardiste Réflexions sur la vie, qui comprend My Name is Amanda Todd de la regrettée Jocelyn Morlock (prix Juno de la composition classique de l’année en 2018);
Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes d’Ana Sokolović (prix Juno de la composition classique de l’année en 2019), tiré de l’album Nouveaux mondes (finaliste aux Juno en 2019);
Aux frontières de nos rêves, interprété par le pianiste Alain Lefèvre (finaliste aux Juno en 2020); et
Clara – Robert – Johannes : Échos lyriques (finaliste dans la catégorie album classique de l’année aux Juno en 2023).
À PROPOS DU CNA
Le Centre national des Arts du Canada (CNA) est un carrefour des arts de la scène multidisciplinaire et bilingue. Comme diffuseur, créateur, producteur et coproducteur, il propose une offre artistique des plus variées dans chacun de ses volets de programmation – Orchestre du CNA, Danse, Théâtre français, Théâtre anglais, Théâtre autochtone, et Musique populaire et variétés – et cultive la prochaine génération d’artistes et d’auditoires à l’échelle du pays. Le CNA est situé dans la région de la capitale nationale sur le territoire non cédé de la Nation Anishnaabe Algonquine.
MERCI À NOS PARTENAIRES
La Fondation du Centre national des Arts souhaiteremercier la Fondation Crabtree et Les Amis de l’OCNA pour leursoutiengénéreux.
Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra announces groundbreaking recording project, commissioning four Canadian composers
New recording cycle led by Alexander Shelley sees the NAC Orchestra premiering new works by Canadian composers alongside Richard Strauss masterpieces, November 22 and 23 at Southam Hall, broadcast live on November 23
November 17, 2023 – OTTAWA – Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) is thrilled to unveil a pioneering music project that promises to redefine the boundaries of orchestral music canon. Under the visionary leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, NACO is embarking on a multi-season journey that marries the timeless compositions of Richard Strauss with the creative brilliance of leading Canadian composers. The project is set to debut two of four new commissions in Southam Hall on November 22-23, 2023—with a free livestream on November 23, 2023, at 8PM Eastern Time—and will crescendo with its final notes in the Orchestra’s 2025-26 season.
Four Canadian composers have been commissioned to create new works that serve as modern counterparts to the music of Richard Strauss (1864-1949), the German composer and conductor best known for his tone poems and operas. They have been tasked with crafting compositions that resonate with the spirit, narratives, soundscapes, or moods found in the original works of Richard Strauss. Drawing from their 21st-century sensibilities, these composers will create a dynamic juxtaposition between tradition and innovation, creating new works to live alongside Strauss's masterpieces. The selected Canadian composers for this significant endeavour and their respective Strauss compositions are as follows:
Kevin Lau (responding to "Death and Transfiguration")
Kelly-Marie Murphy (responding to "Don Juan")
Ian Cusson (responding to "Also Sprach Zarathustra")
Alexina Louie (responding to "Der Rosenkavalier")
A highlight of this grand undertaking is the eagerly anticipated world premiere of Kevin Lau's composition, The Infinite Reaches, and Kelly-Marie Murphy's opus, Dark Nights, Bright Stars, Vast Universe, which will take place at Southam Hall on November 22-23, 2023, conducted by Alexander Shelley. Lau's composition will be performed alongside Strauss's Tod und Verklärung ("Death and Transfiguration"), while Murphy's work will resonate with Strauss's Don Juan.
The project extends its reach beyond the concert hall. The Orchestra’s November 23, 2023, performance will be broadcast live online, accessible worldwide, and available on-demand on the National Arts Centre website. A commercial release of all four works and their Strauss counterparts will be released in partnership with the independent Canadian music label Analekta at the culmination of this project.
It is no secret around the National Arts Centre that Strauss is one of Alexander Shelley’s favourite composers. Daphne Burt, Artistic Planning Manager, recalls his first-ever concert with the NAC Orchestra: “Since his debut concert at Southam Hall in 2009, featuring a program that included the tone poem Don Juan, Alexander Shelley and the National Arts Centre Orchestra have forged a powerful and enduring bond through the captivating music of Richard Strauss. Shelley's deep connection to Strauss's compositions has served as the foundation for this groundbreaking project, where he, alongside the Orchestra and visionary Canadian composers, seeks to expand the horizons of orchestral music and bring Strauss's legacy into the 21st century. Their shared passion for Strauss's works and their commitment to pushing artistic boundaries have set the stage for a remarkable journey that promises to leave an indelible mark on the world of classical music.”
Alexander Shelley, Music Director of the NAC Orchestra, shared his enthusiasm for the project: "Commissioning new music by Canadian composers and taking it out into our communities and around the world through live broadcasts, recordings and tours—and shouting loudly from the rooftops that this is an extraordinary orchestra, an extraordinary organization—is my personal ambition as Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. And as a Brit, I think I’m allowed to do that even more than Canadians, because I’ve come from away, and I can say this is an extraordinary place because it really is. I have nothing but admiration for these composers, their work, and how the diversity of programming at the National Arts Centre speaks to the diversity in the conversations that are part of Canadian and world culture."
Each newly commissioned work is approximately 10 minutes in duration, matching the orchestra size of its companion Strauss tone poem. “In 1888, Richard Strauss became convinced that his artistic direction as a composer was to ‘create new forms for every new subject’,” writes musicologist Dr. Hannah Chan-Hartley in her program notes for the upcoming concert. “[Strauss] embarked on writing orchestral ‘tone poems’... a one-movement work that illustrates or evokes the content of an extra-musical source, be it a story, poem, or painting. It was a novel way to structure the experience of orchestral music compared to the traditional abstract forms of the four-movement symphony.” Strauss wrote his first tone poems in quick succession, beginning with Macbeth, followed by Don Juan and Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration) in 1889.
Commissioned by the NAC Orchestra and composed in 2023, Dark Nights, Bright Stars, Vast Universe, is a striking new composition by Kelly-Marie Murphy. In her response to Richard Strauss, she explores other events taking place while Strauss wrote Don Juan, drawing inspiration from Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night and the extraordinary life of Scottish astronomer, Williamina Fleming, one of the founding members of the “Harvard Computers”.
As Murphy’s work responds to Don Juan, Kevin Lau’s commission is inspired by Strauss’s tone poem Death and Transfiguration. “I gravitated immediately toward it,” he says, “its gripping, transcendent musical narrative resonated powerfully with my own creative sensibilities. At the same time, its central, existential question—what lies beyond death—had begun to occupy my own thoughts with increasing regularity.”
He continues, “I felt free to explore the emotional and psychological terrain of Death and Transfiguration without explicitly following in Strauss’s footsteps. Having said that, I did include a reference to Strauss’s iconic Transfiguration theme. It is quoted once in its original form before being inverted, so that its opening three notes are followed by a vertiginous plunge and octave below—a despairing mirror image of transcendence.”
With this bold project, Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra continues to push the boundaries of creativity and collaboration, delivering unforgettable musical experiences that unite the classics with the contemporary. This unique commissioning project is made possible by the collaborative spirit of NACO, its creative collaborators, and the support of the National Arts Centre.
As NACO embarks on this journey, audiences worldwide can anticipate an extraordinary new concert series and album release, a symphonic dialogue that transcends time and tradition. For further information and updates on the NAC Orchestra’s performances and free live broadcasts, please visit nac-cna.ca/orchestra.
ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart piano concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara, Robert, Johannes, a multi-album series including Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence.
ABOUT KEVIN LAU
One of Canada's most versatile and sought-after young composers, Kevin Lau (b. 1982) has been commissioned by some of Canada’s most prominent artists and ensembles, and his work has been performed internationally in the USA, France, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. A prolific composer of orchestral, chamber, ballet, opera, and film music, he served as Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2015; to date, he has produced seven works for the TSO. Shortly after, he was commissioned to write two ballets with choreographer Guillaume Côté: a full-length ballet (Le Petit Prince) for the National Ballet of Canada and a half hour ballet (Dark Angels) for the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He served as composer in residence for the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra from 2021 to 2023.
Kevin’s creative output, often inspired by the fantastical and the surreal, includes two JUNO Award-winning albums, Detach (Redshift, harpist Angela Schwarzkopf) and Mosaique (Ensemble Made in Canada), and the JUNO-nominated Spin Cycle (Centrediscs, Afiara Quartet and DJ Skratch Bastid) and Encount3rs (Analekta, NAC Orchestra). His music to The Spirit Horse Returns, an orchestral family concert featuring Indigenous artists and storytellers, has been performed in Canada six times since its premiere and will be performed at Southam Hall in February 2024.
ABOUT KELLY-MARIE MURPHY
With music described as “breathtaking” (Kitchener-Waterloo Record), “imaginative and expressive” (The National Post), “a pulse-pounding barrage on the senses” (The Globe and Mail), and “Bartok on steroids” (Birmingham News), Kelly-Marie Murphy’s voice is well known on the Canadian music scene. She has created a number of memorable works for some of Canada’s leading performers and ensembles, including the Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, The Gryphon Trio, James Campbell, Shauna Rolston, the Cecilia and Afiara String Quartets, and Judy Loman.
Kelly-Marie Murphy was born (in 1964) on a NATO base in Sardegna, Italy, and grew up on Canadian Armed Forces bases all across Canada. She began her studies in composition at the University of Calgary with William Jordan and Allan Bell, and later received a PhD in composition from the University of Leeds, England, where she studied with Philip Wilby. After living and working for many years in the Washington, D.C. area where she was designated “an alien of extraordinary ability” by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service, she is now based in Ottawa, quietly pursuing a career as a freelance composer. Winner of the Azrieli Music Prize (2018) and the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music (2020).
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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Get Ready for a Breakout Hit! Showstopping Musical Prison Dancer takes over the NAC in November
GET READY FOR A BREAKOUT HIT! SHOWSTOPPING MUSICAL PRISON DANCER TAKES OVER THE NAC IN NOVEMBER
All-Filipino musical marks Nina Lee Aquino’s first directed production as Artistic Director
November 9, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada). In 2007, a video featuring 1,500 inmates in a Filipino prison dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller was uploaded to YouTube, quickly becoming one of the internet’s first viral videos. The “Dancing Inmates of Cebu” became the inspiration for an ambitious and joyous musical titled Prison Dancer. Created by Filipino Canadian creators Romeo Candido and Carmen De Jesus, this production is now set to entertain audiences at the NAC from November 23 to December 2, 2023.
The musical is a landmark production in Canada - marking the first Filipino musical ever produced in the country. Under the direction of NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino, the all-Filipino cast premiered Prison Dancer to critical acclaim at the Citadel Theatre this past May, winning five Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, including Outstanding Musical Production.
Paying tribute to pop, house, and R&B while unabashedly reveling in its deep love for sentimental ballads and drag, Prison Dancer reimagines the origin story of a viral sensation. This tale of resilience and hope chronicles the journey of Lola, a prisoner who instills purpose and joy in her fellow inmates. Under Lola's leadership, a community forms within the prison walls, uniting as a pangkat (a Filipino term for group) to support and look out for each other.
Over the past several years, creators Candido and De Jesus have developed this story, presenting it through various mediums. These include an award-winning transmedia project comprising an interactive web series, a performative cinematic experience, and a cast recording. Now, the tale returns to its beloved original form as a live musical production.
Prepare to be captivated by the cast's powerhouse performance and inspired by a story of hope found in the most unexpected places.
PRISON DANCER – NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 2 BABS ASPER THEATRE
An NAC English Theatre Revival of the Citadel Theatre Production. Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s Nation Creation Fund
Music and Lyrics by Romeo Candido; Book by Romeo Candido and Carmen De Jesus; Directed by Nina Lee Aquino; Produced by Ana Serrano and Carla Serrano. Featuring Norm Alconcel, Pierre Angelo Bayuga, Dominique Brillantes, Josh Capulong, Diana Del Rosario, Renell Doneza, Daren Dyhengco, Chariz Faulmino, Byron Flores, Julio Fuentes, Jovanni Sy, Stephen Thakkar; Music Director, Additional Scoring, Piano Arrangements; Kierscey Rand Regozo; Musicians Jeremie Guitierrez, José Monchito Hernández Garcia, Leighton Rodney; Costume Designer Joyce Padua; Lighting Designer Michelle Ramsay; Set and Props Designer Joanna Yu; Sound Designer Owen Hutchinson; Fight Director Richard Lee;; Choreographer Julio Fuentes; Associate Choreographer Keiran Bohay; Dramaturgy Rick Boynton; Audio Coordinator Wayne Hawthorne; Stage Manager Gina Puntil; Assistant Stage Manager Alysse Szatkowski; Associate Stage Manager Angela Mae Bago;
PASKONG PINOY SA OTTAWA (FILIPINO CHRISTMAS IN OTTAWA) – DECEMBER 2
The Philippine Centre Canada (PCC) and the Philippine Embassy in Canada, in partnership with the National Arts Centre, invite you to join us for a festive holiday market - the Filipino way! Shop for holiday goodies and gifts made by local Filipino businesses and artisans, learn how to make a parol (lantern), and enjoy listening to Filipino Christmas carols.
10 am – 4 pm
Peter A Herrndorf Place
NAC’S NATIONAL CREATION FUND
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $135,000 allowed the artists to invest in research phases – including a research trip to Cebu City, Philippines -- and additional creation workshops that integrated designers and design concepts. This enhanced development set the stage for the Filipino Canadian-majority Prison Dancer team to collaborate in entirely new way, with space for the risk-taking and innovation necessary to create a brand-new large-scale musical.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank The Slaight Family Foundation and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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Bear Grease: An Indigenous Reimagination of a Beloved Classic
Experience this Must-See Rendition of Grease at the NAC in October
October 3, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Get ready for a jaw-dropping, toe-tapping spectacle. From October 11 to 14, Bear Grease takes the 1978 musical Grease on an Indigenous joyride — with fashion that slays, humour that tickles your funny bone, and music that makes you groove. It's a rez makeover for the beloved characters, keeping the authenticity alive while adding a burst of cultural flair.
Buckle up for an electrifying experience that celebrates Indigenous cultures and dances its way into your heart — Bear Grease is a one-of-a-kind adventure you don't want to miss. Crystle Lightning and MC RedCloud, renowned for their contributions to the music industry, have brought this captivating production to life.
Originally premiering at the Edmonton Fringe Festival and since touring across Turtle Island, Bear Grease is known for tailoring each show to the communities they visit. They adopt last names and language for the show to personalize the message and stories of Bear Grease for each unique location.
"We change the show just a bit," Lightning says. "For instance, if we're in Treaty 6 territory, in Cree territory, we'll infuse some Cree words to make it more meaningful for the audience."
Bear Grease plans to wow audiences at the National Arts Centre with this innovative blend of genres and cultures, promising to create a mesmerizing and unforgettable theatrical experience.
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 ian.hobson@nac-cna.ca
NAC French Theatre launches 2024 Collective activities and presents Le virus et la proie
In November, NAC French Theatre tackles politics in all its expressions and contradictions
November 6, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – With the 2023–24 season well underway, NAC French Theatre is preparing to present the Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental’s production of Le virus et la proie (“the virus and the prey”) and to host the first working meeting of the 2024 Collective.
Le virus et la proie, the acclaimed wake-up call by intellectual Pierre Lefebvre, is directed by Benoît Vermeulen, French Theatre’s former Associate Artist, Youth Programming, who has adapted the text for four exceptional actors: Tania Kontoyanni, Alexis Martin, Ève Pressault and Madani Tall.
This letter to an all-purpose power figure retains its original voice, using lacerating language to denounce the brutality of a dehumanizing social system:
“Sir,
You won’t read this letter. That’s my fault. I don’t have the imagination or the strength or whatever to make you hear me. No matter how much I shout, mumble, whisper, scream or roar, the result is the same: ridiculous. I don’t know how to bridge the distance between us or make it any shorter. I’d like to be able to wear it down, to settle into the length of time, to make it brittle through sheer patience, like water on rock, until one day it suddenly bursts through, but I can’t do that either.”
—Pierre Lefebvre, Le virus et la proie (transl.)
Lucid, sensitive and ironic, Le virus et la proie is a direct attack on the violence of the status quo, and above all a plea for poetry, for everything within us that is fragile and so difficult to name.
The November 25 performance is presented with English subtitles.
Sound Installation
It’s in this context that French Theatre, in association with local artists and teachers, created Les voix de la génération Z, a sound installation that echoes the concepts behind Pierre Lefebvre’s text. The audience will be able to hear the heartfelt demands of today’s youth, which are also addressed to “Sir.” To create the piece, slam poet David Dufour, a.k.a. D-Track, led a writing workshop for local students, who were given the assignment of writing a poetic manifesto. A dozen or so were selected to give voice to their manifestos in the Transistor Média studio, and the resulting podcast can be heard in the lobby of the Azrieli Studio.
Mani reçoit Pierre Lefebvre
On Wednesday, November 22, the opening night of Le virus et la proie, Mani Soleymanlou will be joined by author Pierre Lefebvre as part of the Grandes rencontres du Théâtre français discussion series. The conversation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the NAC Salon.
2024 Collective’s First Workshop
The same day will see the official launch of the 2024 edition of the Collective, an annual project initiated by Mani Soleymanlou and supported by Théâtre du Rideau Vert. The team will meet for two days in an NAC rehearsal room to begin its work.
The 2024 cohort will be directed by writer, director and artistic director (of Théâtre Denise-Pelletier) Claude Poissant. For the occasion, he commissioned a script from playwrights François Archambault and Gabrielle Chapdelaine. The play, Faire le bien, will be presented in September 2024, and performed by nine recent theatre school graduates: Xavier Bergeron (Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal), Anaelle Boily Talbot (École de théâtre professionnel du Collège Lionel-Groulx), Mehdi Boumalki (École supérieure de théâtre de l’UQAM), Simon Champagne (École de théâtre du Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe), Joephillip Lafortune (Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal), Christophe Levac (National Theatre School of Canada), Elizabeth Mageren (National Theatre School of Canada), Charlotte Richer (University of Ottawa Theatre Department Conservatory), and Léa Roy (Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal). These young performers will share the stage with experienced actor Eve Landry, well known to theatre and TV audiences.
“Doing good comes down to little stories of toxic positivity—to situations, sometimes banal, sometimes radical, sometimes absurd, imbued with consensual benevolence. They are dramatic vignettes that shine a light on the blind spots of what is considered ‘the right thing to do according to my values.’
Between hope and discomfort, here are young humans zigzagging, nearly 25 years into a more than imperfect new millennium, from the ridiculous to the rigid, from the valiant gesture to the dark underside, seeking their horizon amid thousands of confusing particles.”
—Claude Poissant, director of the 2024 Collective (transl.)
Between denouncing neo-liberalism and affirming the right, these different projects will address politics in a variety of ways, reflecting one of the fundamental and complex concerns of theatre: living together.
LE VIRUS ET LA PROIE PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio
November 22, 23 and 24 at 8pm, as well as November 25 at 4pm
On the Friday, the performance, offered with English subtitles, will be followed by a talkback with the artists.
Tickets: $37
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30, at $15
All my Relations: $15 tickets welcoming the Indigenous community
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Margo Kane Receives National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased to announce that Margo Kane has been awarded the 2023 National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring.
Ms. Kane is being recognized for her lifelong commitment to creating new performance and touring opportunities for Indigenous artists and companies, and the development of Indigenous touring networks in Canada and abroad. The $2,500 award was presented on Saturday, November 4 during the opening of the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts’s (CAPACOA) annual conference in Ottawa, which runs through November 8.
" Encouraging touring for Indigenous artists and audiences has been uppermost in my work for some time now,” said Ms. Kane. “By developing relationships with presenters and artist representatives along with our national and international Indigenous artists, presenters and producers, we are working together to achieve our goals of bringing the stories of our People's to audiences longing to hear them. Thank you for this encouragement!"
Cree-Saulteaux performing artist Margo Kane is the Founder and Artistic Managing Director of Full Circle: First Nations Performance. For over 45 years she has been active as an actor, performing artist and community cultural worker. Her desire to share artistic performance that has meaning for her people is the catalyst for her extensive work, travels and consultation within Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad. Moonlodge, her acclaimed one-woman show, an Indigenous Canadian classic, toured for more than 10 years nationally and internationally. The Sydney Press (AU) during The Festival of the Dreaming praised it as being ‘in the top echelon of solo performance.’
Ms. Kane developed and runs the annual Talking Stick Festival in Vancouver, as well as numerous programs including Moccasin Trek: Arts on the Move!, Indian Acts and an Indigenous Ensemble Performing Arts Program.
Ms. Kane has received numerous awards and honors during her distinguished career including the Order of Canada, honorary degrees from the University of the Fraser Valley and SFU – Simon Fraser University, and an International Citation of Merit from ISPA – International Society for the Performing Arts.
Established in 1992 in collaboration with the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (CAPACOA), the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring honours exceptional achievement in fostering the touring of live performing arts in Canada. The recipient is chosen from nominations solicited from within the industry and is selected by a committee composed of presenters, agents, administrators, the National Arts Centre and CAPACOA. The recipient may be an individual, performing company, corporation or other organization.
Previous recipients include Ballet BC (2019), Derek Andrews (2018), the East Coast Music Association (2017), Paul Tanguay (2016), Norman Armour (2015), Tafelmusik (2014), Alain Paré (2013), Peter Feldman (2012), Ballet Jörgen Canada (2011), La danse sur les routes du Québec (2010), Uriel Luft (2009), the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (2008), Judy Harquail (2007), Ottie Lockey (2006), Colin McIntyre (2005), CBC Radio/la radio de Radio-Canada (2004), Debut Atlantic (2003), Richard Stoker (2002), Nicholas Goldschmidt (2001), Bruce Owen (2000), the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1999), David Haber (1998), Dr. Elmer Iseler (1997), Jean-Paul Gagnon (1996), Hugh Davidson (1995), Mark Porteous (1994), George Zukerman (1993), and CAPACOA (1992).
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. CAPACOA is a federally incorporated, non-profit pan-Canadian organization serving the performing arts touring and presenting field.
Carl Martin
Senior Communications Advisor
National Arts Centre
613 291-8880 carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
NAC GALA : Celebrating Arts Education in Canada Over the Past 25 years
The NAC Gala in support of the National Youth and Education Trust has raised over $15 million through the years.
November 1, 2023 – OTTAWA, Canada — This evening, on the occasion of its 2023 Gala featuring world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming, the National Arts Centre (NAC) and its orchestra, led by Music Director Alexander Shelley, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the NAC Gala. Since 2001, the NAC Gala has raised over 15 million dollars for the National Youth and Education Trust to support the NAC’s artistic and educational programs across the country.
The NAC Orchestra and Maestro Alexander Shelley opened the concert with a lush performance of Georges Bizet’s Toreadors before being joined by the celebrated Renée Fleming. Sharing the spotlight with the NAC Orchestra for the first time since 2013, the soprano brought her inimitable voice to the stage with selections from Handel, including “Calm thou my soul ... Convey me to some peaceful shore” from his oratorio Alexander Balus, followed by French classics, including Gabriel Fauré’s Mandoline, Op. 58, No. 1, and Jules Massenet’s “Allons! ... Adieu, notre petite table” from his opera Manon. This was Ms. Fleming’s second appearance at the NAC Gala, her first being in 2002.
In the second half, Renée Fleming, Maestro Shelley and the NAC Orchestra returned to the stage, changing registers to treat the audience to a spellbinding rendition of “I Want Magic” from André Previn’s opera A Streetcar Named Desire. The soprano then gave riveting performances of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the musical Carousel and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady.
Renée Fleming worked magic with Music Director Alexander Shelley and the NAC Orchestra in this spectacular evening in honour of patrons Earle and Janice O’Born, C.M., O.Ont.. Over the past 15 years, the Toronto couple have become passionate champions of the NAC through their support of Canada’s performing artists, new works, touring, and orchestral compositions.
For a selection of photos of this evening’s performance click here.
Since its first Gala in 1997, headlined by singer Jessye Norman, the NAC has welcomed a constellation of renowned Canadian and international artists to the Southam Hall stage for this fundraising event. They include Israeli violinist Itzhak Perlman, New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, and Canadian-American soprano Erin Wall, as well as Tony Bennett, Diana Ross, Paul Anka, Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang and Jann Arden. For its 10th anniversary edition in 2007, the NAC Gala welcomed American pianist Emanuel Ax, Canadian folk violinist Natalie MacMaster, Israeli-American violinist Gil Shaham, and Franco-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
This glamorous fundraising event benefits the National Youth and Education Trust by providing much-needed resources for the National Arts Centre’s youth and education programming all across the country. Established by the NAC Foundation in 2001, the Trust is the primary resource for youth and education funding at the NAC. It gives Canada’s next generation of artists the chance to grow, master their art, and take their rightful place in the spotlight. It also helps us introduce young people across Canada to the wonder of the performing arts and the incredible difference it can make throughout their lives.
SUPPORTERS
The NAC Gala is made possible thanks to the generous support of our donors and sponsors. We are grateful to Earle O’Born and Janice O’Born, C.M., O.Ont., for their longstanding leadership and transformational support. Thank you to the Gail Asper Family Foundation & Asper Foundation, Adrian Burns, LL.D., & Gregory Kane, K.C., Susan Glass, C.M., & Arni Thorsteinson, O.M., Gail O’Brien, LL.D., & David O’Brien, O.C., Alexander Shelley & Zoe Shelley, and Dasha Shenkman, OBE. Thank you also to our corporate sponsors: Aria Partners, Azrieli Foundation, CGI, Emond Harnden LLP, and RBC Royal Bank; our Dinner Sponsor, A&E Television Networks; and our Soprano Patrons, Air Canada, Mark Motors Group, and Trinity Development Group Inc.; as well as the NAC’s Forest Planting Partner, Canada’s Forest Trust. Proceeds from the Gala support the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE FOUNDATION
The National Arts Centre Foundation raises funds to support the National Arts Centre’s work in performance, creation and learning across Canada. Since its founding in 2000, the National Arts Centre Foundation has raised more than $170 million to enrich the lives of Canadians through the performing arts and champion our country’s artists, students and educators.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Anicée Lejeune
Communications Strategist
Programs and Special Projects
National Arts Centre
514-237-9553 anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca
Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young’s Highly Anticipated New Work Comes to the NAC
Assembly Hall, a Kidd Pivot Production, is a brilliantly orchestrated hybrid of dance and theatre
October 24, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Sure to be a hot ticket this season, Assembly Hall comes to Babs Asper Theatre from November 2 to 4.
From the team that created the ground-breaking, award-winning productions of Revisor and Betroffenheit — which The Guardian hailed as “the best dance work of the 21st century” — comes Kidd Pivot’s latest offering that promises the company’s signature wit and invention. Fuelling Kidd Pivot’s work is a fascination with story and the role of language as an animating force.
Eight superb performers are brought together in this new work that explores our need for a sense of togetherness and belonging. In a setting somewhere between a community hall and a mythical kingdom, audiences will witness the joys and pitfalls of devoted like-mindedness and the pain of exile.
Crystal Pite’s bold and original vision has earned her international acclaim and inspired a generation of dance artists. In 2002, she founded Kidd Pivot and made it her mission to translate universal issues into works of art that connect to deep and essential parts of our humanity. More than 50 creations later, Crystal continues her commitment to refine the universal language of dance.
“I’m inspired by things that can’t be measured or understood. What interests me is the human spirit and how we connect to each other.”
— Crystal Pite, Choreographer
“NAC Dance audiences won’t want to miss Crystal Pite’s return to Babs Asper Theatre with this new collaboration with Jonathon Young. Assembly Hall is an incredibly dynamic performance with characters that are larger-than-life. These two co-creators are master storytellers, and we are in for a treat.”
— Caroline Ohrt, Executive Producer, NAC Dance
“Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young’s collaboration is legendary. They are one of the few two-time recipients of Creation Fund investments, a testament to the rigour and ambition of their work. In Assembly Hall, Pite and Young playfully invite us to consider the stakes of our need to be together, in a vital exploration of human belonging.”
— Sarah Conn, Acting Artistic Producer, National Creation Fund
Assembly Hall is an NAC co-production and was developed with support from the NAC's National Creation Fund.
This performance includes English-only dialogue that is integral to the work's narrative.
Babs Asper Theatre
November 2 - 4, 7:30 p.m.
Pre-show chat at 6:30 p.m. on November 2, Peter A, Herrndorf Place
Duration: 90 minutes, no intermission.
To purchase tickets, visit nac-cna.ca/en/event/33704 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To learn more about the NAC’s building and facilities before you arrive, click: nac-cna.ca/en/visit.
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023–2024 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT KIDD PIVOT
World-renowned for radical hybrids of dance and theatre, Kidd Pivot creations are assembled with a keen sense of wit and invention. Led by Canadian choreographer and director Crystal Pite, the company is unflinching in the face of such challenging and complex themes as trauma, addiction, conflict, consciousness and mortality. Pite’s bold and original vision has earned her international acclaim and inspired an entire generation of dance artists.
Kidd Pivot strives to distill and translate universal questions into artworks that connect us to profound and essential parts of humanity. “Running through all of our work is the question of what moves us,” says Pite.
Kidd Pivot tours internationally with critically acclaimed works such as Betroffenheit and Revisor (both co-created with playwright Jonathon Young), The Tempest Replica, Dark Matters, Lost Action, and The You Show. Since 2015, Kidd Pivot has measured its touring carbon footprint and offset over 1,000 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), enabling it to be one of the first dance companies to tour carbon neutral.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
Theatre Icon Walter Borden Brings Highly Anticipated The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time To The NAC
THEATRE ICON WALTER BORDEN BRINGS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ONE MAN SHOW TO THE NAC Autobiographical The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time arrives after previously cancelled performances in 2022.
October 4, 2023– OTTAWA (Canada). In February of 2022, NAC English Theatre was set to present Walter Borden’s masterpiece, The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time, when protests in downtown Ottawa caused its cancellation. Following critically acclaimed runs at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre in May and Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre in September and October, the play is set to make a triumphant return to Ottawa, from November 1 to 11, 2023.
Directed by former NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton-Davis, The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time is a one-man, multi-character tour-de-force. It chronicles the poignant journey of a young Black queer man growing up in rural Nova Scotia.
Initially written and performed by Walter Borden in 1986 and presented as Tightrope Time Ain’tNuthin’ More Than Some Itty Bitty Madness Between Your Twilight & Your Dawn, the work was one of the first Canadian plays to explore male homosexuality from a Black perspective.
Infusing the play with wisdom and perspective garnered over the past 35 years, Borden has crafted a diary of imagination and experience. In 2023, he now presents a powerful performance articulated through the voices of 10 dynamic characters, each instrumental in reflecting his philosophy on life's journey.
In The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time, legendary Walter Borden leads the audience on a personal odyssey across the town square, into the church, and through the perspective of a Black gay man. This piece offers a unique opportunity to experience the resilience and vitality of the human spirit.
CELEBRATING WALTER BORDEN
This homecoming serves not only as a celebration of a critically acclaimed production, but also as a tribute to Walter Borden, the venerable actor, playwright, poet, and teacher who has been graced with numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Order of Canada in 2006.
In honour of this Canadian theatre icon, NAC English Theatre is curating a special display outside the Azrieli Studio. This vibrant installation will feature over 100 brightly colored ribbons, each one representing a milestone in Walter’s extensive theatre journey, showcasing his rich timeline of credits, awards, and recognitions. Additionally, audiences will have the opportunity to delve deeper into Walter’s world through video links where they can witness him engage in a heartfelt conversation with playwright and actor Andrew Moodie, as part of the Legend Library project from Canada's Theatre Museum.
BLACK OUT NIGHT
On November 3, NAC English Theatre’s first Black Out Night of the season will coincide with the evening performance of The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time. We invite audiences to join a pre-show panel and a post-show celebration honoring Walter, co-presented by Black Gay Men’s Network of Ontario. Given the overwhelming success of last season's Black Out Nights, tickets for this event are expected to sell out quickly.
Black Out Nights at the NAC offer Black audiences and their guests an opportunity to enjoy performances within their community, showcasing the vibrant spectrum of the Black experience. As always, everyone is welcome to join the Black Out Night during The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time performance, fostering a spirit of inclusivity and celebration.
THE LAST EPISTLE OF TIGHTROPE TIME – NOVEMBER 1 - 11, AZRIELI STUDIO
The NAC English Theatre/Tarragon Theater revival of the NAC English Theatre/Neptune Theatre co-production
Written and performed by Walter Borden Directed by Peter Hinton-Davis Set, Lighting, Projection and Costume Designer Andy Moro; Sound Designer and Composer Adrienne Danrich O’Neill; Associate Sound Designer Wayne Hawthorne; Stage Manager Fiona Jones; Assistant Stage Manager Alison Crosby.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank The Slaight Family Foundation and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the nextgeneration of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Une petite fête: A Space for Freedom and Joyful Dissent
NAC French Theatre’s Enfance/jeunesse family series kicks off with festive chaos and a healthy dose of irreverence
October 16, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – On October 28 and 29, two performers and a dynamic musician invite children ages 4 to 8—and perhaps their parents—to a secret party, a little mischievous, a little delirious; a party where mild delinquency is encouraged, because in this cabaret of dissent, the children make the decisions!
Over the last 50 years, Le Carrousel theatre company has reached more than a million spectators in 16 countries on 4 continents, and has gone on nearly 100 international tours! To mark the occasion, the company has prepared a magical cake scene and an exuberant party that thumbs its nose at rules and conventions.
“The show is meant to be an ode to freedom, a place where differences are welcomed with open arms and a time to reflect on our collective habits and convictions. Join us as you laugh, delight and grow.”
– Marie-Eve Huot, Director of Une petite fête and Artistic Director of Le Carrousel
NAC French Theatre is delighted to co-produce this series of outrageous tableaux that question some of the rules that govern our daily lives ... even in the theatre. That’s what this show written by Martin Bellemare celebrates: the importance of making room for questioning, and even resistance, with humour and intelligence.
PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY
Because the experience of going to the theatre begins long before you step into the performance hall, families are welcome to arrive 45 minutes before the start of the performance to warm up their imaginations. Many activities and surprises await you in the Studio Foyer!
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio
School matinees: October 25, 26, 27 (it is possible for the media to attend if there are seats available)
Family performances: October 28 and 29, at 1pm and 3pm
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
LEGENDARY CHOREOGRAPHER AKRAM KHAN’S LATEST WORK JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED COMES TO THE NAC
Storytelling at the heart of Khan’s signature movement style
October 5, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Akram Khan’s latest work, Jungle Book reimagined, an NAC Co-Production, comes to Southam Hall for three performances, including a Saturday matinee.
At the age of ten, Akram Khan played Mowgli in an Indian dance version of The Jungle Book, and decades later, the choreographer decided to revisit the story. Based on the original story of Rudyard Kipling’s much-loved classic, Khan reinvents the journey of Mowgli through the eyes of a climate refugee.
Set in a near future world, it is the story of a family torn apart as they escape their homeland ravaged by the impact of climate change. Arriving alone in a deserted modern city, and with wild animals claiming the streets as their own, the child soon discovers unlikely allies in this strange new jungle.
Featuring an original score, ten international dancers and state-of-the-art animation and visuals, Jungle Book reimagined is a beautifully compelling and vital piece of storytelling about our intrinsic need to belong and bond with others, and the importance of connecting with and respecting our natural world. Audiences will be transported by the animated visual projections, haunting music, and masterful choreography that mimics the movements of the animals.
Akram Khan very consciously approached the creation of this production as a direct action towards climate change. In place of traditional physical sets that are heavy for touring, projections and animated films achieve an immersive non-physical realm, and props made of cardboard are recycled after the tour. He brought in YeastCulture, a UK-based design firm, to create stunning hand-drawn animations, some of which will be showcased on the NAC’s Kipnes Lantern.
“We are now living in unprecedented and uncertain times, not only for our species but for all species on this planet. And the root cause of this conundrum is because we have forgotten our connection to our home, our planet. We all inhabit it, we all take from it, and we all build on it, but we have forgotten to return our respect for it.”
– Akram Khan
Director and Choreographer
“This is a truly exceptional production. We are thrilled to welcome once again Akram Khan Company, who have graced the NAC stages numerous times over the years, each time wowing audiences. Jungle Book reimagined stands out for its powerful message about the impact of climate change – and it speaks to all generations.”
– Caroline Orht. Executive Producer, NAC Dance
This performance is recommended for children ages 8 + years.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Southam Hall
October 19-20, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
October 21, 2023, Matinee at 2:00 p.m.
Duration: Two hours and 10 minutes with one intermission
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023–2024 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre , French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
Hip Hop Culture Takes Centre Stage with the NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival
Hip Hop Culture Takes Centre Stage with the NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival
An eleven-day festival celebrates the power of words in the convergence of hip hop and theatre, January 31 – February 10
OTTAWA (Canada) – Hip hop is a highly theatrical form. Why then couldn’t it be part of English Theatre’s season? When the NAC English Theatre team explored this question, it sparked an idea and ignited a conversation about what defines a theatrical performance.
Emerging in the 1970s from disenfranchised Black communities in the Bronx, hip hop has deeply influenced Canadian culture for over four decades. The term ‘Hip Hop Theatre’ emerged in the early 1990s, coined by London-based dancer and emcee Jonzi D, to describe a performance style fusing hip hop dance and theatre. As hip hop celebrates 45 years in Canada, NAC English Theatre kicks off 2024 with the NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival, curated by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin with Nina Lee Aquino and NAC Popular Music and Variety.
“Hip hop in its purest and most unadulterated form is theatre. If we look at the arc of theatre history all the way from Shakespeare to contemporary theatre, including vaudeville and early and current Broadway, hip hop in all its forms belongs without a doubt,” observed Curator Rose-Ingrid Benjamin. “It is so much more than music – it’s a lifestyle, a culture, a revolutionary language that gives voice to a facet of the Black struggle, and now resonates globally.”
“The question led me to revisit my work, seeking and finding intersections with hip hop," said NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino. “I discovered other global Hip Hop Theatre festivals, confirming that the convergence of theatre and hip hop is a shared passion among many artists, celebrating the synergy of the hybrid works which emerge from this confluence.”
The eleven-day festival will revolve around the text-based essence of hip hop, opening with a free monumental Hip Hop Cypher. Subsequent performances will encompass battle rap, spoken word, staged readings, panels, concerts, and virtual events, all aimed at broadening our perspective on how we view and experience theatre at its core.
“I kept revisiting the realm of plays grounded in text, where the interplay of words and rhythm are central. I wanted not only to explore and satisfy my curiosity but also to showcase this intertwined relationship,” remarked Ms Aquino.
NAC English Theatre is excited to join in the tradition of Hip Hop Theatre festivals being presented around the globe. Through the festival, we hope audiences will cultivate a deeper respect and admiration for hip hop as a distinct and vibrant theatrical form.
NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival Schedule – January 31 – February 10, 2024
The NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival will host ten events over 11 days, featuring two concerts from Popular Music and Variety’s Fridays at the Fourth series, two free panels and the Spoken Word presentation The Old Black Maple, will hold two performances, including the second Black Out Night for English Theatre in 2023-2024. To check out the entire festival, visit: www.nac-cna.ca/en/series/hip-hop-theatre-festival-2023.
The Cypher
Wednesday, January 31, 8 p.m. Peter A. Herrndorf Place - FREE
The Old Black Maple
Saturday, February 3, Azrieli Studio
7 p.m.
9:30 p.m. – Black Out Night Performance
Twisted
Created and performed by Charlotte Corbeil–Coleman and Joseph Jomo Pierre
Wednesday, February 7, 8 p.m., Fourth Stage
Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera
Created and performed by Sébastien Heins
Thursday, February 8, 8 p.m., Azrieli Studio
NAC Hip Hop Theatre Festival in collaboration with Charron Presents Cold Heat
Saturday, February 10, 7 p.m., Azrieli Studio
Fridays At The Fourth
Popular Music and Variety’sFridays At The Fourth is excited to introduce emerging Hip Hop artists from across Canada to the stage as part of NAC’s inaugural Hip Hop Theatre Festival.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank The Slaight Family Foundation and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Official Car Partner Mark Motors Group, Performance Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner The Metcalfe. The Arts, Medicine and #Life speaker series is made possible thanks to the support of The Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management, and Scotiabank.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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L'ÉCOUTE D'UNE ÉMOTION: Waves of Desire and Radio
From October 11 to 14, the remarkable Larissa Corriveau delivers the story of an intense passion in the NAC Studio
September 25, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – After a collective work featuring nine young performers giving form to the invisible, French Theatre continues its “inner dive” with a production that explores the high stakes of passion. L’écoute d’une émotion is a powerful monologue with the feel of a radio show taking us down the winding paths of a stir that is both intoxicating and liberating.
Who better than the sublime Larissa Corriveau to take on this high-wire act, which uses physical movement to investigate desire and the limitations of language to express the pulse of that desire? Lauded for her versatility as well as for her solid physical technique, Corriveau seizes both the microphone and the stage to deliver this spellbinding dramatic monologue by Marie-Laurence Rancourt.
“The beginning of a radio show is like the beginning of a love affair; you’re at the very beginning, it’s the very beginning; all time is ahead of you; you have no idea what’s coming next, and yet you’re drawn in; you’re afraid; you see the clocks, you see the time, the time that may run out, you see the silence, you see the unforeseen, the unexpected …. I love the beginning of a radio show like I love the beginning of a love affair; from the very first moments, something unfolds that wasn’t there at the beginning, something you didn’t know was there and that you’re going to create,” reveals the woman at the microphone.
The founder of Magnéto company – which created L’écoute d’une émotion (coproduced by French Theatre) –, Rancourt has proven her talent as an investigator of our social worlds with the radio drama Aalaapi | ᐋᓛᐱ, which was presented at the NAC in the fall 2022. Here, she does it once again, adding directing to this intimate gem, presenting a unique voice that, while addressing the many, seems secretly to be saying, “Deep down, you’re the only one I’m talking to.”
So, get ready for a great performance by an exceptional actor, an extraordinary text ... as well as one or two songs.
ABOUT LARISSA CORRIVEAU
Larissa Corriveau is an artist who transcends classifications. An actor, author and director, she has made a name for herself in the theatre scene, where she has worked with such luminaries as Marie Brassard (La fureur de ce que je pense), Brigitte Haentjens (Richard III and L’opéra de quat’sous), Catherine Vidal (Je disparais) and Emmanuel Schwartz (Nathan) – all of these works have been presented at the NAC. In 2019, she drew acclaim for her film debut in Denis Côté’s Répertoire des villes disparues (selected to compete at the 69th Berlinale). She went on to act in several other film productions: Denis Côté’s Hygiène sociale, Un été comme ça and Mademoiselle Kenopsia; Stéphane Lafleur’s Viking. She has several television appearances under her belt as well, including in Toute la vie, Motel Paradis, L’échappée, À cœur battant and Les yeux fermés.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio
October 11, 12 and 13 at 8pm, as well as October 14 at 4pm
On the Friday, the performance will be followed by a talkback with the artists.
Tickets: $37
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30, at $15
All my Relations: $15 tickets welcoming the Indigenous community
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
French-language theater across the country shines once again this year
Let's celebrate together the 10th edition of Zones Théâtrales
Ottawa - September 5, 2023 - Let the countdown begin! The biennial Zones Théâtrales kicks off on Monday, September 11, and runs until Saturday, September 16. Come see us on stages across Ottawa and outside the Canadian Museum of History for a week of festivities. On the program for this 10th edition: nine original shows, six workshop productions and tons of different free events. Whether you work in theatre, are a theatre buff or just want to learn more, there’s something for everyone. It’s the perfect way to start this cultural season.
Since 2005, the pride and prosperity of French theatre has taken centre stage at Zones Théâtrales, an event with the primary goal of bringing people together and showcasing the incredible originality of new works hailing from the Franco-Canadian scenes and regions of Quebec. Zones Théâtrales is a creative engine for artists working in French, setting the tone for local theatrical pieces and helping to promote national and international French theatre.
“Here’s to the 10th edition!” - Gilles Poulin-Denis, artistic director of Zones Théâtrales. “May it stoke our imaginations and our memories, so that we might say ‘I was there that night when…’ And though the future is still unwritten, one thing is clear: creativity thrives here, enough so that I see another 10 editions!”
This year, the biennial is tackling today’s popular topics, with some of our shows asking audiences to reflect on the evolution of our relationship to land and to the environment as a society.
● WINNIPEG │ KOUROU │ ZIGUINCHOR Our opening show On marronne ? (Si ça te dit, viens) will be making its world premiere at NAC’s Azrieli Studio onSeptember 11 and 12. Indigenous artist Marie-Josée Dandeneau’s soundscape immerses us in the midst of a forest, in a play written by Gustave Akakpo and dramaturgy by Tomson Highway. At the crossroads of nature and resilience, artists from three territories ponder the history that needs to be rectified and the future that remains to be written.
● CARLETON-SUR-MER │La conquête du béluga is presented on the banks of the Ottawa River at the Canadian Museum of History, September 14 and 15. Presented at sunset against the backdrop of Parliament Hill, Maryse Goudreau’s La conquête du beluga takes us through the history of the beluga whale in a gentle call to take action for the environment and change our attitude toward living things. Other works try to redefine creativity with the help of new technology.
● OTTAWA │In the vein of true crime podcasts, Durant des années transports us back to 1999 in rural Quebec, in the middle of the Ottawa River, where a teen’s murder has shrouded residents in silence. Relevant to our times, this work from Théâtre du Trillium and Théâtre Catapulte uses AI-generated interactive stage design. Making its world premiere at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins’ Studio A, September 12 and 13.
● MONCTON │Using science-fiction inspired visuals, gimmicks and scale models, the Satellite Théâtre company pulls out all the stops in its most technologically ambitious creation to date : Bouée. Between existential questions and interstellar ambitions, this show asks life’s biggest questions and reflects on its absurdities in the time an interstellar trip takes – with Katrine Noël of Les Hay Babies. Bouée will be presented at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins’ Studio A, September 15 and 16.Two shows take us on journeys to explore the world.
● OTTAWA │In the aftermath of a deadly epidemic, a brother and sister undertake a perilous journey to the United States in search of their father. The post-apocalyptic thriller Murs questions what remains of humanity when civilization collapses. Making its premiere at the University of Ottawa’s Academic Hall, September 13 and 14.
● MANITOBA │Young audiences (8 to 11) and seniors are invited to embark on a sensory journey with Cet été qui chantait by Franco-Manitoban author Marie-Ève Fontaine. Loosely based on the work of the same name by Gabrielle Roy, this deeply poetic world comes to life through puppet, shadow play and object theatre. Performances at the University of Ottawa’s LabO, September 15 and 16. Meanwhile, Crawlspace brings us back to reality with a real estate horror story.
● TORONTO │Crawlspace paints the funny, tear-inducing absurdity of the Toronto real estate market. Join the play’s protagonist as she finds—not without a sense of humour—disaster after disaster under the bricks and boards of her new home. Performances at the University of Ottawa’s Studio Léonard Beaulne, September 12 and 13. Last but not least, some works examine the notions of memory and inheritance,while paying tribute to loved ones.
● VANCOUVER │In 1960s Quebec, Michel makes a name as a drag queen before becoming Michelle. In Michel(le), a powerful autobiographical solo, Joey Lespérence questions the roles that society forces upon us all. Making its world premiere at the Arts Court theatre, September 12 and 13.
● CHICOUTIMI │Ainsi passe la chair is a love letter from Sara Moisan. Through headphones, you’ll listen to a fictitious conversation, based on old recordings between her and her father. This deeply personal work questions our relationship with death, the act of creation, and the traces we leave behind. At the University of Ottawa’s Studio Léonard-Beaulne, September 14 and 16.
Zones Théâtrales is also an opportunity to discover works in progress.
https://nac-cna.ca/en/zonestheatrales/labo
The biennial gives space to upcoming creations by helping to build a bridge between creators and the public, but also to artistic directors who might be interested in presenting these works to their audiences.
This year, the works in progress presented at the Zones Théâtrales are:
TORONTO │ Ça rime avec vinaigre by KaFé Productions Inc
CHELSEA │Créatures by L’eau du bain
SHERBROOKE │Sainte-Johanne-des-Calvettes by Traces et Souvenances
OTTAWA │Vivances by Guillaume Saindon
CARAQUET │Vent à vendre by Théâtre Populaire de l’Acadie
OTTAWA, PORT-AU PRINCE AND TORONTO │Quel dernier grand conflit pour
satisfaire la haine entre les humains by Guy Régis Jr
Industry professionals can enjoy Zones Théâtrales’ round tables, speed dating-style project
presentations, a fun roleplay game and get-togethers meant to grow and to support the
theatre community from French Canada and across Quebec.
Two free exhibits and several other events are also open to the general public.
https://nac-cna.ca/en/zonestheatrales/pop
Audiences can check out Towards Home, an artistic installation by Geronimo Inutiq, who is known for creations and performances that draw on his Inuit and Quebec background. On September 14 at 10 p.m., a performance and DJ set will showcase Geronimo Inutiq and local DJs. Finally, in addition to La conquête du Béluga, multidisciplinary artist Maryse Goudreau will be showcasing her installation Dans le ventre de la baleine—an immersive sound and tactile experience that plunges you into the center of a beluga whale nursery. Both installations are being held continuously at Club SAW, from September 13 to September 15. Zones Théâtrales is offering more than just theatre, livening things up with happy hours and festive evenings. Plus, new this year—a drag night hosted by show-stopping drag queens (Chiquita Mére, Sami Landri and Ruby Foxglove). Audiences and artists alike can celebrate together at these events. On Saturday, September 16, a very special literary cabaret will close out the week, looking back at the ten biennials from 2005 to 2023.
Check out the full program at : https://nac-cna.ca/en/zonestheatrales
Show tickets are $25 and workshop productions $10. Save 15% when you purchase three shows or more, or check out our various affordable price options.
The Zones Théâtrales biennial event is produced by the National Arts Centre with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Zones Théâtrales team would also like to thank its partners and venues: La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, the SAW Gallery & l’Association des groupes en arts visuels francophones (AGAVF), Club SAW, the Canadian Museum of History, the University of Ottawa, the Association des théâtres francophones du Canada (ATFC), Théâtre Action, the Théâtre français de Toronto, the Théâtre du Trillium, Les Transfrontaliers ; partner hotels ; the Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites, Cartier Place Suite Hotel and graphic designer ; Simon Guibord.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
NAC French Theatre opens its 2023-2024 season with a tribute to imagination and freedom of thought
September 14, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Mani Soleymanlou’s second season at the helm of NAC French Theatre opens on September 28 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 hope and, above all, a genuine work opportunity as they put together, in collaboration with the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, a professional production with guidance from top-level creators.
“It seems to me that we need to take care of what’s coming next. First we need to take the time to take stock of what we have and who we are; then we need to equip ourselves with the tools to secure the future. That’s the concept behind the Collective.”
—Mani Soleymanlou
Directed by internationally renowned artist and NAC regular Marie Brassard (Violence, La fureur de ce que je pense, Moi qui me parle à moi-même dans le futur, L’invisible, Peepshow, La noirceur and Jimmy, créature de rêve), the members of the 2023 Collective are Élodie Bégin, Samuel Boulianne, Marion Daigle, Ahlam Gholami, Stella Lemaine, Cassandre Loiselle, Charles-Olivier Maltais, David Noël and Kevin Pereira, nine strong performers who also wrote the various scenes in L’ombre.
“I wanted this creative experience to be first and foremost about the young actors, who become conduits linking us to the invisible world. I want to highlight that quality of the medium and the inventive talent of the performers.
“Together we imagined a territory—a territory animated by flying ghosts, a lot of wind, mysticism, malice and melancholy, dreams, desires, loneliness and vertigo ... It’s all mixed together, driven by the powerful wind of everyone’s ideas, thrown in there, free and entire, unfiltered.”
—Marie Brassard
The director of L’ombre will be in conversation with Mani Soleymanlou at Peter A. Herrndorf Place at 6 p.m. on the show’s opening night, as part of French Theatre’s Grandes rencontres interview series. Meanwhile, you can listen to the winner of the Siminovitch Prize—the country’s highest honour in theatre—chat with Julien Morissette in a podcast also featuring the cast members.
Together, these emerging words and original voices reaffirm French Theatre’s commitment to creation. By giving shape to the invisible, L’ombre extends an invitation for all ages to dream from the inside and out in the open, in keeping with the theme of the 2023-2024 season.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Babs Asper Theatre
September 28 and 29 at 7:30pm, September 30 at 3pm
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30.
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023-2024 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Cassa Pancho's Ballet Black Makes Its North American Debut at the NAC
Adrienne Rich meets Nina Simone in Pioneers, a double bill presented on October 3 and 4
September 18, 2023– OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre is kicking off its 2023–2024 Dance season with Pioneers,a stunning double bill from Cassa Pancho's Ballet Black, marking the company's first-ever foray into North America.
Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black is known for celebrating diversity by showcasing artists from Black and Asian communities. With Pioneers, 10 of the UK-based company’s dancers take the stage to pay tribute to the lives and ideas of two of the 20th century’s most notable women.
The evening opens with Then Or Now, choreographed by the immensely talented William Tuckett, bringing to life the poetry of influential award-winning author Adrienne Rich. Next up, Mthuthuzeli November, South Africa’s rising young choreographic star, brings us Nina: By Whatever Means, a love letter to the peerless singer, songwriter and political icon Nina Simone. Pioneers, which serves as both a celebration of the unique artistic talent of these two American women and an homage to their unwavering commitment to social justice, delivers performances filled with awe-inspiring movements and lyrical contrasts.
“Intricately crafted writing, staging and dance performances magnificently capture the essence of Adrienne Rich and Nina Simone’s lives,” says Caroline Ohrt, the newly appointed Executive Producer of NAC Dance. “We are thrilled to be able to welcome Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black to the National Arts Centre for their first North American tour.”
“We are delighted to make our North American debut at the National Arts Centre, the realisation of an ambition I have held for a long time – to take the wonderful dancers of Ballet Black and share their talent with the world. I believe this programme’s universal themes of love, inspiration and power will resonate with our new audiences in Canada, and I hope you will all enjoy watching it as much as we enjoy performing it.” —Cassa Pancho MBE, Founder & Artistic Director, Ballet Black
This program offers a sneak peek into the richly diverse lineup that NAC Dance has in store for the 2023–2024 season, programmed by Cathy Levy, Producer Emerita. Prepare to be moved!
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black
Double Bill: Pioneers Then Or Nowby William Tuckett Nina: By Whatever Meansby Mthuthuzeli November
Babs Asper Theatre, October 3 and 4, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
95 minutes with one intermission
Tickets start at $31
Under 30 and All My Relations: Tickets are $15
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2023–2024 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
NAC Indigenous Theatre opens its 2023-2024 season with Papakanje
NAC INDIGENOUS THEATRE OPENS ITS 2023-2024 SEASON WITH PAPAKANJE
Presented as part of Days of Truth and Reconciliation programming
September 13, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Indigenous Theatre welcomes you back to experience an incredible season of Indigenous stories and artistry. Join us on Saturday, September 23 at Papakanje, an unforgettable evening bringing the dynamic online movement #ReconcileThis to life in a live concert experience. This one-night-only event celebrates Indigenous voices through electrifying performances of beats, rhymes, and raw perspectives. Featuring performance from Crown Lands, Cody Coyote, DJ POPTRT, Tamara Podemski, and Zoey Roy.
#ReconcileThis is a social media initiative to uplift and amplify Indigenous voices online by activating and sharing stories, languages, cultures and perspectives through provocative digital performances and conversations in response to this hashtag. As part of this four-year initiative, thanks to generous support from Meta, NAC Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer funding and production equipment to transformative Indigenous voices to share stories, languages, histories, cultures, and perspectives.
Papakanje is featured as part of Indigenous Theatre's Days of Truth and Reconciliation. In observance of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous Theatre proudly presents a collection of virtual and in-person offerings, highlighting the strength and resilience of Indigenous cultures. These all-ages activities aim to educate and share the truths of Indigenous peoples, our stories, and the beauty of our communities.
As we have in past seasons, Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer community engaged activity, learning opportunities and corollary programming in and around the work presented on stage. We are honoured to be able to continue to offer $15 All My Relations tickets to the Indigenous community throughout the upcoming season. It extends to programming from all disciplines at the NAC.
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the support of The Slaight Family Foundation, Presenting Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Thank you also to Meta, Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, NAC Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
+1 343-588-0742 Ian.Hobson@NAC-CNA.ca
Fiery and Explosively Operatic: The Queen In Me Opens NAC English Theatre’s 2023-2024 Season
Fiery and Explosively Operatic: The Queen In Me Opens NAC English Theatre’s 2023-2024 Season
An electrifying performance by Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 launches Nina Lee Aquino’s first season as Artistic Director
August 31, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – NAC English Theatre is proud to open Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino’s inaugural curated season with The Queen In Me, a spirited exposé of the opera industry, created and performed by interdisciplinary artist Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (they/them).
As the crescendo of one of opera's most iconic arias approaches its peak, the Queen of the Night shatters our expectations, smashing the fourth wall and defying traditions with a captivating, genre-defying spectacle. In a whirlwind evening that blends biting drama with uproarious comedy, they call out the suffocating norms that have bound opera for centuries.
Accompanied by concert Pianist David Eliakis, Kasahara takes audiences through mesmerizing renditions of familiar arias from the giants of opera - Puccini, Donizetti, Verdi, Strauss, and Mozart – with commanding presence and sardonic narrative. The haunting refrains of La Bohème and the stirring heights of The Magic Flute become clarion calls for change, championing the countless women, trans, and non-binary talents overlooked in the annals of opera history. The Queen In Me is more than a performance; it's a daring challenge to envision a bolder, brighter future for opera and, by extension, our world.
Premiering in 2022 to rave reviews and sold-out performances, The Queen In Me has continued its successful run, including a tour to Northern Ireland as part in the Belfast International Arts Festival.
NAC English Theatre is thrilled to present this extraordinary multi–Dora Mavor Moore Award nominated production to Ottawa audiences, for a limited run of six performances.
THE QUEEN IN ME – SEPTEMBER 20 - 30, AZRIELI STUDIO
The NAC English Theatre presentation of the Theatre Gargantua/Amplified Opera/Canadian Opera Company/Nightwood Theatre co-production.
Creator and Performer Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野; Co-Directors Andrea Donaldson & Aria Umezawa; Accompanied by Pianist David Eliakis; Set & Costume Designer Joanna Yu; Lighting Designer André du Toit; Projection Designer Laura Warren; Stage Manager Troy Taylor.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank The Slaight Family Foundation and Official Hotel Partner Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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Call for Nominations_NAC Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring
The National Arts Centre and the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) are once again extending a call for nominations for the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring. The deadline for nominations is Friday, September 29, 2023.
The National Arts Centre award will be presented at a special event during CAPACOA’s annual conference, which takes place from November 4 to 8, 2023 in Ottawa.
Established in 1992, the $2,500 award honors exceptional achievement in fostering the touring of live performing arts in Canada. The recipient - who will also receive an exquisite porcelain sculpture by Gatineau’s Paula Murray - is chosen from nominations solicited from within the industry and is selected by a committee composed of presenters, artists, managers and representatives from the National Arts Centre and CAPACOA. The recipient may be an individual, performing company, corporation or other organization.
Previous recipients include Ballet BC (2019), Derek Andrews (2018), the East Coast Music Association (2017), Paul Tanguay (2016), Norman Armour (2015), Tafelmusik (2014), Alain Paré (2013), Peter Feldman (2012), Ballet Jörgen Canada (2011), La danse sur les routes (2010), Uriel Luft (2009), the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (2008), Judy Harquail (2007), Ottie Lockey (2006), Colin McIntyre (2005), CBC Radio/la radio de Radio-Canada (2004), Debut Atlantic (2003), Richard Stoker (2002), Nicholas Goldschmidt (2001), Bruce Owen (2000), the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1999), David Haber (1998), Dr. Elmer Iseler (1997), Jean-Paul Gagnon (1996), Hugh Davidson (1995), Mark Porteous (1994), George Zukerman (1993), and CAPACOA (1992).
Nominations for the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring may be submitted using the attached nomination form, and must be sent directly to the National Arts Centre along with documentation detailing the nominee’s background, experience, achievements and long-term contribution to live performance touring in Canada. Submissions should also include at least two supporting letters of reference and any other material pertinent to the nomination.
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. CAPACOA is a federally incorporated, non-profit pan-Canadian organization serving the performing arts touring and presenting field.
Carl Martin
Senior Communications Advisor
National Arts Centre
613 291-8880 carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
NOMINATION FORM
NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO TOURING
The National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring honours exceptional achievement in fostering the touring of live performance arts in Canada. The 2023 award will be presented during CAPACOA’s annual conference, which takes place from November 4 to 8 in Ottawa.
Any individual, performing company or other corporation or organization is eligible for the award.
Please attach to this completed form documentation detailing the nominee's background, experience, achievements and long-term contribution to live performance touring in Canada. Please include a minimum of two supporting letters of reference and any other material (newspaper articles, press releases, etc.) that you feel is pertinent to the nomination.
THE JOURNEY AHEAD: THE NAC’S 2023-2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
The NAC Unveils its Vision, Values and Strategic Goals, along with Actions Plans on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Environmental Sustainability
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 – OTTAWA – The National Arts Centre, led by President and CEO Christopher Deacon, today unveiled its 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, The Journey Ahead. It details how the NAC will continue to work with artists and arts organizations from across the land to revitalize the Canadian performing arts sector, and to fulfil its mandate of presenting and developing the performing arts across Canada. Through the Plan, the NAC also recommits to a journey of ensuring that equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, accessibility and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples will guide its actions.
“The NAC is a house of dreams, an idea of creativity and story that takes flight on stages across the country through our collaborations and partnerships with artists and arts companies coast to coast to coast,” Christopher Deacon said. “We recommit to the journey of working with others to build a performing arts sector that is more creative, adaptive and relevant to communities; that is equitable, diverse, accessible and welcoming to all; and that advances environmental sustainability and reconciliation with Indigenous nations, so that the art on the stages reflects all of what Canada is.”
ABOUT THE JOURNEY AHEAD
The Journey Ahead, the NAC’s 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, was developed by the NAC’s leadership team and its Board of Trustees, chaired by Guy Pratte, C.M.
The Plan is centred on the following Vision Statement:
“We believe the performing arts are vital to human experience. A house of dreams for the Canadian performing arts, the National Arts Centre will work with artists and arts organizations from across this land to revitalize our sector. We are on a journey, committed to ensuring that equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, accessibility and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples will guide our actions.”
The Journey Ahead will pursue five Strategic Goals:
Develop the Canadian Performing Arts Through the Work on our Stages
Elevate Indigenous Voices and Stories at the NAC and Across the Land
Engage Meaningfully with Audiences and Communities
Support Engagement in the Arts for Children, Youth and Families
Foster Best Practices in Management
Six Values will guide the NAC’s priorities and actions:
Creativity
Grounded in Communities
Sense of Belonging
Generous Collaboration
Walking Gently on the Land
Children of Today, Future of Tomorrow
THE NAC’S ACTION PLANS ON EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND ANTI-RACISM, AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
Alongside the launch of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, the NAC also unveiled two Action Plans that outline the NAC’s commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism, as well as environmental sustainability. (The NAC’s Accessibility Action Plan was launched in December 2022). These Plans are publicly available on the NAC’s website. Progress reports will be posted as the Corporation moves along its journey.
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Annabelle Cloutier
Executive Director, Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre
613-301-2764 annabelle.cloutier@nac-cna.ca
The NAC celebrates 25 years of the annual Gala with soprano Renée Fleming and the NAC Orchestra
The 2023 edition is a musical and celebratory tribute to philanthropists Janice and Earle O’Born.
OTTAWA, Canada, August 24, 2023 — World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming will headline the 25th NAC Gala on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, in Southam Hall. For the first time since 2013, she will share the stage with the NAC Orchestra under Music Director Alexander Shelley in a spectacular evening in honour of NAC patrons Janice and Earle O’Born. A glittering post-concert reception on the Terrace Level will round off what is sure to be the most glamorous fall event in the nation’s capital.
Proceeds raised from the Gala will be directed to the National Youth and Education Trust, which gives Canada’s next generation of artists the chance to grow, master their art, and take their rightful place in the spotlight. It also helps us introduce young people across Canada to the wonder of the performing arts and the incredible difference it can make throughout their lives.
JANICE AND EARLE O’BORN: A PHILANTHROPIC LIFE
“The NAC Gala is an important annual event that helps ensure the future of the performing arts in Canada. Thanks to the generosity of donors such as Janice and Earle O’Born, we can raise funds in support of art-learning programs that spark a sense of wonder in youth,” said Christopher Deacon, President and CEO of the NAC. “We are very proud to present this 25th edition of our gala with guest artist Renée Fleming, an internationally renowned soprano who will no doubt offer a memorable performance, accompanied by our NAC Orchestra.”
Over the past fifteen years, Toronto’s Janice and Earle O’Born have become major champions of the National Arts Centre through their support of Canadian performing artists, creation, touring and orchestral work. They were the Lead Partners of the NAC Orchestra’s 50th anniversary tour to Europe and the Honorary Patrons of the Music Alive program in Nunavut. Janice and Earle O’Born also made their mark with the largest individual gift in the history of the NAC in support of artistic excellence. They made a major gift to the NAC’s first-ever national fundraising campaign in support of the NAC’s National Creation Fund, which provides risk capital to compelling and ambitious new Canadian works in theatre, dance, music and interdisciplinary arts.
“Canadian performing artists are among the best in the world. Earle and I believe that when youth are exposed to such excellence, a whole new world opens up for them. We are thrilled to be honoured at this year’s NAC Gala in recognition of our philanthropy and encourage the next generation of artists to ‘dream big’,” Janice said.
Janice O’Born was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2021 and a Member of the Order of Ontario in 2018 in recognition of her philanthropic contributions. She joined the NAC Foundation Board of Directors in 2012, served as Chair from 2017 to 2022 and is currently Emeritus Chair.
ABOUT RENÉE FLEMING
One of the most beloved and celebrated singers of our time, soprano Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. At a White House ceremony in 2013, President Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts, America’s highest honour for an individual artist. In May 2023, Renée was named a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health for the World Health Organization, and in June it was announced that she will be awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.
Winner of the 2023 Grammy Award (her fifth) for Best Classical Vocal Solo, and honoured with the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Crystal Award at Davos, Renée is the only classical artist ever to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl (2014). As a musical statesperson, Renée has sung at numerous prestigious occasions, from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to performances in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2014, she sang in the televised concert at the Brandenburg Gate to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 2012, in an historic first, she sang on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee Concert for HM Queen Elizabeth II.
A ground-breaking distinction came in 2008 when Renée became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an opening night gala. In January 2009, Renée was featured in the televised We Are One: The Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial for President Obama. She has also performed for the United States Supreme Court and, in 2009, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s “Velvet Revolution” at the invitation of Václav Havel.
The NAC Gala will take place in the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a concert start time of 7:30 p.m. Your concert-only ticket, starting at $85, will provide you with an unforgettable performance and the great feeling that comes with contributing to a worthy cause.
Upgrade your Gala experience with the new High Note package! Enjoy complimentary drinks and light canapés at the pre-show reception in the Salon. After the show, mingle with fellow music lovers at the after-party on the Terrace Level, featuring curated chef dessert stations, special cocktails and a DJ. The new High Note package is an additional $85.
Tickets for the 25th Annual Gala will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 10 a.m. and will be available through the NAC website and in person at the NAC Box Office.
* Charitable tax receipts will be issued for allowable amounts.
SUPPORTERS
The NAC Gala is made possible thanks to the generous support of our donors and sponsors. We are grateful to Janice O’Born, C.M., O.Ont & Earle O’Born for their longstanding leadership and transformational support. Thank you to the Gail Asper Family Foundation & Asper Foundation, Adrian Burns, LL.D. & Gregory Kane, K.C., Susan Glass, C.M. & Arni Thorsteinson, O.M., Gail O’Brien, LL.D & David O’Brien, O.C., and Alexander Shelley & Zoe Shelley. Thank you also to our corporate sponsors: RBC Royal Bank; our Aria Partners, Azrieli Foundation and Emond Harnden LLP; our Dinner Sponsor, A&E Television Networks; and our Soprano Patrons, BMO Bank of Montreal, Mark Motors Group, and Trinity Development Group Inc.; as well as the NAC’s Forest Planting Partner, Canada’s Forest Trust. Proceeds from the Gala support the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE FOUNDATION
The National Arts Centre Foundation raises funds to support the National Arts Centre’s work in performance, creation and learning across Canada. Since its founding in 2000, the National Arts Centre Foundation has raised more than $170 million to enrich the lives of Canadians through the performing arts and champion our country’s artists, students and educators.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Anicée Lejeune
Communications Strategist
Programs and Special Projects
National Arts Centre
514-237-9553 anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca
Alexander Shelley and Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra conclude critically acclaimed album series with fall festival and final release
Clara, Robert, Johannes: Romance and Counterpointunites performances by Angela Hewitt, Stewart Goodyear, Yosuke Kawasaki and the NAC Orchestra of Clara’s Romances for violin and piano Op. 22 and rarely heard solo piano works alongside the fourth symphonies of Robert Schumann and Brahms.
AUGUST 25, 2023 – OTTAWA – Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and its Music Director Alexander Shelley have deepened their creative partnership in recent years with help from the works of three closely linked composers. The point is handsomely underscored by the fourth and final title in their pioneering Clara, Robert, Johannes series. The double disc album, set for release on September 22, 2023, on the Analekta label, offers the compelling combination of the fourth symphonies of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. These towering landmarks of the orchestral repertoire are presented in company with Clara Schumann’s sublime Romances for violin and piano Op. 22, performed by the NAC Orchestra’s Concertmaster, Yosuke Kawasaki, and Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt.
Clara, Robert, Johannes: Romance and Counterpoint also includes Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear’s interpretations of Clara’s Romance in B minor for piano and Trois Romances for piano Op. 11. Goodyear also highlights Clara’s deep knowledge of Bach’s counterpoint with readings of her Three Fugues on Themes by J.S. Bach, the spellbinding Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor and Three Preludes and Fugues Op. 16, and contributes an engaging personal reflection on Clara Schumann’s art entitled, Can I call you Clara?
Each of the Clara, Robert, Johannes volumes, soon to be available as a limited-edition box set, invites listeners to explore the symphonies of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms from fresh and enlightening perspectives. The first album, released in 2020, established the project’s programme pattern by presenting both composers’ first symphonies in company with Clara Schumann’s music. Gabriela Montero, one of the NAC Orchestra’s Creative Partners, was soloist in Clara’s Piano Concerto in A minor, and contributed four improvisations inspired by the romantic spirit of Clara’s compositions. Other series highlights include Montero’s seductive account of Clara’s Piano Sonata in G minor; a representative selection of the composer’s Lieder, brought to life by soprano Adrianne Pieczonka and pianist Liz Upchurch; and her yearning Piano Trio in G minor Op. 17.
“With this volume we reach the conclusion of a multi-year, multi-disc exploration of the music and, through that music, of the lives of Clara, Robert and Johannes,” comments Alexander Shelley. “Their creative output reflects not only their individual brilliance and characters, but also the role of the creative artist both in their time and across the centuries. In grappling with the abstract symphonic form at a moment in music history when storytelling was in vogue, Robert and Johannes carried forward a vital mantle, moulding it into their own shape. Clara, a musician of breathtaking skill and breadth, juggling the pressures of a solo career and motherhood, gifted us intimately touching and brilliantly crafted songs and chamber music.”
“It is my hope that across the span of these recordings you have been able to enjoy the mutual inspiration and admiration that is evident between these three friends. It is my hope also that through the prism of these programs and the brilliance of our guests—from the interpretations and improvisations of Gabriela Montero and Stewart Goodyear, to the joyous chamber music of Yosuke Kawasaki, Angela Hewitt, Rachel Mercer, Adrianne Pieczonka and Liz Upchurch—you have garnered a sense of how music was presented and consumed in their time. Fluid, improvisational, tautly constructed, intimate and deeply personal, they speak to us across the ages.”
Nelson McDougall, Managing Director of the NAC Orchestra, pays tribute to all involved in the creation of Clara, Robert, Johannes. “I am excited about the culmination of this series and proud of what it represents,” he notes. “I believe diving into the music of Clara Schumann has been a wonderful opportunity to explore her work in the context of these three composers as a group. It’s also contributed to the overall growth of the Orchestra. And, of course the recordings have featured Clara’s chamber compositions performed by such fantastic musicians as Gabriela Montero, Angela Hewitt, Liz Upchurch and Stewart Goodyear and some fabulous principal players from the Orchestra. Much of the music was recorded during challenging pandemic times, when the NAC Orchestra and Alexander Shelley were the epitome of class, collaboration, and strong mutual support. It has been a truly rewarding project for us.”
The artistic concept underlying Clara, Robert, Johannes was informed by the work of Clara Schumann scholar Julie Pedneault-Deslauriers and Brahms biographer Jan Swafford and refined in consultation with Alexander Shelley. Their insightful programming trains the spotlight on the close relationship that developed between Brahms and the Schumanns and the influence over Brahms and creative energy that stemmed from it.
“People are so often drawn to music by the stories behind it,” comments Nelson McDougall. “The relationship between Clara and Robert Schumann and Brahms is one of the most enthralling narratives in music history. We’re also interested in the fact that the young Clara was, for a time, much more famous than Robert and in how that shifted after their marriage so that his career could take precedence over hers. The exceptional quality of her music begs questions about neglected works by other female composers from the past and what we might be missing.”
The NAC Orchestra and Alexander Shelley are set to celebrate the final album’s release by launching their 2023-24 season with a five-concert festival devoted to the music of the three composers. The series begins on Wednesday, September 13 with a sequence of Clara Schumann’s songs, followed by Robert’s Symphony No. 1 ‘Spring’ and Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with Emanuel Ax as soloist. Soprano Midori Marsh opens the second concert on Thursday, September 14 with another selection of Clara’s songs, before Nicolas Altstaedt takes the solo part in Robert’s Cello Concerto and Alexander Shelley directs the NAC Orchestra in Brahms’s Symphony No. 1. On September 17, Creative Partner James Ehnes joins forces with Stewart Goodyear and string players from the Orchestra for an afternoon of chamber works by the three composers.
The festival continues Wednesday, September 20 when James Ehnes appears as soloist in Brahms’s Violin Concerto, which will be followed by a trio of Clara’s songs and Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Rhenish’. Altstaedt and Ehnes return to the National Arts Centre stage on Thursday, September 21 as the soloists in Brahms’s Double Concerto. The final concert of the series also contains a miscellany of Clara’s songs, freshly orchestrated by Canadian composers Sarah Slean and Cecilia Livingston, and Clara’s Piano Concerto, with Isata Kanneh-Mason as soloist. Each evening will include pre-concert discussions led by Julie Pedneault-Deslauriers, Jan Swafford, and musicologist Hannah Chan-Hartley, allowing audiences to discover more about three of the 19th century’s greatest musicians.
ABOUT CANADA’S NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart piano concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara, Robert, Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence.
Music Producers From Around the World Meet in Canada in September
Global Women’s Producers Program helps right the gender imbalance in the music industry
August 22, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – From September 1st to 10th, music producers from Australia, Argentina, Wales and Canada will meet in person in Montreal and Toronto for an inspiring week of knowledge sharing and networking activities. Working together, they will explore new avenues to further their careers.
Certain events will be accessible to the press and the public. For more information about our itinerary, please visit our website and follow us on Instagram.
“Supporting and empowering amazing professionals, creating opportunities for discussion and collaboration, and making connections for women and non-binary producers is at the heart of the Global Network. During our week together in Toronto and Montreal in September, we will continue to build on what we started just over two years ago, welcoming producers from Estonia, Wales, Argentina, and Australia – I can’t wait!”
- Heather Gibson, Executive Producer, Popular Music & Variety Programming, National Arts Centre, Canada.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
THE GLOBAL NETWORK FOR WOMEN MUSIC PRODUCERS also known as the “PRODUCERS PROGRAM” is an initiative that supports women and non-binary music producers and helps right the gender imbalance in their field. Founded by Heather Gibson, Executive Producer, Popular Music and Variety at Canada’s National Arts Centre, and designed in consultation with partners from around the world, the program aims to overcome barriers in the music industry, and provide opportunities for support, discussion, networking and collaboration. The program also serves as a resource for musicians and record labels who are looking to work with women producers. The Global Network for Women Music Producers is a partnership with Sounds Australia, Music Estonia, MTA Productions (Sweden) , Elen Elis (Wales), and producer liaison Belen Fasulis Aramburú (Argentina) . Special acknowledgement goes to the Adrian Burns Fund for Women Leaders in the Performing Arts.
ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
The Producers Program brings together 33 music producers from diverse parts of the world, including Canada, Argentina, Australia, Estonia, Sweden, Mexico, and Wales. This impactful assembly encompasses award-winning professionals as well as a new generation of producers. Comprising engineers, songwriters, film music composers, recording music producers, and artists, this dynamic group spans a wide array of styles, from jazz, pop, and hip hop to ambient and experimental music. These women take the lead in their projects, making independent decisions, owning their endeavors, and contributing as composers, writers, and producers. The Producers Program strives to make their contributions visible and tell their stories. Feel free to explore the profiles of our producers by clicking HERE.
Canada: Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac (MADISON VIOLET) / Katharine-fountain/ Sarah MacDougall/ Hill Kourkoutis / Denise De´ion / Elisa Pangsaeng / Maia Davies / Erin Costello/ Carole Facal “Caracol” / Argentina: Ignacia / Mica Hourbeigt / Natalia Perelman / Lucy Patané / Australia: Kween G. Kibone / Becki Whitton “Aphir” / Antonia Gauci / Estonia: Kelly Vask / Anett Tamm / Mariin Kallikorm / Anneliis Kits / Maris Pihlap / México: Pahua / Sweden: Maja Långbacka and Matilda Bådagård (LÅNGBACKA/BÅDAGÅRD) / Anna Engberg / Hanna Ekström/ Katharina Nuttall/ Vera Vinter/ Natalie Knutzen/ Karin Turesson/ Melisha Linnell / Sibille Attar / Wales: Eädyth / Ani Saunders (Ani Glass) / Lleuwen Steffan.
The Producers Program was initiated in December 2020 and is gearing up to celebrate its 3rd anniversary next winter! It kicked off with monthly Zoom meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions among the producers within the group. Subsequently, the program established an Instagram account to showcase individual profiles, conduct interviews, and daily promote their work. In August of the previous year, 2022, a significant event occurred as all the producers gathered in person for the very first time in Stockholm. This gathering provided a unique opportunity for them to get to know each other and connect with key individuals in the industry, a feat that might have been difficult to achieve individually.
After enduring the period of COVID isolation, it was an emotionally charged experience to finally come together in person. The participants shared personal stories and embarked on a collective journey in a city that was unfamiliar to most of them. The occasion presented an opportunity to meet influential figures within the music industry, leading to mutual encouragement and a profound realization of the strength derived from being part of this group. The experience highlighted how much easier and safer it feels to navigate challenges together.
The vision of this program stands out because, as women, we often find ourselves accustomed to working in isolation, handling everything on our own, and constantly striving to prove our worth while struggling to be heard and find our place. Collaborating with other empowered women in a truly cooperative manner, devoid of competition or egos, and genuinely relishing in it, presents a novel approach. It introduces a fresh narrative that places significance on learning, a sense of belonging, nurturing a network, sharing experiences, and constructing a secure environment. This approach isn't centered around the immediate question of "what can I gain?" Rather, it centers on what holds importance to us and revolves around the idea of collectively building something that lasts.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
ENGLISH THEATRE GENERAL AUDITIONS September 12-15, 2023
ENGLISH THEATRE GENERAL AUDITIONS
Audition Dates: September 12-15, 2023
Deadline to submit: Friday, August 25, 2023 at 5:00pm Eastern
National Arts Centre English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino will be conducting general auditions at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, as an invitation to meet the local acting community with an eye to casting upcoming seasons of artistic activity.
Performers will be asked to prepare two contemporary, contrasting monologues from the works of Canadian playwrights written in 2000 or later, of no more than two minutes each. Alternatively, performers can opt for one two-minute monologue along with a song. No accompaniment will be provided but artists are welcome to accompany themselves.
NAC English Theatre is committed to inclusive casting. We encourage submissions from professional artists who self-identify as members of under-represented communities, a concept we understand very broadly.
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
To request an appointment, please submit this form no later than Friday, August 25, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
AGENTS – please note we are not accepting e-pitches (e.g. Casting Workbook). We recommend forwarding this information to your clients so they may self-submit by completing the form themselves.
Please note that we are not able to accept self-tape video submissions.
Those selected for an audition will be notified by Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada.
NAC Orchestra unveils "FOCUS: Clara, Robert, Johannes" classical music festival to open the 2023-2024 season
Discover the powerful bond between legendary composers Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms
July 12, 2023 – OTTAWA – The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) is delighted to present FOCUS: Clara, Robert, Johannes, a two-week festival from September 13 to 21, 2023, that will open the 2023-2024 season.
This edition of FOCUS will celebrate the music and intimate connections between three extraordinary composers: Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. These renowned 19th-century composers shared profound personal and musical bonds, which will be explored through a series of performances and events curated by Alexander Shelley, Music Director of the NAC Orchestra.
FOCUS will feature a diverse range of programming, including mainstage concerts at Southam Hall in the National Arts Centre (NAC), as well as a special chamber music event at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre and includes pre-concert talks by music scholars Hannah Chan-Hartley, Jan Swafford and Julie Pedneault-Deslauriers. Additional events and opportunities to meet the performers will be announced in the coming weeks, promising a rich experience for attendees.
Renowned artists invited to the NAC include GRAMMY-winners James Ehnes and Emanuel Ax, Canadian superstar pianist Stewart Goodyear, as well as British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason and German cellist Nicolas Altstaedt making their debuts with the NAC Orchestra. Canadian mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington and the captivating soprano Midori Marsh will perform songs by Clara Schumann with pianists Liz Upchurch and Darren Creech. On closing night (September 21) the NAC Orchestra will premiere commissions by Sarah Slean and Cecilia Livingston, who have created orchestral arrangements of Clara Schumann songs. Every concert at Southam Hall will be led by the esteemed Music Director of the NAC Orchestra, Alexander Shelley.
The festival will culminate in a remarkable event as Alexander Shelley and the NAC Orchestra conclude their acclaimed Clara, Robert, Johannes recording project, which encompasses major works by Clara Schumann, as well as the complete symphonies by Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann. The final album, marking the completion of the Orchestra’s JUNO-nominated Clara, Robert, Johannes project, will be released worldwide by the Canadian music label Analekta on September 22, 2023. This four-part album series explores the personal and artistic connections between these three composers, providing listeners with liner notes from leading writers and music historians Jan Swafford and Julie Pedneault-Deslauriers.
“We are thrilled to present FOCUS: Clara, Robert, Johannes as a captivating exploration of the interconnected lives and music of these remarkable composers,” says Alexander Shelley, Music Director of the NAC Orchestra. “Through an array of exceptional concerts and thought-provoking talks, we invite audiences to embark on a musical journey that delves into the profound artistic relationships between Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms.”
TICKETS AND CONCERT SERIES SUBSCRIPTIONS
Single tickets and packages are available online at nacofocus.ca, by telephone at 1-866-850-ARTS and in-person at the NAC Box Office. Patrons save 15% off regular ticket prices with a Choose Your Own package for three or more shows. Under30 tickets for $15 are available to anyone under the age of 30 years old.
ABOUT FOCUS
FOCUS is an expansive exploration of classical music with artistic direction and concept by Alexander Shelley. The NAC Orchestra dives deep into a singular theme, going beneath the surface of the music and its makers through concerts, talks and more. Each edition of FOCUS presents the opportunity to uncover outstanding composers. The last edition of FOCUS brought to light the musical genius of Beethoven, with the NAC Orchestra performing Beethoven’s nine symphonies over the course of 10 days in fall 2018.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre;
Clara - Robert - Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark
Communication Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
NAC Orchestra presents free Canada Day Concert with Alexander Shelley, Iskwē, Alex Hetherington, and YAO.
The Canada Day Concert will take place at Southam Hall on July 1st at 2:30pm. Admission is free.
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated Canada Day Concert, a showcase of exceptional musical talent by Canadian artists and composers. On July 1st, music director Alexander Shelley will lead the Orchestra in concert with singer-songwriter Iskwē, mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington, and the bilingual slam poet and songwriter YAO, featuring extraordinary repertoire by Canadian composers.
This free concert promises an immersive and memorable music experience. The 75-minute performance, presented without an intermission, will captivate audiences with a diverse range of music from Canadian composers Iman Habibi, Rita Ueda, and Ana Sokolović, to the late, great Oscar Peterson. More exciting repertoire will be announced from the stage.
The NAC Orchestra has a long-standing tradition of presenting free concerts on July 1st and this year’s concert continues that legacy with a stellar lineup of artists. The immensely talented mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington performed Mozart’s Requiem with the NAC Orchestra in November 2022; the bilingual songwriter and slam poet YAO also hosted the Canada Day Concert in 2022; and the sensational Cree singer-songwriter Iskwē’s original music has been specially arranged for the orchestra. These collaborations bring an extraordinary dimension to the performance, showcasing the rich artistic tapestry of Canadian music in diverse styles.
To conclude the free concert, the NAC Orchestra will perform a moving rendition of “Hymn to Freedom”, a soul-stirring masterpiece by the late Canadian jazz pianist and composer, Oscar Peterson.
Expect the Canada Day Concert to be an inspiring celebration of Canadian artistry and showcase of musical excellence. This free event provides an opportunity for families, friends, and communities to come together on July 1st, commemorating Canada’s cultural richness through the power of music.
“Music has the remarkable ability to connect us, inspire us, and evoke a deep sense of pride in our communities,” said Alexander Shelley, Music Director of the NAC Orchestra. “Our Canada Day Concert is a platform to celebrate the immense talent of Canadian artists, our National Arts Centre Orchestra, and to pay tribute to the exceptional works of this country’s living composers. We invite everyone to join us for a special musical celebration of our collective spirit.”
The Canada Day Concert 2023 by the NAC Orchestra will take place on July 1st at 2:30pm. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to Southam Hall will be opened at 2:00pm, half an hour before the concert begins. The National Arts Centre and 1 Elgin Restaurant will be open before and after the show.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre, and;
Clara - Robert - Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark
Communication Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
The biennial Zones Théâtrales announces its full program lineup for its 10th edition
Ottawa, June 6, 2023 - Zones Théâtrales is back for its 10th anniversary! This must-attend biennial event is hitting the stages of Ottawa from September 11 to 16, 2023. It’s a great opportunity to get together and showcase the best theatre that French Canada and Quebec’s regions have to offer. Artists from Moncton to Vancouver have once again prepared an array of theatre that will wow and amaze you. Don’t miss it!
2023’s program tackles a number of trendy topics: space exploration, the housing market crisis, fake news, transgender identity, life after the pandemic and the evolution of our collective relationship to land and ecosystems. This vibrant event is a must for industry professionals, theatre lovers in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.
“We’ve received lots of proposals this year,” said Zones Théâtrales Artistic Director Gilles Poulin-Denis. “For the 10th biennial event, I wanted the audience to rediscover artists and projects that we’ve presented before, as well as fresh new faces and never-before-seen creations. This Zones Théâtrales edition focuses heavily on memory, legacy, the things we leave behind — but also how our relationship to others, land and nature fills our minds.”
SHOWS
Featuring nine different shows and six workshop productions.
On marronne ? (Si ça te dit, viens) kicks off the 10th Zones Théâtrales. This piece on Indigenous heritage will be presented at the NAC’s Azrieli Studio, September 11 and 12. Théâtre Cercle Molière, Théâtre de l’Entonnoir and the Alliance française de Ziguinchor have come together to convey the power of human nature that transcend borders, from French Guiana to Winnipeg to Senegal.
Durant des années, a cross between contemporary drama and true crime podcasts, takes us back to the rural Quebec of 1999. Relevant to our times, this work from Théâtre du Trillium and Théâtre Catapulte uses AI-generated interactive stage design. The show speaks to a media-wary era, where journalistic integrity and fake news, truth and lies, all blend together. Making its world premiere at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins’ Studio A, September 12 and 13.
Young audiences (8 to 11) and seniors are invited to embark on a sensory journey with Cet été qui chantait from Franco-Manitoban author Marie-Ève Fontaine. Loosely based on the work of the same name by Gabrielle Roy, this deeply poetic world comes to life through puppet, shadow and object theatre. Performances at the University of Ottawa’s LabO, September 15 and 16.
Full immersion into worlds of fiction
The post-apocalyptic thriller Murs questions what remains of humanity when civilization collapses. In collaboration with Transistor Média, Créations In Vivo imagines a world turned upside down and ravaged by an epidemic. The protagonists, brother and sister Éric and Zoé, wander in search of their father and a better world on a long and perilous journey to the United States. Making its premiere at the University of Ottawa’s Academic Hall, September 13 and 14.
When the Voyager space probe was launched in 1977 a Golden Record was placed aboard. Céleste Godin’s Bouée tackles the question of what we would put in an interstellar time capsule to represent humanity today. Using science-fiction inspired visuals, gimmicks and scale models, the Satellite Théâtre company pulls out all the stops in its most technologically ambitious creation to date. Bouée will be presented at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins’ Studio A, September 15 and 16. https://nac-cna.ca/fr/event/34588 ;
Themes ripped from the headlines that paint a revealing picture of our society
Crawlspace may be absurd and comical, but it’s hardly a stretch of the imagination. This piece takes an unflinching look at the brutal and ludicrous battleground of Toronto’s horrifying housing market. A true real-estate horror story of playwright Karen Hines and her lovely new home… that’s just riddled with defects. Performances at the University of Ottawa’s Studio Léonard Beaulne, September 12 and 13.
La conquête du béluga runs alongside the banks of the Ottawa River at the Canadian Museum of History, September 14 and 15. Presented at sunset against the backdrop of Parliament Hill, Maryse Goudreau’s La conquête du beluga takes us through the history of the beluga whale in a gentle call to take action for the environment and change our attitude toward living things.
Intimate narratives and touching true stories from the artists
Brothers Joey and Michel struggled to be their true selves, growing up in the working-class Quebec of the 60s and 70s. The pair took to the art scene as a way to escape this harsh reality, with Joey becoming a successful actor in Vancouver and Michel dazzling the Montréal drag scene. Then came the ultimate moment of freedom: Michel became Michelle, the woman she had always been deep down. With Michel(le), Joey Lespérence paints a complex and nuanced portrait of a courageous existence on the fringes. Making its world premier at the Arts Court theatre, September 12 and 13.
Ainsi passe la chair is an intimate autobiographical show written and performed by Sara Moisan that explores her relationship with the work of her father, the painter Gatien Moisan, who died of brain cancer in 2019. Through headphones, you’ll listen to a fictitious conversation, based on old recordings between the actor and her father. This precious work questions our relationship with death, the act of creation, and the traces we leave behind. At the University of Ottawa’s Studio Léonard-Beaulne, September 14 and 16.
Zones Théâtrales strives to create a space for artists to play in and explore how far they can push their creativity. The event will feature a number of workshop productions and two installations.
Ça rime avec vinaigre by KaFé Productions Inc. is a workshop production that looks at lingering systemic inequalities in our society. In Créatures, L’eau du bain dreams up a space of women and girls, weaving together moments of affection, sharing, violence and humour. The author of Sainte-Johanne-des-Calvettes uses his caustic sense of humour and gritty, dreamlike language to examine the place of the distressed individual in an isolated community. Once again, Guillaume Saindon returns to the Zones Théâtrales stage with Vivances, a sensory experience that explores anxiety and depression as seen through the eyes of our loved ones. Vent à vendre is an in-progress work of documentary theatre that focuses on different points of view about energy projects. Finally, Guy Régis Jr., a prominent playwright and pillar of the Haitian theatre scene, will be showcasing Quel dernier grand conflit pour satisfaire la haine entre les humains, , which looks at the inherent causes of human conflict and the hateful and destructive urges that lie within us. This workshop production will be the result of an artistic residency that will span over the course of several weeks leading up to this performance at Zones Théâtrales.
Audiences can check out Towards Home, an artistic installation by Geronimo Inutiq, who is known for creations and performances that draw on his Inuit and Quebec roots. Finally, in addition to La conquête du Béluga, multidisciplinary artist Maryse Goudreau will be putting on the installation Dans le ventre de la baleine—an immersive sound and tactile experience that plunges you into the centre of a beluga whale nursery. Both installations will be at Club SAW, September 13 and 15.
Industry professionals can enjoy Zones Théâtrales’ round tables, speed dating-style project presentations, fun roleplay and get togethers meant to grow the theatre community of French Canada and across Quebec.
Show tickets are $25 and workshop productions $10. Save 15% when you purchase three shows or more, or check out our various affordable price options.
PARTNERS
The Zones Théâtrales biennial event is produced by the National Arts Centre with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The Zones Théâtrales team would also like to thank its partners and venues: La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, the SAW Gallery & l’AGAVF (Association des groupes en arts visuels francophones), Club SAW, the Canadian Museum of History, the University of Ottawa, the ATFC (Association des théâtres francophones du Canada), Théâtre Action, the Théâtre français de Toronto, the Théâtre du Trillium, Les Transfrontaliers, partner hotels the Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites, Cartier Place Suite Hotel and graphic designer Simon Guibord.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
1, rue Elgin / C.P. 1534 Succ. B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W5
(819) 918-0848
Au jardin des Potiniers: Super-Intimate Show in the Form of a Visual Art Installation
On June 3 and 4, get into this tabletop theatre wordless experience addressed to the beauty and fragility of living things
May 25, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – As a conclusion to its 2022-2023 season, French Theatre presents Au jardin des Potiniers, a slightly Martian garden/show offering a total change of scene!
Children are invited to find a spot under a curious table/set, put their head through a hole, and suddenly become a living rock in a surreal landscape that unfolds its miniature botany. Now they can listen to the sounds springing up all around them, and watch mechanized plants growing, balloon snails quietly gliding by, delicate foam anemones dancing in the light.
This super-intimate show in the form of a visual art installation suspends time to allow us to consider together, with our eyes and ears wide open, a world in miniature larger than life, like a love poem written with the senses.
Performance without words for audiences 6 to 12 years old.
BOTANICAL IMAGINARY AND PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY
A collective work of art made by children in conjunction with the show, this installation was designed by artist and educator Emily Rose Michaud in collaboration with the Centre d’exposition L'Imagier.
Families are invited 45 minutes before each performance to participate in the collective work. Guided by Emily Rose Michaud, children will create various artistic elements to create a magnificent garden space.
ABOUT CRÉATION DANS LA CHAMBRE
Création Dans la Chambre is a living art creation company that explores the intimate in unusual and unsettling settings. With its multifaceted, often unclassifiable shows, Création Dans la Chambre reconnects the art of the stage with a sensitive approach thanks to artisanal processes that weave links between the intimate and the spiritual, politics and existentialism.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio, June 3 and 4
11 am, 1pm, and 3pm; duration: 50 minutes
Hurry: there are only a few spots left!
There’s a possibility for the media to attend, upon availability, a June 1 matinee.
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30.
To purchase tickets, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/31896 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the https://nac-cna.ca/en/%20%20theatrefrancais to learn more about the NAC French Theatre.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
Autofiction in 3D written, directed and performed by Emmanuel Schwartz, presented at the NAC from May 18 to May 20
May 10, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – With Le partage, the second instalment of his trilogy Essais that began with L’exhibition, the incomparable Emmanuel Schwartz continues his exploration of the dramatic concept of “story within a story.” Familiar to NAC audiences for his appearances in Nathan (2012), Le tigre bleu de l’Euphrate (2018) and Un. Deux. Trois. (2022), Schwartz now turns his attention to the notion of creative identity as he unashamedly recounts his spectacular freefall.
“Everyone thinks they know actors. Sure, they’ve seen someone on TV, in a play or in a movie. But what everyone thinks they recognize isn’t that person: rather, it’s a cobbled-together collection of bits and pieces of the characters the actor has played and that may coexist inside them, deep within, under the skin, the flesh, the bones, like tropical fish piled up in an empty aquarium and reflected in a fogged-up store window,” muses Schwartz in the play.
On stage, surrounded by an ingenious 3D projection system, he walks without a net, one step at the time, on the thin line of auto-fiction. Codirected by Alice Ronfard, the story of the young prodigy’s epic downfall allows him to demonstrate, with uninhibited generosity, the full range of his talent as he recalls his journey back into the world.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
An intense and polymorphous performer, Emmanuel Schwartz moves easily from acting to writing and directing. For more than a decade he has been supported many institutions: the NAC French Theatre, the Festival TransAmériques, La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines and the Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui. He has worked with great creators such as Wajdi Mouawad, Denis Marleau, Dave Saint-Pierre, Mani Soleymanlou and Jan Lauwers’ famous Needcompany, as well as participting in movies by Xavier Dolan (Laurence Anyways), Denis Villeneuve (Next Floor), François Girard (Hochelaga, terre des âmes – for which he received an award for best supporting actor at Iris 2018) and many others. From 2005 to 2012, he co-directed, with Wajdi Mouawad, the company AbéCarréCéCarré. In 2019, he founded La Clairière, compagnie de création. In 2022, he was spokesperson for the 40th edition of Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio
May 18-19, 8 pm / On Friday, a talk with the artist will follow the performance.
May 20, 4 pm
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30.
To purchase tickets, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/31895 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams – the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety – and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation.
Celebrate National Indigenous History Month with the NAC
Learn, share, and amplify Indigenous voices, histories, and traditions
May 29, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Join us for National Indigenous History Month throughout June, as we present a captivating series of events, workshops, and discussions and deepen our understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures.
The NAC offers something for everyone, from opportunities to engage with Indigenous leaders to immersive experiences in traditional arts, storytelling, and music. Free events include the Jukebox Lunchtime Concerts series and Powwow Life-Drawing events; new stories from Montreal in Indigenous Cities; performance videos from music, dance and theatre; the Summer Indigenous Art Market, and more!
Let's come together, learn, celebrate, and embrace the diverse tapestry of Indigenous history and traditions.
Indigenous Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the support of many generous individuals and organizations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of The Slaight Family Foundation, an Anonymous Donor and the Kenneth & Margaret Torrance Endowment for Indigenous Theatre. Thank you to Season Sponsor BMO Financial Group, Hotel Partner The Embassy Hotel and Suites, and #ReconcileThis Presenting Partner Meta. We also express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts for their longstanding support of the NAC and the arts in Canada.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ian Hobson Communications Strategist, Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 Ian.Hobson@NAC-CNA.ca
Margie Gillis to mentor Anne Plamondon as part of the 2023 GGPAA Mentorship Program
New award: Ralph Escamillan named laureate of the inaugural Emerging Artist Award from RBC, presenting sponsor of the 2023 GGPAA Gala.
OTTAWA – The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased to announce that internationally acclaimed choreographer and dancer Margie Gillis has selected choreographer and dancer Anne Plamondon as her protégée under the 2023 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) Mentorship Program.
In addition, RBC, presenting sponsor of the 2023 GGPAA Gala, is announcing the inaugural laureate of its RBC Emerging Artist Award. Building on its commitment to artists in the early stages of their career, RBC has launched a new award recognizing an emerging Canadian artist. Supported by RBC, and an addition to the 2023 GGPAA Gala, laureates of this new award are selected by an NAC committee.
2023 GGPAA MENTORSHIP PAIRING
Made possible with support from The Keg Spirit Foundation, the program allows past recipients of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts, to give back to the next generation. During this mentorship, Margie will help Anne develop her creative vision of their art.
“I was in my teens when I first saw Margie Gillis dance at the Grand Théâtre de Québec. Her performance opened my eyes to the transcendent power of dance to tell stories and move people,” said Anne Plamondon. “Later, Margie inspired me to try solo performance. She is a model of strength and inspiration. I’m very honoured and enthusiastic to be participating in the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Mentorship Program with this dance legend.”
“I chose Anne for her talent, which I recognized immediately the first time I saw her,” said Margie Gillis. “Like me, she dances solos; like me, she choreographs for others; like me, she is socially engaged with femininity. She has given a lot of thought to what the future may hold, not just for herself but for others. We haven’t spent a lot of time together, but whenever we do meet, we lose all sense of time. So it’s a real pleasure for me to support Anne in developing her ideas for her next creation.”
“Through The Keg Spirit Foundation, we are proud to support mentorship programs that enhance personal and professional growth, and enhance the broader community” said David Aisenstat, Chairman and Founder of The Keg Spirit Foundation. “We are thrilled that widely acclaimed choreographer and dancer Margie Gillis will be sharing her breadth of knowledge with her protégée Anne Plamondon for the next year through the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Mentorship Program.”
RALPH ESCAMILLAN, LAUREATE OF THE INAUGURAL RBC EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
The laureate of the first-ever 2023 RBC Emerging Artist Award is Ralph Escamillan, a Filipino-Canadian performer, choreographer, teacher and queer community leader based in Vancouver, British Columbia. RBC commissioned ceramic artist Paula Murray to create the Award that will be presented to Ralph Escamillan along with a $25,000 prize.
“Success in the arts is heavily influenced by the wealth, resources, and cultural capital an individual has access to, and receiving this award uplifts the hard work of artists who don’t have that same access,” said Ralph Escamillan. “By paying forward the continued support I’ve received to the communities who pour into me, I hope to remind and empower queer and racialized artists of our value and necessity to the artistic milieu.”
“RBC is a long-standing supporter of the arts and the important role that it plays in our community,” said Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President Corporate Citizenship & ESG, RBC. “The National Arts Centre is key to bringing important artistic voices to Canadians. A huge congratulations to Ralph Escamillan as the inaugural recipient of the RBC Emerging Artist award! Your work will continue to build a strong future for the arts.”
Internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Margie Gillis (GGPAA 2011) is one of Canada’s most influential and prolific dance artists. She is a courageous and free-spirited pioneer of modern dance whose unique naturalistic style has influenced an entire generation of performers. She has created more than 150 works addressing such topics as the feminine consciousness, the natural world, and the transformative process. Teaching, mentoring, and sharing her creative history are an integral part of Margie’s vision, and have provided the impetus for her Legacy Project. She has received many awards and honours, and is celebrating her 50-year career anniversary in 2023.
Choreographer, dancer, teacher and curator Anne Plamondon made her choreographic debut in 2012 and founded her own company, Anne Plamondon Productions, in 2018. She has danced with major companies in Canada and internationally, including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Kidd Pivot, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 and Gulbenkian Ballet. She has also worked with leading choreographers and directors, including Marie Chouinard, James Kudelka, Serge Denoncourt, Marcos Morau and Ina Christel Johannessen. In 2002, she joined Victor Quijada’s company RUBBERBANDance, where she acted as co-artistic director (2006–15), participated in the creation of a dozen works, and was instrumental in developing the RUBBERBAND Method.
Ralph Escamillan’s company, FakeKnot, creates inclusive performance works that strive to understand the complexities of identity and culture through costume, sound, technology and the body. As an artistic director, Ralph gathers his breadth of experience as a dancer from street, commercial and contemporary dance to create a truly unique choreographic perspective, while also questioning his identity as a queer person of colour. With his latest work, Piña, which premiered earlier this month, Ralph explores the parallels between the body and piña, a traditional Philippine fiber made from pineapple leaves.
ABOUT THE GGPAA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
A unique partnership between the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation, the National Arts Centre and The Keg Spirit Foundation, the GGPAA Mentorship Program is designed to offer, since 2008, creative guidance to talented mid-career artists, and serves as an investment in future Canadian artistic achievement. Each year, a past laureate of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award is invited to select a professional artist (or artists) to share, learn and grow from the experience and insight of their mentor. In addition to receiving artistic guidance and an honorarium, each protégé or protégée is recognized during the GGPAA celebrations in Ottawa, including the star-studded GGPAA Gala at the NAC.
ABOUT THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS
Created in 1992, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) are Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. This year’s laureates for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are Michel Marc Bouchard, Molly Johnson, James Kudelka, Rosemarie Landry, k.d. lang. John Kim Bell will receive the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee will receive the National Arts Centre Award. The laureates will receive the Awards at a special ceremony and reception at Rideau Hall on Friday, May 26. Then on Saturday, May 27, the NAC will host a star-studded gala featuring superb performances and evocative film portraits by the National Film Board of Canada.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Thanks also to the many sponsors and donors who make the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala possible, including Presenting Sponsor RBC, Lead Donor Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Boston Pizza International Inc., Labatt Breweries of Canada, Manulife, The Keg Spirit Foundation, The Azrieli Foundation, Bonnie & John Buhler, Margaret Fountain, C.M., DFA (h.c.), DHL (h.c.), & David Fountain, C.M., Ann, John and Roxanne McCaig, the Honourable Bill Morneau & Nancy McCain, Rogers Communications, and Telefilm Canada.
The National Arts Centre is proud to produce the 2023 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala in partnership with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation. The Awards are presented with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts. Compass Rose is our Communications Partner. As well, each year the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates incomparable short films that capture the essence of the laureates, and will première at the Awards Gala at the NAC on May 27 and online on NFB.ca.
The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards and the National Arts Centre Foundation are deeply grateful to The Keg Spirit Foundation, which has generously supported the Mentorship Program since 2009. Established in 2001, The Keg Spirit Foundation supports organizations that mirror the mentorship that The Keg Steakhouse + Bar has provided to hundreds of thousands of young staff for more than 50 years. In that time, the foundation has granted more than $11 million to more than 400 charities across North America.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
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Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer arrives at the NAC
Governor General’s Award-winning playwright and director Kevin Loring brings this biting satire to the stage
May 4, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – In association with Theatre Calgary, the Belfry Theatre and Savage Society, NAC Indigenous Theatre is proud to welcome the relentlessly irreverent Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer in the Babs Asper Theatre from May 18 to 27, 2023.
"Little Red wakes up one day and discovers that a development is under construction on his ancestral land. So, he runs in, attacks a developer, and gets arrested. At the jail, he meets his court-appointed lawyer, who devises a plan to get Red his land back. We follow Red on this journey, but it's pretty heightened... and hijinks ensue!"—Kevin Loring.
More than 20 years ago, Loring conceived the idea for the play during his theatre studies in Vancouver. As he delved into classic European farces, including those by renowned French playwrights Molière and Ionesco, he was reminded of the traditional creation stories of his Salish-speaking Indigenous culture, stories that originate from the interior of what is now British Columbia.
In this Trickster Fable, we are taken through the play from the storyteller's perspective: the Coyote. As Kevin explains, "In Trickster stories, nobody gets away unscathed."
Touching on weighty topics such as land usage, sovereignty, colonialism, and the historical exclusion of First Nations from having rights to their land, Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer challenges—in a very satirical form—experiences and realities about Canada, our relationship with First Nations people and First Nations people's relationship with the Crown, all while poking fun at everything and everyone.
To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS).
As we have in past seasons, Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer community engaged activity, learning opportunities and corollary programming in and around the work presented on stage. We are honoured to be able to continue to offer $15 All My Relations tickets to the Indigenous community in the upcoming season. It extends to most of the programming from all disciplines at the NAC.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Indigenous Theatre and Programming at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mohammed A. Faris, Kenneth and Margaret Torrance Endowment for Indigenous Theatre and an Anonymous Donor. Thank you to Indigenous Theatre Season Sponsor BMO Financial Group, Official Hotel Partner Embassy Hotel & Suites, and Official Rail Partner VIA Rail. Thank you also to TD Bank Group and the Slaight Family Foundation, Major Sponsors of Indigenous Programming at the National Arts Centre, and Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis Meta. We also express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts for their longstanding support of the NAC and the arts in Canada.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ian Hobson Communications Strategist, Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
(343) 588-0742 Ian.Hobson@NAC-CNA.ca
Your Stories, Your Stage: The National Arts Centre Unveils its 2023-2024 Season
YOUR STORIES, YOUR STAGE: THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE UNVEILS ITS 2023-2024 SEASON
Time to mark your calendars—a wide variety of music, dance and theatre will fill up any wish lists of live performances
MAY 11, 2023 – OTTAWA, CANADA – The NAC’s artistic leaders have created a line-up packed with a blend of powerful new works and treasured classics for the 2023-2024 season, delivered by some of the most creative and diverse range of artists, voices and companies from across Canada and beyond.
This season marks new beginnings and farewells. English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino explores the full spectrum of theatre for her inaugural season, while Cathy Levy, after over 20 years as Executive Producer for NAC Dance, has created an inspiring and innovative final season that will be carried by her successor, Caroline Ohrt. French Theatre Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou builds on the huge success of his first season with a highly anticipated follow up. Led by Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra has programmed a vast number of concerts and performances that celebrate the classics and introduce new works. Popular Music and Variety under Executive Producer Heather Gibson continues to highlight legendary performers and up-and-coming artists from Canada and around the globe. Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director Kevin Loring presents his fifth season with the some of the most exciting Indigenous artists and stories told in theatre, dance, and music from coast to coast to coast.
“All of us at the National Arts Centre are extremely excited about welcoming all audiences to the 2023-2024 season,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “Our dynamic artistic leadership team has crafted a season that features some of the most extraordinary artists from across Canada and around the world. Through music, theatre, and dance, they tell stories that entertain, inspire and heal. We invite all communities to come together at the NAC, and on stages across Canada, to hear those stories—and experience live the power of the performing arts.”
All six NAC artistic streams have created exceptional opportunities for a wide range of audiences and communities to experience connections with artists, while also sparking dialogue around the performances on stage. The warm and inviting atmosphere at the NAC sets the stage for audiences and artists to connect in anticipation of new and exciting adventures in live performances.
WISH LIST OF LIVE PERFORMANCES WITH A NEW TICKETING EXPERIENCE
Below are a number of highlights for audiences this coming season.
A new ticketing system will improve the way you buy tickets online to our performances. Our seamless new platform will provide added features—you will have the chance to view the stage from your seats before buying, build wish lists, and create user profiles in which you can manage preferences and view your subscriptions and upcoming performances.
Throughout the season, audiences will hear a full spectrum of symphonic music, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s evocative Scheherazade and the ever-inspiring Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven.
The NAC Orchestra welcomes a Who’s Who of guest performers in 2023-2024, including pianists Angela Hewitt, Louis Lortie, and Seong-Jin Cho; and violinists Ray Chen and Blake Pouliot.
This season, Music Director Alexander Shelley and the Orchestra launch a multi-year commissioning project pairing vivid tone poems by Richard Strauss with new work by some of today’s most exciting Canadian composers, including Kelly-Marie Murphy and Kevin Lau. Creative Partner and pianist/composer Gabriela Montero performs her own Latin Concerto. In addition, Creative Partner and violinist James Ehnes leads an all-Bach concerto program featuring members of the orchestra as soloists.
The Pops series, helmed by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, showcases the best of Broadway and cinema, with both Home Alone and Jurassic Park onstage in Southam Hall. Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser leads Family Adventures, NACO’s vibrant musical experiences for all ages. Chamber music with orchestra members and special guests is a feature of the season, with Music for a Sunday Afternoon returning, in its new home at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre; and WolfGang Sessions at Club SAW.
“I remain inspired by the dedication and the skill of our NACO musicians, and by the warmth and generosity of our audience. Whether you have been to a concert before or are hearing your NAC Orchestra for the first time, I can promise you an unparalleled experience. The coming season is filled with moments for renewal, for connection and for celebration. Very close to my heart is our opening festival, Focus: Clara, Robert, and Johannes. It is the culmination of a multi-year recording project of which the Orchestra and I are immensely proud. Our festival celebrates three great composers and friends—Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms—and includes performances by some of the most interesting names in classical music, including the wonderful pianist Emanuel Ax, our dear friend James Ehnes, and debuts by two brilliant artists, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason and cellist Nicolas Altstadt.”
The 2023–2024 NAC Dance season will feature both classics of the repertoire and innovative new works. A total of 16 shows will be presented in the upcoming season.
The line-up includes return engagements by such favourites as Akram Khan, with his brand new show Jungle Book reimagined. We’ll also welcome renowned companies making their NAC Dance debut: Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black, for example, will open the new season with a double bill. As part of its commitment to the development of dance nationally and internationally, NAC Dance will present a number of coproductions, including one with Kidd Pivot, the company helmed by award-winning choreographer Crystal Pite.
The season also features some spectacular ballets. From Cinderella by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens to Snow White reimagined by choreographer Angelin Preljocaj and danced by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, these exciting works will help broaden the spectrum of the ballet world by allowing fans to travel between the classical and contemporary. Finally, this new season invites emerging voices to share their new work with NAC audiences and showcases the vitality of the Dance milieu: Ralph Escamillan and his company FakeKnot will present Piña, and the duo of Jean Abreu and Naishi Wang, Deciphers.
This final season designed by Cathy Levy, NAC Dance Producer Emerita, will be proudly delivered by Caroline Ohrt, NAC Dance’s new Executive Producer. The season will be balanced and diverse, amplifying the universal language of dance and delighting both new and seasoned dance lovers.
“It is with great pride that the programming for my final season, 2023-2024, is now being announced! The works of these artists collectively unite us in a season-long adventure of daring, insightful, unique and often gravity-defying performances from across the country and around the globe—each of them brimming with originality and heart. I invite you to delve in and celebrate and be prepared to be moved by their astonishing creativity.”
—Cathy Levy, NAC Dance Producer Emerita
“The 2023–2024 NAC Dance season is packed with surprising encounters, inspiring artists, and touching performances. It’s with joy and excitement that I look forward to sharing the experience with you, and to meeting you inside and outside the performance hall!”
Since the moment she landed at the NAC last September, English Theatre Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino has been energetically conceiving and planning her inaugural NAC season for 2023‑2024.
Inspired by the exciting evolution that the NAC, and theatre more generally, have undergone over the past few years, Nina’s selections have emerged out of her reflections on this profound ongoing transformation.
Her first season is a collection of curiosities, perspectives, real and imagined histories, and possible futures. The colourful programming offers a celebration of stories that represent Canada and the global world, and an invitation to our audiences, both long-standing and first-time, to see themselves and the world around us through a vivid theatrical kaleidoscope.
This brilliant season proudly captures the full colour spectrum of possibility in theatrical form, from operatic musings (The Queen In Me) to dance (Prison Dancer), tour de force dramas (The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time) to popular musicals, intimate stories (Rose in the Machine) to large ensemble productions (Come From Away). The 2023‑2024 season lays out the beginning of a rich and vibrant exploration of Canada’s place in the world, and the world’s place in Canada, in full colour.
“The 2023 Pantone Colour of the Year is Viva Magenta. 2023 also marks my first season as the new Artistic Director of English Theatre. This is a cosmic-level coincidence because Viva Magenta happens to be my favourite colour in the whole universe. It is also the chosen lead colour of our 2023‑2024 season. In the last three years of the pandemic, we have been living in shades of grey. We've been in transition, living in liminal space. I'd like to believe that the stories we have to offer this season will bring a little Viva Magenta into our lives … along with all the other colours we’ve been so hungry for.”
—Nina Lee Aquino, Artistic Director, NAC English Theatre
NAC Indigenous Theatre and Artistic Director Kevin Loring welcomes you to a season of incredible Indigenous artistry. Surround yourself with living stories, transforming how we experience, understand, and walk on the land together.
His fifth season celebrates stories of kinship and love for the land, honouring traditions, and creativity through the magic of performing arts. Experience the beauty of Indigenous storytelling, dance, and music and witness the transformational power of theatre as a tool for healing, connection, and empowerment. Gather with us for another season of Indigenous Artists from across Turtle Island and around the world.
“Welcome to Indigenous Theatre's new season. Like a pair of moccasins crafted with care and laughter, this season of Indigenous Theatre celebrates the resilience of Indigenous love. Love for the Land, for each other and love for ourselves. Meet your Inner Elder for wise and nurturing care, find long-lost love, experience the true power of the Fur Trade—shifting your gaze toward the feminine—and let Summer Lovin' on the Rez leave you singing in the aisles. Through it all, remember that the answer is always Land.”
After a first season on the theme of reconnecting, Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou unveils a new program inspired by the notions of dreaming and “diving inward.”
Coming up in French Theatre’s 2023–2024 season: A quartet of impassioned performers shares a political outburst like a scream; a duo of female warriors delivers a moving testimonial that invites a profound collective questioning; a woman at the microphone tells the story of a passion that is both intoxicating and liberating. Audiences will have the opportunity to meet a collective of nine young performers attempting to give form to the invisible; to enter a luminous elsewhere ruled by sound, smoke and light; and to travel back in time with Robert Lepage as he revives the memory of the illustrious painter Riopelle through 30 staged tableaux, and with Catherine Vidal as she transforms Chekhov’s landmark play La mouette (The Seagull) into a vast living laboratory.
As for family programming, the Enfance/jeunesse series designed by Mélanie Dumont musters a crowd of imaginations in full flight that take over the space and paint it with a thousand colours. A giant lantern stage, a set in the shape of a birthday cake, little travelling islands, a playground for art ... a whole world comes alive.
“The 2023–2024 season is filled with offerings that highlight our capacity to tackle life’s most difficult challenges and welcome its most wonderful gifts. A new season that seeks to remind us of our titanic power: confirming our ability to overcome the insurmountable and affirming our insatiable need and unquenchable thirst for beauty.”
—Mani Soleymanlou, Artistic Director, NAC French Theatre
NAC Popular Music & Variety and Executive Producer Heather Gibson presents what promises to be one of its most exciting seasons yet. She'll be presenting Canada’s foremost artists on our stages and bringing the best of the world here. Renowned British-American sitar player Anoushka Shankar will make her thrilling NAC debut and we’re excited to present the unique performance by the Japanese drum and dance ensemble Drum Tao!
This fall, Juno Award-winning artists Dominique Fils-Aimé and Jeremy Dutcher return to Babs Asper Theatre. The franco soul artist will present her new album Our Roots Run Deep in October, and the charismatic Jeremy Dutcher will bring his captivating show in November.
Canadian legend and beloved children’s entertainer Raffi performs in Southam Hall. The first opera in joual will bring a lyrical voice to the famous play Albertine en cinq temps by Michel Tremblay. Six singers and five musicians will bring to life this spellbinding music by composer Catherine Major, with a libretto by the Collectif de la Lune Rouge, directed by Nathalie Deschamps.
We’ll also see the return of Fridays at the Fourth and Sessions with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Stay tuned for more announcements in June and throughout the season.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome great Canadian musicians and some of the best artists in the world to the National Arts Centre stages. Expect 2023-2024 to be a captivating season of discovery and reuniting with long time favourites. I’m truly excited about the upcoming season and the many artists yet to be announced.”
—Heather Gibson, Executive Producer, Popular Music & Variety
Check out the full NAC Popular Music and Variety season.
FAMILY SHOWS AND STUDENT MATINEES WITH OUR ARTS ALIVE PROGRAMMING
In terms of school and family programming, audiences will be delighted to see that the 2023–2024 season presents a full school and family offering for the first time since the pandemic.
The new season will feature the return of student matinees in all NAC disciplines, and includes the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production of Nutcracker and the NAC Orchestra's virtual workshop, Finding the Ojibwe Horse, copresented with NAC Indigenous Theatre.
“We’re delighted to present such amazing, rich and varied programming for families and schools. Regardless of language or age, we have a variety of offerings in each of our disciplines at the NAC.”
—Natasha Harwood, Acting Director, Learning and Engagement, Arts Alive
BUY TICKETS FOR 2023-2024
Renewing season subscribers can book Fixed Series and Create Your Own subscriptions as of May 12.
New subscriptions and individual show tickets for most of our programming will go on sale June 22.
Visit the NAC Box Office online, contact us by email at subscriptions@nac-cna.ca, or call us at 1‑844‑985‑2787 (ARTS).
The 2023–2024 season will introduce a new online and in person ticketing system that will enhance the purchasing experience for patrons. Learn more on our website.
EXPERIENCE MIND-BLOWING SHOWS FOR $15
As in past seasons, Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer community-engaged activity, learning opportunities and corollary programming in and around the work presented on stage. We are honoured to be able to continue to offer $15 All My Relations tickets to the Indigenous community in the upcoming season. It extends to most of the programming from all disciplines at the NAC.
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30. And yeah, that includes teens and kids! We know high ticket prices can keep away some young arts lovers, so we created Under30 to make it easier for you, your friends, and the kids in your life to enjoy amazing theatre, dance and music at the NAC.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Programming at the National Arts Centre is supported by many generous organizations from across the country. The NAC Foundation would like to thank the Azrieli Foundation, BMO Financial Group, The Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management and Scotiabank, the Crabtree Foundation, the Janice & Earle O'Born Fund for Artistic Excellence, the Lord Elgin Hotel, Mark Motors Group, Meta, The Metcalfe Hotel, Ottawa Embassy Hotel & Suites, Power Corporation of Canada, The RBC Foundation, Rogers Communications, The Slaight Family Foundation, and TD Bank Group.
A huge thank you to our devoted Donor’s Circle individual donors for making programming at the NAC possible.
Mireille Allaire
Senior Manager, Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre
343-998-4244 mireille.allaire@nac-cna.ca
Kevin Loring’s Tenure as NAC Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director Renewed for Four Years Until 2026-2027
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is proud to announce that Kevin Loring’s tenure as NAC Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director has been renewed for four years, from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2027.
Since taking on the position in 2017 and launching the inaugural season of Indigenous Theatre in 2019-2020, Kevin Loring has programmed bold and ambitious artistic works “with one foot in community and one foot on the stage” and championed the stories of First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities from coast to coast to coast, nationally and internationally. Kevin Loring’s seasons have featured extraordinary productions and collaborations with all NAC departments and external partners incorporating music, dance and visual art. Seasons have also included dozens of learning and community engagement programs and digital mentorship initiatives.
“JUST GETTING STARTED”
“Kevin Loring and the Indigenous Theatre team have enabled hundreds of Indigenous artists to proudly claim their rightful place on the national stage,” said Christopher Deacon, NAC President and CEO. “We are proud and delighted that he will continue to lead the Theatre and can’t wait to see how he will build on the important work he has begun."
"I am honoured to renew my tenure as the Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre,” said Kevin Loring. “Given the interruptions we’ve all had to navigate, I feel that we are really just getting started. I am so excited for the future of Indigenous Theatre and for the artists we will be able to celebrate here at the NAC. I look forward to more collaborations, creating new works, and sharing more amazing productions from Indigenous Artists from across Turtle Island and around the world."
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES AWARD
The renewal announcement comes on the same day that Kevin will be honoured with a Library and Archives Canada Scholar Award co-presented by the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Foundation and LAC. The LAC Scholar Awards, which are being presented tonight at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, were created to recognize remarkable Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to the creation and promotion of our country’s culture, literary heritage and historical knowledge.
NAC INDIGENOUS THEATRE MILESTONES UNDER KEVIN LORING
Kevin Loring’s first-ever NAC Indigenous Theatre season in 2019-2020 celebrated Indigenous languages, as well as women’s resilience, strength and beauty. The inaugural season opened with the two-and-a-half week Mòshkamo festival and featured a spectacular Algonquin-led Grand Canoe Entry procession along the Rideau Canal.
Under Kevin’s leadership, the NAC commissioned hundreds of Indigenous artists through various initiatives including #CanadaPerforms, Indigenous Cities, Dancing the Land and #ReconcileThis.
Another highlight of Kevin’s tenure was The Breathing Hole, a theatre work translated into an at-risk dialect of Inuktut and created in close collaboration with the Inuit community's language and knowledge keepers. A recording of the Ottawa presentation of the play was gifted to the three Inuit communities who speak the dialect.
Kevin Loring will finish the current NAC season with his award-winning work, Little Red Warrior and his Lawyer.
ABOUT KEVIN LORING
Kevin Loring is an accomplished Canadian playwright, actor and director and was the winner of the Governor General’s Award for English Language Drama for his outstanding play, Where the Blood Mixes in 2009. The play explores the intergenerational effects of the residential school system. It toured nationally and was presented at the National Arts Centre in 2010, when Loring was serving as the NAC’s Playwright in Residence.
A Nlaka’pamux from the Lytton First Nation in British Columbia, Loring created the Songs of the Land project in 2012 in partnership with five separate organizations in his home community. The project explores 100-year-old audio recordings of songs and stories of the N’lakap’amux People. Loring has written two new plays based on his work with the community including Battle of the Birds, about domestic violence and power abuse, and The Boy Who Was Abandoned, about youth and elder neglect.
A versatile artist and leader Loring has served as the co-curator of the Talking Stick Festival, as Artist in Residence at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, as Artistic Director of the Savage Society in Vancouver, as a Documentary Producer of Canyon War: The Untold Story, and as the Project Leader/Creator, and Director of the Songs of the Land project in his home community of Lytton First Nation.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT :
Carl Martin
Strategy and Communications Advisor National Arts Centre
613 291-8880 carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
National Arts Centre mourns the loss of Gordon Lightfoot
OTTAWA – The National Arts Centre joins Canadians and music lovers around the globe in mourning the loss of Gordon Lightfoot.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Gordon Lightfoot, Canada's most legendary singer-songwriter,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “His music reflected the mood and spirit of a generation, and became the soundtrack of our country. We send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many, many fans.”
A Companion of the Order of Canada, Gordon Lightfoot performed at the National Arts Centre many times since its opening in 1969. His last show in Southam Hall, in front of a crowd of long-time fans, was in November 2018.
The NAC will fly its flag at half-mast in honour of Gordon Lightfoot.
About the NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams – the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety – and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation.
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For more information, please contact:
Carl Martin
Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives
National Arts Centre
(613) 291-8880 carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
The National Arts Centre Orchestra collaborates with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity to present Mozart's epic Don Giovanni
After a pause of more than four years, opera returns to the National Arts Centre on Thursday, June 15, and Saturday, June 17.
April 25, 2023 – OTTAWA – In collaboration with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the National Arts Centre (NAC) is proud to present the music of Mozart’s epic opera, Don Giovanni. Overflowing with comedy, tragedy, drama, and the supernatural, Don Giovanni recounts the conquests and ultimate downfall of the womanizing Giovanni, all wrapped in some of the most beautiful music ever written for the opera stage. NAC Orchestra Music Director Alexander Shelley conducts this blockbuster Opera in Concert in the NAC’s Southam Hall.
The cast for Don Giovanni includes soloists Elliot Madore as Don Giovanni, Justin Welsh as Leporello, Jane Archibald as Donna Anna, Andrew Haji as Don Ottavio, and Mireille Asselin as Zerlina, as well as Ottawa’s own Ewashko Singers, under the direction of Laurence Ewashko.
These exciting performances are part of the NAC’s collaboration with the Banff Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century 2023, a multidisciplinary program comprising two modules. Module 1 will be held in June at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and Module 2 will unfold in July at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
The program offers a unique opportunity for emerging opera artists, selected by the Banff Centre, to shadow and learn from the roster of professional artists in Ottawa. In Module 1, Banff Centre participants will observe the cast of career principal artists at the NAC and prepare the roles needed for their own production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. In Module 2, the learning artists will remount this Opera in Concert at the Banff Centre in July 2023.
“At Canada’s National Arts Centre, professional development for the next generation of creative artists is at the core of what we do,” says Nelson McDougall, Managing Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. “Mozart’s Don Giovanni in theatrical concert production here at the NAC and in Banff will provide an exciting and meaningful experience for many young emerging arts professionals. We are absolutely thrilled to partner with the Banff Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century 2023 program for this project.”
Opera in the 21st Century at Banff Centre is a performance-based, collaborative training experience for emerging opera professionals that truly challenges the conventions of opera performance, production, and design. Their focus is to provide early-career professionals with the skills and experience to take them to the next level of their careers and beyond. Led by Artistic Director Joel Ivany, Banff’s Opera faculty comprises internationally recognized professionals from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
Ivany is equally excited about the opportunity. “To be able to collaborate with an institution like the National Arts Centre is a dream. The quality, passion, and vision of that organization align perfectly with the training and contemporary vision that Opera in the 21st Century at Banff Centre has developed over the past several years. The opera program this year will be one of the highlights of my tenure!”
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased at NAC Box Office or at Ticketmaster outlets, by telephone from Ticketmaster, 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS), or online through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC’s website (http://www.nac-cna.ca).
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Opera in the 21st Century at Banff Centre is generously supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre, and;
Clara - Robert - Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
ABOUT THE BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark
Communication Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra
343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
More than $21,000 awarded to young musicians at the 2023 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition
Seventeen-year-old Franco-Ontarian violinist Justin Saulnier wins the Grand Prize
April 24, 2023 – OTTAWA – On Sunday, April 23, a talented group of music students aged 16 to 26, with ties to the National Capital Region, competed for a chance to win prizes worth more than $21,000 in the 40th annual National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition.
Crabtree Foundation Award ($5,000) – Austin Wu, violin
Friends of the NAC Orchestra Award ($3,000) – Christoph Chung, viola
The NAC Orchestra Vic Pomer Award ($2,000) – Emily Kistemaker, viola
The Sturdevant Orchestral Excerpts Prize ($1,500) – Austin Wu, violin
Friends of the NAC Orchestra Evelyn Greenberg Award ($1,500) – Maria Krstic, violin
The Piccolo Prix ($1,000) – Patrick Paradine, violin
Honourable mentions of $350 each were awarded to Aidan Fleet, cello, and Katherine Moran, viola
Winners were evaluated on their performance of short orchestral excerpts and movements from a concerto or sonata written for their instrument. The 2023 Bursary competition was open to emerging young players of strings and harp.
Grand Prize-winner Justin Saulnier expressed, “I feel honoured to have participated in the NACO Bursary Competition and to have been chosen as the first prize winner. I would like to thank my family and circle of friends for their continued support, and my violin teacher, Andrew Wan, for his wisdom and admirable dedication.”
Justin Saulnier is a 17-year-old violinist from Orléans, Ontario. He was the recipient of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Scholarship to attend McGill University Schulich School of music and is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in violin performance with Andrew Wan.
Interim Chair of the NAC Orchestra Bursary Committee, Francine Schutzman, noted that: “The competition, established by members of the NAC Orchestra, seeks to encourage and support young musicians at a critical time in their professional development. The need is clearly there, and the competition addresses it directly.”
The jury to select this year’s award winners comprised Interim Chair Francine Schutzman (non-voting); four NAC Orchestra musicians (Stephanie Morin, winds; Lawrence Vine, brass and percussion; Leah Wyber, low strings; and Leah Roseman, upper strings); Christine McLaughlin of the Friends of the NAC Orchestra (non-voting); and two external judges (Angela Schwarzkopf, harpist, and Murielle Bruneau, former NACO double bassist).
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA BURSARY AWARD
The National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition was first held in 1981. The prime objective of the competition is to encourage the pursuit of excellence on the part of young instrumentalists aspiring to orchestral careers. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and competition.
The Bursary was created in 1979 by members of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who supported the Orchestra during its first decade. The bursary is meant to provide recognition and financial support that helps further the development of young musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region (NCR). Funding for the award originally came from two sources: the NAC Orchestra Bursary Fund, created in 1979 by the members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and from the NAC Orchestra Trust (originally the Capital Trust, founded in 1932 to benefit the Ottawa Philharmonic Society which, on its demise in 1970, transferred the income to the NAC). The fund is now known as the NAC Orchestra Trust Fund.
In 1981, one prize of $1,000 – the NAC Orchestra Bursary – was awarded. In subsequent years, thanks to the growth of the Fund, as well as the generosity of private organizations and individuals, prizes now total more than $21,000.
In 2024, the competition will be open to students of wind, brass, and percussion instruments.
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Since its inception, the NAC Orchestra has recorded for radio and more than 40 commercial recordings many of the 80+ new works it has commissioned, primarily from Canadian composers. These include:
Angela Hewitt’s 2015 JUNO Award-winning album of Mozart Piano Concertos;
The ground-breaking Life Reflected, which includes My Name is Amanda Todd by the late Jocelyn Morlock (winner of the 2018 JUNO for Classical Composition of the Year);
Ana Sokolović’s Golden Slumbers Kiss Your Eyes, 2019 JUNO Winner for Classical Composition of the Year (from the 2019 JUNO-nominated New Worlds);
The 2020 JUNO-nominated The Bounds of Our Dreams, featuring pianist Alain Lefèvre, and;
Clara - Robert - Johannes: Lyrical Echoes, nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 JUNO Awards.
Cheryl Foggo’s Pioneer Love Story Heaven Closes out NAC English Theatre’s 2022-2023 Season
Cheryl Foggo’s Pioneer Love Story Heaven Closes out NAC English Theatre’s 2022-2023 Season
Revival of Citadel Theatre production marks the latest Black Theatre Workshop’s Co-Curation work with the NAC
April 20, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – As Black pioneers fled the southern United States, Canadian settlements weren't just the last stop; they were considered “heaven”. In one of those settlements – Amber Valley, Alberta – sharp-witted schoolteacher Charlotte arrives from Ontario to make a better life for her and her new students. But the memories she's outrunning may threaten what she's found, and her budding friendship with widowed farmer Ezra, forever.
From the moment Charlotte arrives in the small town, she is not what Ezra envisioned. Not expecting her to be the outspoken and strong-willed woman she is, he learns to appreciate what she brings to the town, the community and to his life.
As award-winning playwright Cheryl Foggo’s comedy shares a fictional story of Black history in Alberta, Heaven draws on the little-known past of Black pioneers in the prairies. First produced in 2001, the play has recently celebrated new productions in Edmonton and Calgary over the past two years. The Citadel Theatre production from 2021 is being revived for NAC audiences.
The play marks the latest production in the two-year co-curation partnership with Black Theatre Workshop and closes out the 2022-2023 English Theatre season.
BLACK OUT NIGHT
On May 5, the evening’s performance of Heaven will welcome the second Black Out night at the NAC this season. In addition to the performance, playwright Cheryl Foggo will be in person for a pre-show discussion. Following the hugely successful Black Out night in February, tickets for this evening will go fast.
NAC's Black Out nights are open invitations for Black audiences and guests to experience performances with their community and witness a show that reflects the vivid kaleidoscope that is the Black experience. As with every performance at the NAC, all audiences are welcome at Black Out night for Heaven.
HEAVEN – MAY 3 – 13, AZRIELI STUDIO
An NAC English Theatre revival of the Citadel Theatre production
Curated by Black Theatre Workshop
Written by Cheryl Foggo; Director Patricia Darbasie; featuring Helen Belay and Christopher Clare; Set Designer Whittyn Jason; Costume Designer Leona Brausen; Lighting Designer Jeff Osterlin; Sound Designer Wayne Hawthorne; Assistant Lighting Designer FengYi Jiang; Associate Sound Designer Effy Adar; Dialect Coach Caroline Clay; Stage Manager Renate Hanson.
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, The Slaight Family Foundation, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A.(hc), D.H.L.(hc) & David Fountain, C.M. and to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Nation.
ABOUT BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP
Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) is Canada’s longest running theatre company dedicated to the works of Black and diasporic communities. BTW’s mission is to promote and produce outstanding theatre that educates, entertains, and inspires. The company strives to create greater cross-cultural understanding by challenging its audience and the status quo. Expanding the representation of Black Canadian artists, BTW bridges cultural divides – uniting hearts, minds, and communities.
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SUMMER PROGRAMMING RETURNS TO THE NAC: MUSIC, DANCE AND THEATRE PERFORMANCES IN THE HEART OF THE CAPITAL
Spend your summer months enjoying exciting performances at the NAC.
Ottawa, April 18, 2023 – The National Arts Centre is delighted to announce the return of its summer series to its stages this July and August.
Bold and eclectic, the NAC’S 2023 Summer Programming is where Canadian and international talent meet. Featured in this year’s program are contemporary renditions of Flamenco dance, Arabic folk, and many more vibrant classics from here and around the globe.
Marking the second year of the series, the 2023 line-up will showcase more than 200 free and affordable shows and activities. Locals and visitors alike will have the opportunity to experience spectacular dance ensembles, floating concerts, and powerful musical and theatrical performances — the ultimate treat for arts lovers.
“Summer 2023 is all about celebrating Canadian artists, our culture, and the many communities of Canada. Each performance is unique and evocative of rich lived experiences from coast to coast to coast. Summer is set to be another exciting season at the NAC,” said Heather Gibson, Executive Producer of NAC Popular Music and Variety.
SUMMER PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Stage Series
Bold Concerts and Plays
Take a seat in Southam Hall and experience beloved classics performed by the NAC orchestra or your favourite artists. Visit the Babs Asper Theatre for some outstanding dance and music. Or, if you prefer something more intimate, settle into either the Studio or the Fourth Stage for theatre and music. There you can connect with artists and ensembles from here and across the globe as they share their history, truth and powerful points of view.
You won’t be disappointed, no matter what you see.
Feeling of Free
Free Summer Beats
Some of our best shows aren’t on the stage this summer. They are in and around the NAC, suspended in our lobby, floating down the canal or happening in workout gear.
Whatever you choose to do, it’s fun for the whole family and all abilities. Plus, everything is free!
Wooden Terrace
Music Under the Stars
Spend your sunsets with us as under the stars as inspirational artists share their musical visions of culture, identity and tradition. Access our terrace directly from Elgin Street, the canal, or the Mackenzie King Bridge and take in the best free beats offered in Ottawa this summer.
Outdoor concerts every Tuesday and Wednesday night. Limited seating available.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Visit our website to book your tickets now and stay tuned for more shows coming soon.
EXPERIENCING THE ARTS FROM A NEW ANGLE
The NAC is thrilled to collaborate with a new generation of visionaries and creators, to present a selection of unforgettable performances.
“I am grateful for the way NACO has been a part of the beginning of my career and given me a platform to share my heart with their audiences” — Jonelle Sills, soprano.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of artists and audiences from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation.
The Shakespeare/Dalpé/Haentjens triumvirate returns to the NAC
April 19, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – In 2015, French Theatre audiences experienced the impressive Richard III by Shakespeare/Dalpé/Haentjens. With ROME, a production of unparalleled scope will rock the capital on May 5 and 6. For seven and a half hours, 29 artists will take the stage to perform, end-to-end, Le viol de Lucrèce (The Rape of Lucrece), Coriolan (Coriolanus), Titus Andronicus, Jules César (Julius Caesar), and Antoine et Cléopâtre (Antony and Cleopatra), with a prologue to kick off the sequence.
Under the invincible pen of Jean Marc Dalpé, a key figure in Franco-Canadian theatre and Brigitte Haentjens’ long-time associate, the Shakespearean texts have been updated to emphasize their undeniable modernity. Because whether we like it or not, we are still influenced by the Roman culture of which the Bard made himself an unparalleled conduit, and thanks to Dalpé, his plays find a new impetus as poetic as it is rhythmic, and surprisingly in tune with our times.
Brigitte Haentjens has brought her characteristic passion and talent to her masterful direction of this monumental work, which captures several themes dear to the heart of French Theatre’s former artistic director (2012–22): freedom, notions of power and subjugation, and the loss of reference points. These topics sustain the role of Sibyllines’ artistic director as a driving force in the arts community, as she demonstrates once again with ROME, an epic charged with essential reflections on democracy and the paradoxes these issues raise.
“Some of Shakespeare’s historical plays have a huge appeal for me. They unsettle me by the singular way they have of questioning the workings of power and interweaving personal and political life, human and political issues. Their richness is inexhaustible as they reflect who we are, with all our contradictions, our dark sides, our weaknesses, and sometimes our greatness.”
– Brigitte Haentjens, director of ROME
A true marathon, with only two performances in Ottawa, ROME is perhaps most of all a reminder, delivered by an incredibly talented cast, that theatre is a larger-than-life art form, and that fiction is an essential part of understanding our world in all its harshness.
ON STAGE
Jean-Denis Beaudoin, Marc Béland, Alex Bergeron, Éliane Bergeron, Céline Bonnier, Vincent Carré, Samuël Côté, Guido Del Fabbro, Leïla Donabelle Kaze, Sylvie Drapeau, Irdens Exantus, Bernard Falaise, Reda Guerinik, Lauren Hartley, Bozidar Krčevinac, Frédéric Lavallée, Roméo Lucas, Jean-Moïse Martin, Iannicko N’Doua, Gaétan Nadeau, Leni Parker, Alice Pascual, Véronique Perron, Viktor Proulx, Sébastien Ricard, Joakim Robillard, Madeleine Sarr, Mattis Savard-Verhoeven and Valérie Tellos.
HOW THE EVENT UNFOLDS
The performance includes two intermissions, during which sandwiches and refreshments will be available for purchase at the NAC concession stands. You can also bring your own food.
Part 1 ~ 1 hr 45 min
PROLOGUE
LUCRÈCE: Movements I, II, III
CORIOLAN: Movements I, II
Intermission ~ 30 min
Part 2 ~ 2 hrs 40 min
CORIOLAN: Movement III
JULES CÉSAR: Movements I, II, III
ANTOINE ET CLÉOPÂTRE: Movement I
Intermission ~ 20 min
Part 3 ~ 2 hrs 10 min
ANTOINE ET CLÉOPÂTRE: Movements II, III
TITUS ANDRONICUS: Movements I, II, III
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Babs Asper Theatre, May 5 (6pm) and May 6 (3pm).
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30. And yeah, that includes teens and kids!
To purchase tickets, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/31894 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC French Theatre season.
NATIONAL CREATION FUND
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $150,000 made it possible for the creative team to dedicate additional time to develop and refine the script, including a dramaturgical workshop. This was followed by extensive work on staging, with a creation workshop with the cast and a technical residency with the creative team. In the final development phase, the creators explored the integration of live music and a choir.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-prod uces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
From the streets of Buenos Aires to the stage of Southam Hall: Social Tango Project lands at the NAC with its outstanding dancers, musicians and singers.
OTTAWA, Canada, April 12, 2023 – A warm Argentine breeze will blow through the NAC on April 22, when the Southam Hall stage welcomes Social Tango Project. Based in Buenos Aires, this unique interactive dance experience features a mix of narrative, performance, and documentary film. On stage, 12 professional dancers, 4 musicians and 2 singers deliver Social Tango Project’s mission and message: “Everyone can dance.”
Choreographer Agustina Videla, the originator of the concept, encourages the audience not only to try out some tango dance steps but also to fully understand its essence. It’s not often that people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds can come together in an “embrace” and create a new community that vibrates in unison.
“The passion and dynamism of tango is compelling: watching its sensuous yet precise footwork accompanied by music and song makes us want to move and revel in the rhythms. A feast for the eyes and the soul.” – Cathy Levy, NAC Dance Producer Emerita
Knowing that Social Tango Project is more than just a show, the NAC Dance team invites patrons to start off their evening with a pre-show talk. NAC Dance’s new Executive Producer, Caroline Ohrt, will welcome choreographer Agustina Videla, the creator of Social Tango Project, and give the audience the opportunity to learn more about the production.
Following the performance, the Canal Lobby will be transformed into a dance floor where spectators can watch or actively participate in a free milonga hosted by Siempre Tango Ottawa, with the support of the Argentine Embassy. Amateur and professional dancers will be on hand to explain, demonstrate and dance with members of the public. No previous experience required.
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
Written by Louise Dupré and directed by Ottawa artist André Perrier, presented at the NAC on April 22 and 23
April 11, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Words have a history while also being ageless. In this playful and athletic show, they are bouncing balls, modeling clay, super glue to stay together...
She and He were inseparable. But one truly rotten day, He had to leave for a town so far away we’ve forgotten its name. She stayed behind, playing alone as if there were still two of them. Then She opens a box of old letters, a paper plane flies across the stage, words start to grow, they are smoke signals!
This inspiring text by Louise Dupré is brought to life by two athletic, energetic performers and the radiant presence of an incredible magician–musician. The creative team even visited real schools to collect gems of language from young people, and to make this rhythmic, sometimes boisterous show shine even brighter.
An invitation to acclaim, all together, the inexhaustible pleasure of a shared language, Les mots secrets [The Secret Words] is a great celebration of poetry!
For audiences 7 and over.
PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY
Young and old alike are invited 45 minutes before the start of each performance to activate their imagination! What’s on? An aerial engineering exercise and spontaneous inventions of wacky words.
ABOUT THE WRITER AND THE DIRECTOR
Writer Louise Dupré taught literary creation for two decades at the Université du Québec à Montréal. A member of the Académie des lettres du Québec, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Order of Canada, she has received several awards for her work, including the Governor General’s Literary Award in poetry.
A unifying force on the Franco-Ontarian cultural scene, André Perrier is accomplished in several theatrical professions. He is an actor and playwright, but above all a director. He currently teaches at the University of Ottawa, and since 1990, has been the director of Théâtre Triangle Vital.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Azrieli Studio
April 22 and 23, 3 pm
Under30 tickets are for anybody under the age of 30. And yeah, that includes teens and kids!
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-prod uces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sylvain Lavoie
Communications Strategist, French Theatre
National Arts Centre
613-240-3786 sylvain.lavoie@nac-cna.ca
MATRIARCHS UPRISING ARRIVES AT THE NAC WITH A COLLECTION OF CURATED PERFORMANCES
A three-part performance art series by Indigenous women exploring artistic expression through contemporary Indigenous dance and storytelling
March 30, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Alongside NAC Indigenous Theatre, NAC Dance is delighted to present Matriarchs Uprising, an annual performance art series that weaves stories of transformation through Indigenous women's artistry, creating spaces for the past, present, and future in artistic performances.
Curated by Olivia C. Davies, Matriarchs Uprising is a unique festival of exchange and sharing through dance and performances, workshops and conversation. Three mixed programs will be presented April 13-15.
Program A offers two beautiful solos: Sophie Dow in A Hidden Autobiography and Jeannette Kotowich in Kisiskâciwan. A Hidden Autobiography examines how imagination can amplify presence and sensation and expand physical capacity. Kisiskâciwan is a creative return to the fast-flowing landscape of Saskatchewan, the robust and undulating land of Jeanette Kotowich’s ancestors. This new solo is a journey to oneself and references protocol, ritual and our relationship to the natural and Spirit worlds.
Program B presents the work of Samantha Sutherland entitled ȼ̓inaⱡ upxamik and Aria Evans’s Midline. In ȼ̓inaⱡ upxamik, Samantha Sutherland delves into the feelings and emotions that arose as she questions why Indigenous culture is important in her life. It contrasts the fear of embarking on a vulnerable journey and excitement for the lessons that come forth. Midline is a choreographic study created and performed by Aria Evans. It seeks to understand the science behind scar tissue and investigates the scars we choose, the scars that are accidents and the scars that save our lives. Through text and movement, Aria tackles these questions that highlight the endurance of the human body.
Program C features the work of The Cris Derksen Quartet with special guests. A household name to many Contemporary Indigenous choreographers, Derksen’s Orchestral Pow Wow album can often be heard in rehearsal studios across Turtle Island, inspiring movement explorations that dive deep into the depths of the heart and pull forward blood memories living beneath the surface.
To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS).
As we have in past seasons, Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer community engaged activity, learning opportunities and corollary programming in and around the work presented on stage. We are honoured to be able to continue to offer $15 All My Relations tickets to the Indigenous community in the upcoming season. It extends to most of the programming from all disciplines at the NAC.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
THANK YOU TO OUR INDIGENOUS THEATRE PARTNERS
Indigenous Theatre and Programming at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mohammed A. Faris, Kenneth and Margaret Torrance Endowment for Indigenous Theatre and an Anonymous Donor. Thank you to Indigenous Theatre Season Sponsor BMO Financial Group, Official Hotel Partner Embassy Hotel & Suites, and Official Rail Partner VIA Rail. Thank you also to TD Bank Group and the Slaight Family Foundation, Major Sponsors of Indigenous Programming at the National Arts Centre, and Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis Meta. We also express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts for their longstanding support of the NAC and the arts in Canada.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ian Hobson Communications Strategist, Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
+1 343-588-0742 Ian.Hobson@NAC-CNA.ca
National Arts Centre Mourns the Loss of Jocelyn Morlock
Canada’s National Arts Centre is mourning the loss of Jocelyn Morlock, a remarkably gifted Canadian composer and a bright light for contemporary music in Canada. Her work was celebrated by many, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, who commissioned her JUNO Award-winning work My Name is Amanda Todd as part of the landmark multimedia commission Life Reflected.
My Name is Amanda Todd premiered on May 19, 2016. It was performed at the Luminato Festival Toronto in 2017 and in performance halls across Western Canada during the Orchestra’s Canada 150 Tour. In 2018, it won the JUNO Award for Classical Composition of the Year. The Orchestra also performed it during its 50th Anniversary European Tour in 2019.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jocelyn Morlock, an extraordinary Canadian composer who left us far too early,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “We will always remember Jocelyn’s incredible contributions to Canadian orchestral music. On behalf of the National Arts Centre, we send our heartfelt condolences to Jocelyn’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
"Far too soon the wonderfully kind, empathetic, beguilingly fun and brilliant artist that was Jocelyn Morlock has left us,” said Alexander Shelley, Music Director of the NAC Orchestra. “I cannot help but smile as I recall her charm, wit and quirky humour, her generosity, her razor-sharp mind and her x-ray like perception as we worked together at the NAC on My Name is Amanda Todd. That beautiful, special work, which has contributed so much to the conversation around cyberbullying and for which she justly won the JUNO Award for best composition, now another layer of tragedy etched into its contours. We will miss you very deeply, Jocelyn, and are endlessly grateful for the friendship, artistry and music that you gave us. For us all, you are gone far too soon.”
“All of the NAC Orchestra musicians and colleagues are mourning the loss of Jocelyn Morlock,” said NAC Orchestra Managing Director Nelson McDougall. “She was a brilliant composer, a generous collaborator, and a wonderful colleague and friend to all of us.”
On October 31, 2020, in the midst of lockdowns due to COVID-19, the NAC Orchestra performed Jocelyn’s work Solace during its first-ever NACO Live concert, part of a series of livestreamed and on-demand performances. Her first commission from the NAC Orchestra was Cobalt, a concerto for two violins and orchestra, in 2009. Her first full-length CD, also titled Cobalt, was released on the Centrediscs label in 2014.
The NAC flags will fly at half-mast in honour of Jocelyn Morlock.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Greggory Clark Communications Strategist
National Arts Centre Orchestra 343-588-0513 greggory.clark@nac-cna.ca
Annabelle Cloutier
Executive Director, Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre
613-301-2764 annabelle.cloutier@nac-cna.ca
CANADIAN DANCE ICON LOUISE LECAVALIER PRESENTS HER MOST PERSONAL WORK TO DATE
For the first time, the Fou Glorieux founder comes to the NAC with a solo performance of her own choreography
March 21, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – NAC Dance is thrilled to welcome long-time favourite Louise Lecavalier, as she brings Stations to the Babs Asper Theatre for two nights on March 30-31.
In four distinct stations, like cardinal points or body states – fluidity, control, meditation, and obsession – she leads the audience in an exhilarating exploration of dance. Over the course of 60 minutes, every element of the Lecavalier’s performance expresses something beyond words. With Stations, in osmosis with the haunting sound of the music, she reaches the apex of her art.
Since premiering the work in 2020, Stations has been performed to rave reviews across Canada and Europe. Audiences will not want to miss this remarkable NAC co-production.
“With this latest oeuvre, Stations, Louise has reached a pinnacle in her creative explorations: her first choreographed solo. Stations is seen as her most personal work to date, and is an impeccable blend of force and speed, emotion and passion. Not only do we marvel at her spectacular performance but also at her dramatic prowess and musicality. Persistently curious and adventurous, Louise throws herself into each project with vigorous attention and sensitivity.”, says Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, NAC Dance
Louise Lecavalier worked with Edouard Lock from 1981 to 1999, a period of exceptional intensity punctuated by works that have since become mythical – Human Sex, New Demons, Infante, and 2 – along with scintillating collaborations (David Bowie, Frank Zappa) …
Her extreme dance, filled with a fiery energy, caught the imagination of a whole generation. Since then, with her company, Fou Glorieux, Louise has continued to explore, in solos and duets, the power and vulnerability of the body and the intensity of the human struggles and aspirations. After fruitful collaborations with artists Tedd Robinson, Benoît Lachambre, Crystal Pite, and Nigel Charnock, she created her first choreographic work, So Blue, in 2012.
An Officer of the Order of Canada, Louise is the first Canadian to have received a Bessie Award (New York) and the first winner of the Prix de la danse de Montréal. She is also a recipient of the Jean A. Chalmers National Dance Award, the Prix du Syndicat français de la critique, the 2013 Léonide Massine Prize for contemporary dancer of the year, and the 2014 Governor General Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
In-person in Babs Asper Theatre
March 30-31, 7:30 pm
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
Choreographer Rhodnie Désir presents BOW’T TRAIL Rétrospek for two nights only at the NAC
The Prix de la Danse-winning piece (Grand Prix and Envol prizes, 2020) continues its international tour of the Americas and Europe. http://prixdeladanse.com/en/laureat/rhodnie-desir-2/
March 9, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Witness a conversation between the present and the past delivered through choreographer Rhodnie Désir. Her BOW’T TRAIL Rétrospek, the ambassador piece in the BOW’T series, and an NAC co-production, comes to the Azrieli Studio on March 17-18.
In 2013, Rhodnie Désir created the work BOW'T. The 10th anniversary of the project was celebrated on March 5. From this, nine pieces in nine locations and various powerful documentary elements (web documentary, web series, medium-length film) were created, as well as an exhibition. The totality of this journey bears the name BOW'T TRAIL. Today, the sole work that is touring is BOW'T TRAIL Retrospek.
Driven by a desire to transcend her origins, the choreographer carried research in Martinique, Brazil, Haïti, Canada, Mexico and the United States, collecting more than 130 personal stories and immersing herself in the African cultures and rhythms of the people who were deported there. On stage, Rhodnie Désir is accompanied by two master musicians as she is transported by these rhythms.
Since it premiered at Espace Libre in Montreal in 2020, this landmark work and the artist’s pioneering choreographic–documentary approach have been showered with acclaim and honours.
Choreographer-documentalist and artistic director of RD Créations, Rhodnie Désir has created about fifteen pieces, like BOW'T TRAIL Retrospek and her pioneering memoir journey BOW'T TRAIL have earned her two awards from the Prix de la danse de Montréal (2020): The Prix Envol and the Grand Prix. In 2021, she was chosen as one of the "25 to watch" by Dance Magazine in New York and nominated for the prestigious career award “The APAP Award of Merit”. In 2022, she received the “Danseuse de l’année” award at the Gala Dynastie and she became the first Associate Artist of the famous Place des Arts institution in Montreal.
Her documentary and Afro-contemporary choreographic signature is rooted in rhythmic languages. A performer and orator of remarkable power, her words and her international civic actions unite beyond dance, and then shine as at UNESCO.
(ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season. https://nac-cna.ca/en/dance
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-prod uces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Classic Fall On Your Knees Arrives at the NAC with a Momentous Two-Part Production
Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Classic Fall On Your Knees Arrives at the NAC with a Momentous Two-Part Production
Hit Stage Adaptation Lands in Ottawa as Third Stop in Four City Tour
Ottawa – March 6, 2023 – “Fall On Your Knees… will bring you to your feet.” - J. Kelly Nestruck, Globe and Mail
Following successful runs in Toronto and Halifax, NAC English Theatre is proud to present the history-making two-part stage adaptation of author Ann-Marie MacDonald’s internationally acclaimed and best-selling novel Fall On Your Knees, from March 10 – 25.
Produced by the National Arts Centre English Theatre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage, the Grand Theatre, and Neptune Theatre, the World Premiere of the stage adaptation of Fall On Your Knees is the fruit of an unprecedented partnership between five companies, bringing this momentous production first to the previously mentioned Toronto and Halifax, before arriving in Ottawa, and then finishing in London, ON.
Ann-Marie MacDonald’s first novel, Fall On Your Knees is a sweeping work of historical fiction that chronicles three generations of Cape Breton Island’s Piper family. The story moves from the battlefields of the First World War to the emerging jazz scene in Harlem, NY, and into the lives of four unforgettable sisters.
The stage adaptation is co-created by renowned theatre artists Alisa Palmer –who directs the production– and playwright Hannah Moscovitch, who developed the work over the course of a decade together. Inspired to create a work in which music and narrative would be intimately woven, the pair invited composer Sean Mayes to join their collaboration. Through the NAC's National Creation Fund, they were able to expand the scale of development of the novel from page to stage with artistic workshops. This powerful creative team have then assembled an equally exemplary cast to bring the work to life, including Tim Campbell, Janelle Cooper, Diane Flacks, Eva Foote, Deborah Hay, Samantha Hill, Drew Moore, Tony Ofori, Cara Rebecca, Maryem Tollar, Amaka Umeh, Dakota Jamal Wellman, Jenny L Wright, Antoine Yared.
Released in 1996, MacDonald’s novel won multiple awards, including the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book; the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction; CBA Libris People's Choice Award and the CBA Libris Award for Fiction Book of the Year. The novel was also a finalist for a number of prestigious literary awards, including the Giller Prize, the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Trillium Book Award, the Orange Prize for Fiction, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and was selected for the hugely popular Oprah’s Book Club.
Joining Palmer, Moscovitch, and Mayes on the creative team of this benchmark production are associate director Cherissa Richards, choreographer Natasha Powell, associate choreographers Hollywood Jade and Tereka Tyler-Davis, set designer Camillia Koo, costume designer Judith Bowden, associate costume designer Joyce Padua, lighting designer Leigh Ann Vardy, sound designer Brian Kenny, associate music supervisor Douglas Price, fight and sexual choreographer Anita Nittoly, and dramaturg Mel Hague.
FALL ON YOUR KNEES – MARCH 10 – 25, BABS ASPER THEATRE
Fall On Your Knees is presented in two parts, allowing audiences to enjoy two extraordinary evenings at the theatre. The production runs from March 10 - 25, 2023
A National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre production
Adaptation for the stage by Alisa Palmer and Hannah Moscovitch
Co-created and Written by Hannah Moscovitch
Co-created and Directed by Alisa Palmer
Production Dramaturgy by Mel Hague
Based on the Novel by Ann-Marie MacDonald
Music Supervisor and Composer Sean Mayes
Featuring: Tim Campbell, Janelle Cooper, Diane Flacks, Eva Foote, Deborah Hay, Samantha Hill, Drew Moore, Tony Ofori, Cara Rebecca, Maryem Tollar, Amaka Umeh, Dakota Jamal Wellman, Jenny L Wright, Antoine Yared, Musicians Douglas Price (Conductor, piano, accordion), Anna Atkinson (Violin, accordion), Spencer Murray (Flutes, reeds, pipes), Maryem Tollar (Vocals, qanun, oud, percussion).
Associate Director Cherissa Richards, Choreographer Natasha Powell, Associate Choreographer Hollywood Jade, Associate Choreographer Tereka Tyler-Davis, Set Designer Camillia Koo, Costume Designer Judith Bowden, Lighting Designer Leigh Ann Vardy, Sound Designer Brian Kenny, Associate Music Supervisor Douglas Price, Fight & Sexual Choreographer Anita Nittoly, Dramaturg Mel Hague, Dialect Coach Jane Gooderham, Disability Consultant Yousef Kadoura, Stage Manager Michael Hart, Assistant Stage Manager Sarah Miller, Apprentice Stage Manager (Rehearsal and Toronto) Ciaran Brenneman, Apprentice Stage Manager (Halifax, Ottawa, London) Ciaran Brenneman.
LEAD DONORS MARGARET AND DAVID FOUNTAIN
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to two of Canada’s greatest theatre champions: NAC Foundation board member Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A. (hc), D.H.L.(hc) and her husband David Fountain, C.M. of Halifax. Their generous leadership support has helped to bring this acclaimed Canadian story to stages across the country.
NATIONAL CREATION FUND
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $200,000 supported a new approach to translating the novel from page to stage, with significant time dedicated to exploring non-literal, theatrical ways to capture and embody the power of the story. The Fund’s support also made the final two development workshops possible.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank NAC English Theatre Lead Donor, The Slaight Family Foundation, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
ABOUT VITA BREVIS ARTS
Vita Brevis Arts (VBA) was founded by Alisa Palmer to support the development of unusual theatre projects, aimed for larger spaces and audiences. VBA was created to support projects that are ambitious in scope, urgent in content and that have the capacity to speak to diverse audiences in a highly theatrical and sensually rich language. Inclusive and artistically excellent storytelling is at the heart of VBA's mission. In practice, VBA partners with established theatre companies and helps to realize projects that may be outside the box: to curate artist - driven development processes outside traditional development models, and which require sensitivity to culturally specific material. VBA is comprised of producers Alisa Palmer, Paul Beauchamp, and Patricia Cerra.
ABOUT CANADIAN STAGE
Canadian Stage is one of the country’s leading contemporary performing arts organizations. A collision of disciplines and cultures, Canadian Stage reflects the dynamism and complexity of Canada and is a vital artistic force locally, nationally, and internationally. In its over thirty-year history, Canadian Stage has employed thousands of artists and developed and produced hundreds of new productions. Many of the plays developed by Canadian Stage have been awarded and nominated for Canada's most prestigious literary and performing arts honours, including Governor General's, Chalmers, and Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Throughout the theatre season, nearly 100,000 patrons attend performances and workshops in its three Toronto venues.
ABOUT THE GRAND THEATRE
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum and Executive Director Deb Harvey, the Grand Theatre (the Grand) is a leading cultural hub located in the heart of downtown London, Ontario. The not-for-profit regional theatre offers diverse, relevant, and original stories from around the globe through collaborations with national and international performing arts organizations. The Grand is committed to developing, producing, and premiering original stories through its COMPASS New Play Development program. Further, it is an ardent supporter of educational programming, as demonstrated through initiatives like the High School Project and Subsidized Student Matinees.
ABOUT NEPTUNE THEATRE
Neptune Theatre is Atlantic Canada’s regional theatre, now in its 59th season. On our stages you’ll experience theatre that is uplifting and thought-provoking. Working with the best local, regional, and Canadian theatre professionals, we seek to present a thought-provoking playbill that amplifies creative voices, inspires future generations of theatre artists, and delights audiences. With a mindful and inclusive approach, we are committed to bringing stories that represent the history and diversity of our region and its people to life on our stages. The work created and presented at Neptune explores our rich history and diversity, builds understanding, and shapes dialogue, helping to create a stronger, connected community.
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BALLET EDMONTON MAKES ITS FIRST VISIT TO THE NAC WITH AN ATHLETIC PROGRAM FILLED WITH HUMANISM
Under the artistic direction of Wen Wei Wang, the show features four pieces created by three distinctive choreographic voices
OTTAWA, Canada, March 2, 2023 – On Saturday, March 11, Ballet Edmonton will make its National Arts Centre debut. For one night only, a mixed bill by three distinctive choreographic voices will light up the Southam Hall stage.
Wen Wei Wang, Artistic Director of Ballet Edmonton, will present two of his creations: Persistence of Memory is a look back at the isolation forced by the pandemic and the importance of human contact; and SWAN, is inspired by the iconic characters in Swan Lake — a breathtaking work that highlights the poise and grace of ballet dancers while pushing the body’s athletic range to another level.
In BLACK MOON by Canadian choreographer Dorotea Saykaly, dancers embody the duality of ease and desperation, antigravity and heaviness, broken and fluid. And finally, in Valei-me, a piece by Diego Ramalho, Brazilian music drives the narrative structure of this emotional and energetic creation that explores how music lives in the nervous system and reflects an unconscious sense of identity.
An evening filled with physicality, tenderness, and humanity.
“Ballet Edmonton is emerging as one of Canada’s finest contemporary ballet troupes, and I’m thrilled to be welcoming them to the National Arts Centre for the first time! Since Wen Wei Wang was appointed artistic director in 2018, he has been dedicated to building an original repertoire representing strong choreographic voices from Canada and beyond. The evening’s program highlights Wen Wei’s talent, as well as that of Diego Ramalho and rising Canadian star Dorotea Saykaly.”
—Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, NAC Dance
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
In-person in Southam Hall
March 11, 8 pm
To purchase tickets, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/31882 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click: https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK INTERVIEWS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Là où la poussière se dépose: A soundscape of intimacy and devastating heartbreak
Written, directed and performed by Julien Morissette and Karina Pawlikowski, presented at the NAC from March 30 to April 1
February 27, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The theatre is, by definition, “a place of seeing.” Acclaimed darlings of the Ottawa-Gatineau art and media scene Julien Morissette and Karina Pawlikowski offer a somewhat more slanted view, like the first spring rays of sunshine streaming into a light-starved space.
Là où la poussière se dépose, or Where the Dust Settles, will be unfurling its warm soundscape at the NAC Studio; the McGarrigle sisters, accompanied musically by the Wainwrights, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Nick Cave, will also be joining their voices to serve as the soundtrack of an intimate rendezvous with former lovers come to share the beauty of what comes after the relationship.
What does it mean to inhabit a home when the sounds of the household have left with your love? And what becomes of the theatre once it has been (re)discovered and (re)constructed from the outside in? Long-time friend and collaborator of the French Theatre Julien Morissette and his partner in crime, Karina Pawlikowski, take us on a gentle musical stroll that will have you falling back in love with the sounds of day-to-day life, using them as unique fodder for creation from which a podcast will also be produced in mid-April.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Karina Pawlikowski is an artist and author whose work takes shape through writing materials, voice, drawing and daily life, to question the norms that frame emotional life and relationships, intimacy, domestic space and the humans who inhabit it.
Julien Morissette is a producer and musician from Gatineau. His digital arts practice, focused on radio creation and storytelling, has enabled him to produce several radio documentaries et often act as artistic advisor.
ABOUT TRANSISTOR MÉDIA
Founded in 2017 and based in Gatineau, Transistor Média is dedicated to developing fiction and documentary podcasts at a national and international scale. The group’s mission is to create, produce and distribute digital audio works, favoring sound creation, radio art and podcasting as a means of expression to promote this discipline and contribute to the public’s appreciation of art.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
In-person in the Azrieli Studio
March 30-31, 8 pm
April 1, 4 pm
To purchase tickets, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/31892 or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). To find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities, click:https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC French Theatre season.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, the Slaight Family Foundation, Supporting Partner of French Theatre, Québecor, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-prod uces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
CELEBRATING CANADIAN TALENT: 2023 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS LAUREATES ANNOUNCED
NEWS RELEASE
OTTAWA, February 23, 2023 – The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts.
The laureates of the 2023 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, which recognize artists who have made an indelible contribution to cultural life in Canada and around the world, are:
Michel Marc Bouchard, O.C. – Playwright, screenwriter, librettist and teacher
Michel Marc Bouchard’s bold poetic vision is universal and timeless in its exploration of human relationships, particularly the notion of the outsider and the queer universe. His plays have been translated into two dozen languages and performed around the world; several have been adapted for film. He has curated major historical and thematic exhibitions, and teaches regularly at the National Theatre School of Canada.
Molly Johnson, O.C. – Singer–songwriter and humanitarian
Acclaimed as one of the best female jazz vocalists of our time, Molly Johnson has captivated audiences across Canada and Europe with her performances of jazz standards and original pieces. As the founding artistic director of Toronto’s Kensington Market Jazz Festival, she has helped hundreds of performers to flourish, and through her work as co-founder and producer of the Kumbaya Foundation, she has raised awareness of and funds for people living with HIV/AIDS. Always ready to speak out against racism and injustice, she has been actively involved with numerous charitable and service organizations.
James Kudelka is among North America’s most versatile and innovative dance artists. His creative output reflects his eclectic interests, rich movement vocabulary, and theatrical sensitivity. His choreographic works range from recreations of full-length ballet classics (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker) to one-act creations that are rich in psychological implication and human drama. He has explored evolving dance and theatrical styles, and is equally at home working with solo artists, small contemporary troupes and large ballet companies.
Rosemarie Landry, C.M. – Soprano and voice teacher
Recognized worldwide as an exceptional interpreter of French vocal works and a leading authority on French-language music, soprano Rosemarie Landry has made a significant contribution to classical music and Canadian culture. She has performed internationally in recital, concert and opera, both live and on radio and television, and appeared with leading orchestras and at chamber music festivals. A respected professor at the Université de Montréal, she also regularly gives masterclasses at renowned schools and universities around the world.
Singer–songwriter k.d. lang is known for her wide-ranging musical talent, distinctive and androgynous style, and hauntingly pure mezzo-soprano voice. She has played an important role in the recognition and development of country and popular music in Canada, and her unique creative contribution has added a new dimension to contemporary music. A noted activist, she publicly came out as a lesbian in the early 1990s and is a strong advocate for the gay rights movement, as well as for animal rights and HIV/AIDS care and research.
The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts, which recognizes outstanding contribution by an individual or group in voluntary service to the performing arts in Canada:
John Kim Bell, O.C.
John Kim Bell is one of Canada’s most decorated Indigenous leaders. Widely recognized for his work as an activist, entrepreneur and fundraiser, he established the Indspire charitable organization and the Indspire Awards in celebration of Indigenous achievement. His creative vision, cultural leadership, inexhaustible energy and passionate commitment have earned him many awards and honours.
The National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes work of an extraordinary nature by an individual artist or company in the past performance year:
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee – Actor, writer, comedian and geek
A versatile actor, writer, comedian and television host, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is best known for his starring role as family patriarch Mr. Kim (“Appa”) in Korean–Canadian playwright Ins Choi’s hit play Kim’s Convenience (2011) and its hugely popular television adaptation (2016–21). The show brought the Korean–Canadian immigrant experience into the cultural conversation, first in Canada and then around the world, and established Mr. Lee as a model and an inspiration for a generation of Asian actors.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively will be the Honorary Chairs of the 2023 GGPAA Gala National Committee. The National Arts Centre would like to thank Ryan Reynolds, 2021 National Arts Centre Award recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, and his wife Blake Lively for agreeing to serve as Honorary Chairs of the GGPAA Gala’s National Committee of Volunteers, led by Jim Treliving, C.M., and Sandi Treliving, which is raising the funds for the GGPAA Gala.
“The arts play a vital role in our lives, which has been made powerfully evident as we faced great challenges during the pandemic,” said Douglas Knight, Chair and CEO of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation (GGPAAF), and Anik Bissonnette, Co-Chair of the Foundation. “While we celebrate and congratulate the exceptional 2023 Awards laureates, we should also pause and be grateful to all Canadian artists, and their supporters, who have been bringing us light and a sense of community in difficult times.”
“The breadth of extraordinary talent and impressive contributions made by the 2023 laureates is unmistakeable,” said Simon Brault, Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts. “In recognizing and celebrating what these artists have given and achieved, we are also applauding the performing arts as a whole; the body of work of these artists has enabled countless connections and is worthy of as many thanks and congratulations.”
“Each year, Canadians artists amaze us with their creativity and vision. The incredibly inspiring stories they share bring us together and celebrate the beauty and diversity of Canada,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “The National Arts Centre, as a founding partner of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, is extremely proud to celebrate some of Canada’s greatest artists and arts volunteers and the crucial role they play in the culture of our nation.”
The 2023 laureates will be honoured at two events in Ottawa, culminating in the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala at the National Arts Centre on Saturday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m. “We are thrilled to have one of the most respected financial institutions in Canada and globally join us in this celebration of our country’s performing arts luminaries,” said Jayne Watson, CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation. “We extend our sincerest thanks to RBC for their generous support as Presenting Sponsor, and look forward to a spectacular 2023 GGPAA Gala. We also thank Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively for joining our efforts to celebrate Canadian artists.”
“Congratulations to our 2023 laureates, who have inspired so many people worldwide throughout their careers,” said Mark Beckles, Vice-President, Social Impact & Innovation at RBC. “RBC understands the important role that the arts, across all genres, play in our communities. Our ongoing partnership with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards is a powerful demonstration of our commitment and recognizes the incredible impact that these artists have in bringing Canadian talent to the world stage. Congratulations, laureates!”
Thank you, Peter Herrndorf (1940-2023)
The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards mourns the loss of Peter A. Herrndorf, an extraordinary Canadian cultural leader who died last week. Along with co-founder Brian Robertson, and the late Governor General Ray Hynatshyn and his wife Gerda, Peter founded the GGPAAs in 1992. The GGPAA Foundation will always be grateful to Peter for his vision to create these Awards that have enabled Canada to honour its greatest artists and arts volunteers for more than 30 years.
Thank you to our partners
Thanks also to the many sponsors and donors who make the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala possible, including Lead Donor Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Boston Pizza International Inc., Labatt Breweries of Canada, Manulife, The Keg Spirit Foundation, The Azrieli Foundation, Bonnie & John Buhler, Margaret Fountain, C.M., DFA (hc), DHL (hc), & David Fountain, C.M., the Honourable Bill Morneau & Nancy McCain, Rogers Communications, and Telefilm Canada.
These awards would not be possible without the support of our partners at the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the National Arts Centre (NAC). Compass Rose is our Communications Partner. As well, each year the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates incomparable short films that capture the essence of the laureates, and will première at the Awards Gala at the NAC on May 27and online on NFB.ca.
“Through the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, the NFB will once again be celebrating Canadian excellence in its own unique way,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada. “For the 15th year, we’re privileged to be bringing together talented filmmakers, NFB producers and creative teams from across the country, in pursuit of one goal: developing and creating vibrant short films that shine a spotlight on the artists and arts volunteers of Canada’s performing arts. These films are a part of our collective memory in their own right, and they help ensure that the invaluable contributions of those who enrich Canada’s cultural heritage are accessible to the public. Congratulations to all the recipients!”
“Once a year, Canada comes together to honour the performing artists who have made immeasurable contributions to the cultural mosaic of our country. As part of our commitment to supporting Canadian culture, CBC/Radio-Canada is proud to be the Media Partner of the GGPAA and share the celebration of these remarkable laureates from coast to coast to coast,” said Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada.
Created in 1992 by the late Peter Herrndorf, C.C., and Brian Robertson, under the distinguished patronage of the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, then-Governor General of Canada, and his wife Gerda, these prestigious awards are presented annually to Canadians whose accomplishments have inspired and enriched the cultural life of our country. Nominations for these highly acclaimed awards are submitted by members of the public to recognize artists who have made a lifetime commitment and contribution to the performing arts in Canada.
Tickets for the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala go on sale to the public on Thursday, February 23 through Ticketmaster, 1‑888‑991‑2787 or nac-cna.ca/ggawards.
FROM THE APARTHEID MUSEUM TO THE BABS ASPER THEATRE, NAC DANCE PRESENTS BROKEN CHORD
News Release
Relive the historical and long-forgotten tour of The African Native Choir through dance, music, and song
February 22, 2023 – OTTAWA, Canada – On March 1-2, Ottawa dance lovers will be in for a treat as the NAC welcomes renowned South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma and composer Thutuka Sibisi. Storytelling is at the core of Broken Chord, a show about the first South African choir that visited Europe, the United States and Canada in the late 1800s.
“Gregory Maqoma wears so many hats: he is a remarkable performer, choreographer, creative director, teacher and producer, and by extension, an inspiration for hundreds of his fellow South African artists. In Broken Chord, created with composer Thuthuka Sibisi, he challenges the relationship between the coloniser and the colonised, and offers a work that is, at its core, about human triumph.” – said Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, NAC Dance.
Although The African Choir sang for Queen Victoria, no sound recordings of the tour have survived. After 125 years, only a handful of photographs and a Tour program were found at Hulton Archive (a division of Getty images). An exhibition was created to honour this historical event lost in time. The African Choir 1891, Re-Imagined exhibition was presented at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg in 2016. When he visited for the first time, Maqoma was completely transported by the story and the music composed by Thuthuka Sibisi and Philip Miller. He immediately started dancing in the exhibition space. This improv lasted 40 minutes. This transcendent experience morphed into the production Broken Chord.
In this work, Maqoma’s signature style blends traditional Xhosa intertwined with contemporary dance. On stage with a quartet of vocal harmonies, Maqoma retells the beautiful story through movement and song. He will be joined by Ottawa's Capital Chamber Choir, a local a cappella choir chosen for the Ottawa performances.
MEDIA PREVIEW
Members of the Press are invited to attend the Dress Rehearsal on March 1 at 2:00 p.m. in the Babs Asper Theatre. RSVP is recommended. Please contact mireille.allaire@nac-cna.ca.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
In-person in the Babs Asper Theatre
March 1-2 at 7:30 PM
Visit the NAC website to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-prod uces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Mireille Allaire
Senior Manager, Communications
National Arts Centre
343-998-4244 mireille.allaire@nac-cna.ca
STATEMENT: National Arts Centre and Luminato Festival Mourn the Loss of Peter Herrndorf (1940-2023)
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) and Luminato Festival Toronto are mourning the loss of Peter A. Herrndorf, C.C., O. Ont., one of Canada’s greatest cultural leaders. He was 82 years-old. Peter Herrndorf was the NAC’s visionary former President and CEO who served from 1999 to 2018, and was a founding Board Director of Luminato Festival Toronto from 2006, and Chair from 2018 to the present.
For nearly 19 years, Peter led the National Arts Centre, Canada’s largest performing arts centre, during a period of extraordinary growth and the expansion of the NAC’s national role. Under his leadership, the NAC created many significant initiatives to help the NAC become a catalyst for performance, creation and learning across Canada. Among the many accomplishments during his tenure, he was instrumental in establishing the National Arts Centre Foundation, NAC Indigenous Theatre, leading the architectural and production renewal project that modernized the NAC building, and founding the National Creation Fund, which has enabled dozens of ambitious new Canadian creations to succeed on the national and international stage.
The NAC’s flags will fly at half-mast all of February in honour of Peter Herrndorf.
“It is an understatement to say that Peter Herrndorf’s tenure was transformative,” said Guy Pratte, Chair of the NAC’s Board of Trustees. “He was a visionary who had his feet firmly planted on Canadian soil. And that explains why his dreams of making the NAC a more national and more inclusive centre for the performing arts became a reality: his magical human touch transformed aspiration into realisation.”
“Peter Herrndorf had an enormous impact on the performing arts in Canada,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “He fundamentally believed that the National Arts Centre belongs to all Canadians, and that it must reach out beyond its home on Elgin Street to Canadian artists, arts organizations, and communities in every part of the country. For nearly 19 years, that belief informed his vision. He was also unfailingly kind and interested in each and every person – artists, staff and audience. It was an honour and a privilege to work for him, and his NAC family will miss him profoundly. We send our deepest condolences to Peter’s wife Eva Czigler, his children Katherine and Matthew, and the entire Herrndorf family.”
Peter’s contributions to the National Arts Centre and arts in Canada were both enormous and longstanding. With Brian Robertson, he created the Governor General Performing Arts Awards in 1992. He served as Chair of Canadian Stage and the Stratford Festival.
For more details about Peter Herrndorf’s extraordinary career in journalism and broadcasting, and his extensive voluntary work in arts and culture, click here to read his full biography.
LUMINATO FESTIVAL TORONTO
Peter Herrndorf joined the Board of Luminato Festival Toronto as a founding Director in November 2006, and assumed the role of Chair in September 2018. Peter was an advocate and ardent supporter of the festival, believing strongly in Luminato’s role as a major international arts festival for Toronto, and a convenor and catalyst for big, bold contemporary works of art. As an impassioned Canadian arts leader, Peter was committed to bringing the best of the global stage to Toronto, and to sharing Canadian artistry with the world. During his tenure as Board Director then Chair, the organization grew from strength to strength: hosting 83 world premieres, 47 Canadian premieres, commissioned 117 works of art – 84 of which were Canadian.
Peter’s leadership allowed the organization to reach nearly 11 million audience members across 16 Festivals, and showcased over 17,000 artists. To everyone at Luminato, and so many in Canada’s arts community, Peter was a leader, mentor, advisor, and friend; his counsel cannot be replaced, and he will be dearly missed every day.
“As Chair of Luminato, Peter Herrndorf saw the potential of a truly national and international multi-disciplinary arts festival based in Toronto, but playing on the world stage,” said Celia Smith, CEO, Luminato Festival Toronto. “He was an extraordinarily brilliant, persuasive, generous and relentless champion of artists and arts leaders in this country. I had the great good fortune to work closely with Peter, both early in my career and most recently during our time together at Luminato. He has been instrumental in the careers of so many of us across this country; a great Canadian of his generation. We will honour his legacy as we step forward into this new world without him.”
“I have had the privilege of knowing Peter most of my adult life and he was simply one of the finest Canadians l ever knew,” said Tony Gagliano, Co-Founder of Luminato Festival Toronto. “Peter touched the lives of many through his passion and love for the arts and artists and he will be remembered forever for his unmatched contribution to creativity in this country.”
“We are deeply saddened to mourn the loss of a great Canadian, a champion of the arts and an unparalleled creative force,” said Douglas Knight C.M., Chair & CEO of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards.
PETER HERRNDORF AT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
A highly respected and influential executive in journalism and broadcasting, Peter Herrndorf arrived at the NAC in 1999, taking the reins after a prolonged period of turmoil. He quickly established a clear sense of direction for the organization. He led the NAC to re-embrace its national role, made youth and education a key pillar of the organization, put excitement back on its stages by committing to artistic excellence, and dramatically increased its earned revenues. He re-energized the staff, hired superb new leaders to senior management, and recruited exceptional artistic leadership teams that were among the finest in North America, giving them the freedom to produce great work on the NAC’s stage, and on stages across the country. The NAC Orchestra resumed national and international tours, the theatre and dance departments re-engaged with companies across Canada, the NAC supported the creation of new work, and more work by Indigenous artists appeared on the stage.
In 2003, Herrndorf created the national, biennial Scene festivals, which showcased thousands of artists from every region of Canada. They culminated with Canada Scene (2017), which featured more than 1,000 artists from across the country. In 2011, he created NAC Presents, a concert series that showcased hundreds of emerging and established Canadian singer-songwriters.
Herrndorf created the NAC Foundation, which has since raised more than $170 million from the private sector to fund major national and international initiatives for Canadian artists. Under his leadership, the NAC also established the National Creation Fund, which has now invested $11.7 million in 77 ambitious and compelling new works in music, theatre, dance, and interdisciplinary arts. Fuelled entirely by donors, the Fund provides Canadian artists with the additional time, space, and resources they need to create great work.
Herrndorf led Canada’s largest performing arts organization through a architectural and production renewal project that modernized the NAC building, re-orienting the NAC to the city with a magnificent new entrance on Elgin Street, adding accessible new public spaces, and bringing the NAC’s performance halls and production facilities back to international standards. It was unveiled by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales on July 1, 2017.
One of Herrndorf’s most significant achievements was the creation of NAC Indigenous Theatre, widely recognized as a watershed moment for Indigenous performing arts and the country and celebrated by Indigenous artists as an important step towards reconciliation.
During his tenure, he recruited exceptional artistic leaders to the NAC, including French Theatre Artistic Directors Denis Marleau, Wajdi Mouawad and Brigitte Haentjens; English Theatre Artistic Directors Peter Hinton and Jillian Keiley; Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director Kevin Loring; Music Director Alexander Shelley; Executive Dance Producer Cathy Levy; NAC Presents Producer Simone Deneau and Heather Gibson, Executive Producer of Popular Music and Variety; Scene festival Producers Kari Cullen and Heather Moore; and Governor General’s Performing Arts Producers Brian Robertson, Kari Cullen, and Virginia Thompson.
Peter Herrndorf served on more than 60 boards. His many awards and honours include 10 honorary degrees, and a special Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2018). In 2017, he was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada, in recognition of his extraordinary service to the country.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Carl Martin Senior Advisor, Strategy andCommunications
THE NAC ORCHESTRA PRESENTS ATWOOD, HEGGIE, BRAHMS IN OTTAWA, TORONTO, AND KINGSTON
Experience the Orchestral world premiere of Jake Heggie, Joshua Hopkins, and Margaret Atwood’s Songs For Murdered Sisters
January 20, 2023 – OTTAWA – From February 9-14, 2023, the NAC Orchestra tours three cities with a deeply emotional program conducted by NACO Music Director Alexander Shelley. The NAC Orchestra will perform in Ottawa’s Southam Hall from February 9-10, in Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on February 11, and in Kingston’s Isabel Bader Centre on February 14.
Co-commissioned by the National Arts Centre and Houston Grand Opera, Songs For Murdered Sisters is dedicated to the memory of victims of gender-based violence, including Joshua Hopkins's sister Nathalie Warmerdam, as well as Anastasia Kuzyk and Carol Culleton.
Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins performs Songs for Murdered Sisters, a personal and powerful new song cycle that conveys the tragedy of lives needlessly lost, composed by Jake Heggie based on original poetry by Margaret Atwood. Bookending the concert are the Faust-Overture by Mayer and Brahms's furiously passionate Symphony No. 4.
“Atwood’s precise, heartfelt language elicited a profoundly empathetic score from Heggie; the music—tender and twinkling, haunted and sad—embodies a sibling’s love being forced to incorporate sorrow.”
- The New Yorker
Donations to the Women's Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County (WSAC) are encouraged on the Ottawa concert event page. WSAC offers support to women who have experienced or are experiencing some form of sexual violence. They also offer support to family members, as they did for Joshua's family when his sister and two other women were murdered in 2015.
ABOUT SONGS FOR MURDERED SISTERS
On the morning of September 22, 2015, in Renfrew County, Ontario, one man went on a killing spree, brutally murdering three ex-partners in their separate homes. They were victims of a crime now recognized as one of the worst domestic violence cases in Canadian history. The murders devastated the rural Ottawa Valley community where baritone Joshua Hopkins grew up – his sister, Nathalie Warmerdam, was one of these women.
Hopkins has since set out on a journey to use his voice to wake people up to the global epidemic of gender-based violence – and their part in it. His call to action was answered by two exceptional creators. Jake Heggie, hailed by the Wall Street Journal as “the world’s most popular 21st-century opera and art song composer,” agreed to write the music, and Margaret Atwood, the Booker Prize-winning author of more than 50 books of fiction and poetry, including The Handmaid’s Tale, wrote the searing words.
The result is a set of 8 songs, collectively titled Songs for Murdered Sisters, which have now been released as both a film and a digital album. In partnership with co-commissioner Houston Grand Opera, the chamber version premiered in March 2022 at Rothko Chapel in Houston. The orchestral version receives its live world premiere with co-commissioner the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, in February 2023, with subsequent performances in Toronto and Kingston.
"I have known two women who were murdered, both by jealous former romantic partners, so the killing of Joshua’s sister resonated with me. But I could not promise anything: with songs and poems, they either arrive or they don't. I then wrote the sequence in one session. I made the ‘sisters’ plural because they are indeed – unhappily – very plural. Sisters, daughters, mothers. So many.”
Margaret Atwood
TICKETS
Concert tickets are already available to purchase online in Ottawa, Toronto, and Kingston.
PRE-CONCERT PANEL – FEBRUARY 9, 2023
More information to come
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mark Motors Group, Official Car of the NAC Orchestra. The NAC Orchestra Music Director role is supported by Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc). Special thanks to the Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Excellence in the Performing Arts.
ABOUT JOSHUA HOPKINS
Known as one of the finest singer-actors of his generation, JUNO Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins has been hailed by Opera Today as having “a glistening, malleable baritone of exceptional beauty, and the technique to exploit its full range of expressive possibilities from comic bluster to melting beauty.”
Having established himself as a prominent leading artist throughout the United States and Canada, Joshua appears regularly at The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, The Santa Fe Opera and Washington National Opera amongst many others and has performed under the baton of renowned conductors such as Sir Andrew Davis, Alan Gilbert, Matthew Halls, James Gaffigan, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Hans Graf.
ABOUT MARGARET ATWOOD
Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her novels include Cat’s Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, and the Maddaddam trilogy. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid’s Tale, was followed in 2019 by a sequel, The Testaments, which was a global number one bestseller and won the Booker Prize. In 2020 she published Dearly, her first collection of poetry in a decade, followed in 2022 with Burning Questions, a selection of essays from 2004 - 2021. Her next collection of short stories, Old Babes in the Wood, will be published in March 2023. Atwood has won numerous awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. In 2019 she was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to literature. She has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright, and puppeteer.
ABOUT JAKE HEGGIE
Jake Heggie is the American composer of nine full-length operas, including Dead Man Walking and Great Scott with librettos by Terrence McNally; Moby-Dick, Three Decembers, It’s a Wonderful Life, If I Were You, and Two Remain with librettos by Gene Scheer; and numerous one-acts. He has also composed nearly 300 art songs, as well as chamber, choral, and orchestral works. Heggie is currently at work with Jawole Zollar and Gene Scheer on Intelligence, a new stage work commissioned by Houston Grand Opera. New York’s Metropolitan Opera has announced new productions of Dead Man Walking and Moby-Dick for upcoming seasons.
ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra is a world-class ensemble of outstanding classical musicians from across Canada and around the world, under the inspiring leadership of Music Director, Alexander Shelley. Since its debut in 1969, the NAC Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity, as well as reaching national and international audiences through touring and recordings.
The Orchestra has a rich touring history and has toured 95 times since its inauguration in 1969, visiting 120 cities in Canada, as well as 20 countries and 138 cities internationally. In recent years, the Orchestra has travelled across Canada, the United Kingdom and China. In 2019, the Orchestra marked its 50th anniversary by showcasing the work of six Canadian composers in a seven-city European tour that included performances and education events in England, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden; and in April 2022, it made its long-awaited return to Carnegie Hall. The Orchestra breaks boundaries with its regular commissions of new creations, including the critically acclaimed Life Reflected (2016) and UNDISRUPTED (2021). Its commissions and recordings have won JUNO Awards for Best New Classical Composition in 2018 and 2019.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
NEW BEGINNINGS: IN 2021-2022 THE NAC REUNITED ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES, AND COLLABORATED WITH PARTNERS TO SUPPORT RENEWAL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS SECTOR
Annual Public Meeting takes place today in the NAC Fourth Stage and online
February 15, 2023 – OTTAWA – The National Arts Centre’s Annual Public Meeting will take place today from 12 to 1 p.m. in the NAC Fourth Stage and online. The meeting will review the results of the NAC’s 2021–2022 season. While it included closures due to public health measures, the season featured the joyful return of in-person audiences to the National Arts Centre and Canadian venues across Canada, and collaborations with Canadian arts organizations to help lead and renew the performing arts sector.
“For the National Arts Centre, the 2021–2022 season was full of new beginnings,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “From the start of Mani Soleymanlou’s tenure as Artistic Director of French Theatre, to world premieres of Indigenous productions in cities across Canada, to the NAC Orchestra’s triumphant return to Carnegie Hall, artists and audiences reconnected with each other and with the powerful experience of the live performing arts. I thank the Government of Canada, our generous donors, and our devoted audiences for their continued support.”
SPEAKERS
The NAC’s Annual Public Meeting takes place today in the NAC Fourth Stage, and online. Speakers will include:
Verna McGregor, Algonquin Elder
Guy Pratte, Chair, NAC Board of Trustees
Christopher Deacon, NAC President and CEO
Annabelle Cloutier, Executive Director of Strategy and Communications
REGISTRATION
Individuals interested in attending the Annual Public Meeting are invited to register here. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation. Please submit any questions to apm@nac-cna.ca. The webcast will be accessible in English and French and will include simultaneous sign-language interpretation in ASL and LSQ.
NEW BEGINNINGS: THE NAC’S 2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT
The theme of the NAC’s Annual Public Meeting is echoed in the NAC’s 2021-2022 Annual Report, which was tabled in Parliament in December. Entitled New Beginnings, the report documents a year in which the NAC supported diverse Canadian artists and welcomed audiences back to the irreplaceable live and in-person experience of the performing arts. The report, publicly available on the NAC’s website, includes many highlights:
In the fall of 2021, audiences returned to the NAC to see 2042, directed by French Theatre Artistic Director Mani Soleymanlou, and Bingo Cosmique, directed by Associate Artistic Director Mélanie Dumont. Featuring 20 Ottawa-Gatineau artists who were asked to imagine what life might be like in 2042, the productions invited audiences onto the stage and into the action;
The NAC played a vital role supporting Indigenous stories and languages through world premieres in theatres across the country. Indigenous Theatre Artistic Director Kevin Loring’s Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer, co-produced with the Belfry Theatre (Victoria) and Savage Society (Vancouver) in association with NAC Indigenous Theatre, premiered at the Belfry in January 2022. The Herd by Kenneth T. Williams, a Citadel Theatre (Edmonton), Tarragon Theatre (Toronto) and Indigenous Theatre co-production, premiered at the Citadel in April 2022. And the English version of Okinum, co-produced by Onishka and Imago Theatre (Montreal), premiered at the Centaur Theatre (Montreal). The French version was presented by Indigenous Theatre and Zones Théâtrales at the NAC in September 2021;
The English Theatre/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre/Black Theatre Workshop co-production of Calpurnia by Audrey Dwyer opened at the NAC’s Babs Asper Theatre following a successful run in Winnipeg. Directed by Sarah Garton Stanley, the play follows its protagonist Julie as she rewrites To Kill a Mockingbird from the perspective of the Finch family’s Black maid. Black Theatre Workshop is the NAC’s Co-Curating Company in Residence;
The NAC Orchestra’s Truth in Our Time tour included the Orchestra’s first appearance at Carnegie Hall in 30 years. The concert included the U.S. premiere of Symphony No. 13 by Philip Glass, a NAC commission composed in tribute to Peter Jennings, the Canadian-American journalist and long-time anchor of ABC News. With dates at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall and at the NAC, repertoire included Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 and Korngold’s Violin Concerto — both defiant statements toward authoritarian regimes — and Canadian composer Nicole Lizée’s Zeiss After Dark. The tour featured superb Canadian guest artists, including Canadian violinists James Ehnes and Blake Pouliot, and Canadian spoken-word poet and songwriter YAO;
The NAC Dance season included 12 Canadian and two international companies. Highlights included In My Body by Gatineau street dance company Bboyizm, a work about the effects of aging on the dancing body, choreographed by Crazy Smooth; and Crypto, a cutting-edge multidisciplinary work by Côté Danse, choreographed and performed by Guillaume Côté and a stellar cast that included Greta Hodgkinson. Both In My Body and Crypto were developed with support from the NAC’s National Creation Fund and NAC Dance;
The National Creation Fund invested $1.9 million of privately raised funds in 14 ambitious new Canadian works in music, theatre, dance, and interdisciplinary performing arts. These game-changing investments provide artists with the additional time and resources required to create exceptional work for the world stage. Nineteen projects supported by the Fund premiered on stages at home and abroad, including the hit musical Tell Tale Harbour, which drew record crowds to the Charlottetown Festival, and Murmurations, the latest show from Montreal movement innovators Le Patin Libre, which was part of Théâtre de la Ville’s season in Paris. Since its inception, the National Creation Fund has invested $11.7 million in 77 ambitious new Canadian works;
The National Arts Centre partnered with Global Affairs Canada to curate the cultural programming for Expo 2020 Dubai from October 2021 to March 2022. From October 2022 to March 2023, more than 110 Canadian artists, including superstar Quebec singer-songwriter Marie-Mai, Pierre Kwenders, winner of the 2022 Polaris Prize, and a strong Indigenous delegation, performed at the world fair’s many stages in front of international audiences;
NAC Popular Music and Variety showcased brilliant and diverse Canadian music artists on the NAC’s stages, including Aysanabee, Belle Grand Fille, Beyries, Charlotte Cardin, Bruce Cockburn, Benjamin Deschamps, Desiire, Alan Doyle and Kelly Prescott, Étienne Fletcher, Céleste Lévis, Witch Prophet and many more. The season also included eight performances of Multitudes by the JUNO Award-winning artist Feist. Presented to a limited audience of 300 people per night who sat on the Southam Hall stage, the shows were a theatrical and musical representation of loneliness, isolation and coming together. Multitudes was generously supported by the National Creation Fund;
The 2022 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala returned to Southam Hall. The evening honoured an exception group of Canadian artists and arts volunteers, including Fernand Dansereau, David Foster, Tomson Highway, Crystal Pite, Linda Rabin, Rita Shelton Deverell and Michelle Smith. In addition, a bilingual TV special featuring the 2021 laureates (Tantoo Cardinal, Lynda Hamilton, Alexina Louie, Zab Maboungou, Catherine O’Hara, Ryan Reynolds and Florent Vollant) in beautiful settings across Canada was broadcast on CBC and ICI Télé (and on CBC Gem and ICI TOU.TV, generating more than 100 million views on social media;
The NAC unveiled Pangawogo Ninga Akì, meaning Heartbeat of Mother Earth, a visual land acknowledgment displayed permanently in the Canal Foyer, one of the most prominent spaces at the NAC, where hundreds of thousands of visitors come every year. Created by Algonquin artist Emily Brascoupé-Hoefler, the mixed media artwork serves as a welcome from the Algonquin People to visitors of the NAC, and encompasses aspects of Algonquin culture and tradition to welcome and extend teachings about Algonquin People and the geography of this region;
The Centre commissioned Dawn by the internationally recognized, multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Belmore, a member of Lac Seul First Nation (Anishinaabe). The work was inspired by the jingle dress, regalia worn by women and girls at pow wows. Initiated and funded by Canadian art historian Reesa Greenberg, the permanent artwork was unveiled on July 6, 2022 in the NAC’s Gail and David O’Brien Atrium;
For the first time in many years, the NAC offered a Summer Programming series, with more than 200 free and accessibly priced shows in the NAC’s performance halls, public spaces and outdoor areas. The summer series included the Tomson Highway: Kisaageetin (I love you/Je t’aime) celebration; NAC co-commissioned work from Ballets Jazz Montréal; artists like The Lionyls, Djely Tapa, OKAN, Moneka Arabic Jazz, members of the NAC Orchestra playing from a boat as it cruised down the Rideau Canal; evening performances on the NAC’s Wooden Terrace, and accessibly priced plays in the Fourth Stage, including Bois/Wood (Puzzle Théâtre) and Lessons in Temperament by James Smith. In addition, through our partnership with Broadway across Canada, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and Anastasia were presented in Southam Hall. Lastly, the beloved Notre Dame de Paris returned to the NAC for a week of sold-out performances;
The NAC partnered with Toronto’s Why Not Theatre on ThisGen Fellowship. Through training, mentorship, hands-on work placements and peer-to-peer connection, the national initiative is supporting 10 IBPoC women and non-binary performing arts practitioners who are moving to the next stage of their careers;
The Centre made meaningful progress in the area of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility with the development of an EDIA strategy, an EDI employee survey, and the participation of 200 employees in anti-racism workshops;
In its efforts to become more environmentally sustainable, the NAC reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 5% from 2020–2021, and by 32% from its 2017–2018 baseline.
THE NAC IN 2022-2023
Now in the thick of its 2022–2023 season, exceptional performances in music, theatre and dance are bringing diverse artists and audiences together in the NAC’s four performance halls. This month alone includes a wide range of special programming for Black History Month; the return of the internationally renowned Wuppertal Tanztheater Pina Bausch with Palermo Palermo; the world premiere of Songs for Murdered Sisters composed by Jake Heggie with poetry by Margaret Atwood (a NAC Orchestra co-commission); the BIG BANG festival for children and families, and so much more. Please visit nac-cna.ca for ticket information, and to learn more about the NAC’s role in leading and supporting the renewal of the Canadian performing arts sector.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation.
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Jayne Watson to Step Down as CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation on May 31, 2023
The National Arts Centre (NAC) today announced that Jayne Watson will step down as CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation on May 31, 2023.
Jayne Watson joined the NAC in 2001, serving as Director of Communications and Public Affairs until 2009 before she was appointed CEO of the Foundation. Under her leadership, the Foundation set new fundraising records – more than $125 million since taking the helm of the Foundation – and brought significant new sources of private philanthropy to the strategic priorities of the NAC, including support for Indigenous Theatre, the creation of new work, tours of the NAC Orchestra and theatre productions, and arts learning and engagement across Canada.
Jayne led the fundraising for the National Creation Fund, raising more than $20 million in investment capital for Canadian music, theatre, and dance creators from across Canada. This project is one of the most important initiatives the NAC has ever undertaken thanks to the generosity of the donors who Jayne engaged in this important effort.
“Serving as CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Jayne Watson. “I will step down from this role with gratitude for the opportunity to have worked at Canada’s premier performing arts organization. I am honored to have worked alongside of some of the most talented artists, fundraisers, and arts leaders over the many years I worked here. I continue to be inspired by their vision and generosity.”
PRAISE FOR JAYNE WATSON
“Jayne has had a tremendous impact on the performing arts in this country,” said Christopher Deacon, President and CEO of the NAC. “When Jayne first took on the job of CEO of the Foundation, she came to me in my then role as Managing Director of the NAC Orchestra, and she said, ‘What do you want me to do to help the Orchestra?’ My answer was simple: ‘Get us back to international touring.’ Did she ever deliver! Tours to China, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Carnegie Hall were fully donor-funded thanks to Jayne’s powers of persuasion. We also toured across Canada thanks to donor support, again most of it raised by Jayne. We wish Jayne the best as she embarks of the next exciting chapter of her life. We will miss her dearly, but I have no doubt we will see her frequently in the seats of our performance halls.”
“Jayne Watson is the Gold Standard when it comes to arts fundraising,” said Susan Glass, Chair of the NAC Foundation Board. “The NAC always comes first in everything she does. Her skills as a connector of people, passions, principles, and ideas continue to benefit the Centre and Canada’s performing artists in countless ways. She is powerfully persuasive and genuine with boundless energy. She is an absolute pleasure to work with. We will miss her terribly.”
For more information about the process to find the next CEO of the NAC Foundation, please visit: https://nac-cna.ca/en/careers.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Carl Martin
Senior Advisor, Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre
613 291-8880 carl.martin@nac-cna.ca
THE LEGENDARY TANZTHEATER WUPPERTAL PINA BAUSCH
RETURNS TO THE NAC WITH PALERMO PALERMO
This February, the renowned dance troupe will shake your world through a ton of rubble.
February 7, 2023 – OTTAWA, Canada – From February 16-18, German dance company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch will present the Canadian premiere of their iconic piece Palermo Palermo, created by the late legendary choreographer, Pina Bausch. NAC Dance is proud to continue its long collaboration with the company and bring this exceptional work for three performances to Southam Hall.
“Palermo Palermo is a work I have wanted to bring to our audiences for many years, and I am thrilled to have this masterpiece in our midst. Through its intense blend of humour and drama, where walls tumble, and women demand their place, the piece offers a serene yet complicated insight into the imperfections of our existence.” – says Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, NAC Dance.
With daring scenography and thought-provoking moments sprinkled with touches of absurdity, Palermo Palermo is an epic work of dance theatre that formed part of Bausch’s series of pieces inspired by world cities. Created in 1989 after a residency in Palermo, Sicily, her portrait of the city and its inhabitants is presented as dramatic and dreamlike vignettes into the human experience.
Pina Bausch’s choreography has been meticulously passed on to a new generation of dancers thanks to some members of the original cast who are still performing to this day. Amid both the magic and the havoc generated by Bausch’s themes, dancers must perform amongst a ton of rubble left by the mind-blowing opening scene.
Local talent will also be represented in the three performances. Four pianists, one saxophonist, one young dancer, one stage-trained dog and a few white doves will have their moment on stage with the remarkable ensemble.
MEDIA PREVIEW
Members of the Press are invited to attend the Dress Rehearsal on February 15 at 7:00 p.m. in Southam Hall. RSVP is recommended. Please contact julie.gunville@nac-cna.ca.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
In-person in Southam Hall
February 16-18 at 8 PM
To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). Please visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit to find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities.
Click here to learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to our Hotel Partner, the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
Award-Winning Is God Is Arrives at the NAC in February with Special Engagement for Black Audiences
Award-Winning Is God Is Arrives at the NAC in February with Special Engagement for Black Audiences
Explosive revenge comedy introduces the first of two Black Out Nights at the NAC
January 16, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – NAC English Theatre is excited to begin 2023 with the Dora Mavor Moore Award-winning presentation of Aleshea Harris’ Is God Is, running February 9 - 18. Curated by Black Theatre Workshop, the production from Obsidian Theatre, Necessary Angel, and Canadian Stage arrives at the NAC after a hugely successful run in Toronto in 2022, where it landed a spot on virtually every Top 10 list of the season’s best theatre.
As one of the milestones in a series of offerings over Black History Month, this genre-smashing production will introduce the first of two Black Out Nights that will be at the NAC this year.
Creating evenings dedicated to Black theatregoers will allow for conversation and participation to be felt throughout the theatre and open the doors for Black-identifying audiences to experience the energy of the NAC with a shared sense of belonging and passion.
BLACK OUT NIGHTS
On February 17, the evening’s performance of Is God Is will welcome Black audiences to experience and enjoy a performance in the Babs Asper Theatre. Tickets for this performance are available now.
Inspired by an event created in the fall of 2019 for Jeremy O’Harris’ Slave Play on Broadway, Toronto theatre companies Canadian Stage and Theatre Passe Muraille created similar events for their audiences. Experiencing the power of these evenings, NAC and BTW welcomed the opportunity to schedule Black Out performances for both curated shows this season.
A Black Out is an open invitation to Black Audiences to come and experience performances with their community. The evenings will provide a dedicated space for Black theatregoers to witness a show that reflects the vivid kaleidoscope that is the Black experience. Everyone is welcome at all our shows.
The following Black Out Night will be the second curated play from BTW, Cheryl Foggo’s Heaven on May 5 in the Azrieli Studio. Black Out Nights will be an ongoing engagement initiative, as NAC English Theatre plans to schedule more for the 2023-2024 season.
IS GOD IS – FEBRUARY 9 – 18, 2023, BABS ASPER THEATRE
“Make your daddy dead,” a mother demands of her twin daughters from her deathbed, in the electrifying 2016 Obie and Relentless Award winner from Aleshea Harris.
Twin sisters Anaia and Racine are on a quest for peace. And they are willing to kill for it. The sisters are sent on a quest from the South to a sleepy California desert city to fulfill their mother’s command. And the secrets that set fire to their family ties are revealed, allowing us to understand and experience satisfaction through sacrifice, and relief through revenge.
Directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, Is God Is is a dark tragicomedy that channels Tarantino as much as Sophocles, driven by our sweet, spiteful heroines who are both victims, and vigilantes.
“Step aside, Quentin Tarantino and Martin McDonagh... A snarly new master of high-octane carnage has risen into view. And she—yes, she—is putting her own audacious stamp on that most venerable of pop genres…Is God Is sees fit to bring down the house.” – New York Times
Is God Is by Aleshea Harris, directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu.
Featuring Tyrone Benskin, Matthew G Brown, JD Leslie, Oyin Oladejo, Savion Roach, Sabryn Rock, Alison Sealy-Smith, Micah Woods; Assistant Director daniel jelani ellis; Movement Director Jaz 'Fairy J' Simone; Sound Designer/Composer Thomas Ryder Payne; Set Designer Ken Mackenzie; Costume Designer Ming Wong; Lighting Designer Raha Javanfar; Video Designer Laura Warren; Fight Director Jennifer Dzialoszynski; Dialect Coach Jennifer Toohey; Stage Manager Emilie Aubin; Assistant Stage Manager Ada Aguilar.
An Obsidian Theatre, Necessary Angel, Canadian Stage Production.
Curated by Black Theatre Workshop.
Is God Is is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Lead Donor, The Slaight Family Foundation, and Official Hotel Partner, Embassy Hotel & Suites. Special thank you to Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A.(hc), D.H.L.(hc) & David Fountain, C.M. and to the Dr. Kanta Marwah Endowment for English Theatre.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
ABOUT BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP
Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) is Canada’s longest running theatre company dedicated to the works of Black and diasporic communities. BTW’s mission is to promote and produce outstanding theatre that educates, entertains, and inspires. The company strives to create greater cross-cultural understanding by challenging its audience and the status quo. Expanding the representation of Black Canadian artists, BTW bridges cultural divides – uniting hearts, minds, and communities.
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THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE APPLAUDS THE APPOINTMENT OF GUY PRATTE AS CHAIR OF THE NAC BOARD OF TRUSTEES
January 30, 2023, OTTAWA, CANADA – The National Arts Centre (NAC) is pleased by the appointment of Guy Pratte as Chair of the NAC's Board of Trustees. His appointment for a four-year term was announced today by Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez.
An award-winning and highly sought-after lawyer, Guy Pratte has experience in complex commercial litigation (including class actions), administrative law and constitutional law cases. He is one of the most frequent advocates to appear before the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC), pleading in French or English, in cases involving either common law or Québec civil law. He also pleads before the Superior and Appeal Courts of Ontario and Québec, the Federal Court (FC) and Federal Court of Appeal (FCA).
“Guy Pratte has been a champion of the arts in Canada for decades,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “We are delighted that he will now play a leadership role as Chair of the National Arts Centre’s Board of Trustees. His brilliant mind and formidable experience will be incredibly strong assets as we continue to lead and support the renewal of the Canadian performing arts sector.”
Guy Pratte was named to the Order of Canada in 2022 in recognition of his contributions as a lawyer, notably to pro bono work, and for his volunteer commitments to the performing arts. He was the first Chair of the National Arts Centre Foundation, and a member of the Stratford Festival Board of Governors for several years. He was also the first president of Pro Bono Québec and subsequently Chair of Pro Bono Ontario.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FORE MORE INFORMATION:
Annabelle Cloutier
Executive Director, Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre Annabelle.cloutier@nac-cna.ca
613-301-2764
HISTORY. IN THE MAKING: AN ECLECTIC PROGRAM TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black art, artists and audiences take centre stage at the NAC this month and year-round
January 30, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre (NAC) is committed to shape a more diverse and equitable future for the performing arts in Canada, creating a welcoming and respectful space for everyone, and strengthening relationships with historically underserved artists and audiences.
Every February, events are held across the country to celebrate the legacy of Black Canadians with Black History Month. The NAC is proud to mark Black History Month with talented Black artists on all of its stages and in its public spaces.
From the NAC Orchestra to Popular Music and Variety to Dance to English and French Theatre, every discipline has artistic treasures to share. Cabaret noir, Is God Is, Alex Cuba, Reggae Roots, Waahli, and Angelique Francis are only a few of the shows and artists on the NAC playbill in February.
In 2021, NAC English Theatre department began a co-curating relationship with Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) from Montreal so that half of the NAC ET season would be programmed by BTW. This co-curation approach led to various strategies to connect with current and new audiences, and in particular Black communities from the National Capital Region. On February 17, the performance of Is God Is has been designated a Black Out night, an open invitation to Black theatregoers so they can experience the energy of the NAC with a shared sense of belonging and passion. Everyone is welcome at all our shows.
KIPNES LANTERN TO FEATURE COMMISSIONED VISUAL ART BY JIMMY BAPTISTE
To complement the eclectic events at the heart of its programming, the NAC is proud to display the bright colours of the work of Wakefield visual artist Jimmy Baptiste on the Kipnes Lantern throughout the month of February. Onah, his Afrofuturist piece was commissioned by the NAC specifically for Black History Month. Take a moment to admire it as you enter the building to attend one of our many performances.
HIGHLIGHT EVENTS OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT THE NAC
Solo choreographer Mélanie Demers, accompanied by a team of sublime creator–performers, travelled up the cultural river of what she calls her “negritude” to confront the works, artifacts and stereotypes that have shaped her identity. In Cabaret Noir, the multidisciplinary artist delivers the result of her quest in a great melting pot of ideas that takes the form of a glorious interdisciplinary happening.
February 2-4 | Azrieli Studio – presented by French Theatre
Waahli is a Montreal artist of Haitian descent. His music education benefited from a father who was a seasoned guitarist, but also from the strong influences of traditional Haitian musicians like Tabou Combo, Coupé Chloé, Marie, Carole. He taught himself to play the guitar after discovering hip-hop, the kind of music that he felt suited him best.
February 2 | Fourth Stage – presented by Popular Music and Variety
Alex Cuba is a Latin Grammy/Juno winner, singer-songwriter who is not tied to tradition; Alex has a vast musical vision. His sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and powerful guitar riffs, relinquish a conventional stereotype that exemplifies much of the Latin music landscape. His musical evolution for years was all about searching for the simplicity and soul in Cuban music.
February 4 | Théâtre Babs Asper Theatre – presented by Popular Music and Variety
Twin sisters Anaia and Racine are on a quest for peace. And they are willing to kill for it. She is a God to her twins, Anaia and Racine — a god of vengeance. And She will only be satisfied when their daddy is very, very dead. The sisters are sent on a quest from the South to a sleepy California desert city to fulfill their mother’s command. And the secrets that set fire to their family ties are revealed, allowing us to understand and experience satisfaction through sacrifice, and relief through revenge. Is God Is is a dark, award-winning tragicomedy that channels Tarantino as much as Sophocles, driven by our sweet, spiteful heroines who are both victims, and vigilantes.
February 9 – 18 | Babs Asper Theatre – presented by English Theatre & Black Theatre Workshop
On February 17, the evening’s performance of Is God Is is an open invitation to Black audiences to experience and enjoy a performance in the Babs Asper Theatre with their communities.
February 17 | Babs Asper Theatre – presented by English Theatre and Black Theatre Workshop
Carine au Micro is an African artist (Benin). Her interest in music started at a very young age under the influence of her parents, and most especially her mother. In 2004, when Carine moved to Quebec for her university studies, she joined the Imani Gospel Singers Choir and was able to truly experience Montreal’s music scene. However, it wasn’t until she met artists like Lorraine Klassen, Noel Mpiaza and David Mobio, among others, that she really found her feet in the music world.
February 10 | Fourth Stage – presented by Popular Music and Variety
Toronto’s James Baley is a Juno-winning music creator and multi-disciplinary artist whose radiant energy continues to establish him as a distinctive and magnetizing performer. Sharing compelling stories through his vulnerable lyrics, James combines his R&B, gospel, and electronic influences to create soulful reflections and exuberant dance tracks for the church, club and vogue ballroom. Known in the ballroom community as Songbird Miyake-Mugler, James takes inspiration from his alternative aesthetic and joy of movement.
February 11 | Fourth Stage – presented by Popular Music and Variety
Hailed as reggae-roots royalty, Jamaican-born Halifax-based vocalist Jah’Mila finds her groove with conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra in a program that reflects on the social, cultural, and spiritual importance of the magical musical genre that has shaped Jamaica and touched the world.
February 23-25 | Southam Hall – presented by NAC Orchestra
Feel the energy when Masabo hits the stage! These hereditary West African master musicians and dancers fill the air with soaring melodies and driving rhythms as the ancient arts of West Africa are brought to life. This performance is a feast of traditional songs, stories, dance and stunning musicianship.
February 12 | Azrieli Studio – presented by NAC Orchestra
The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble has toured internationally, as well as recorded enumerable celebrated projects over the last 45 years. The current line up, featuring Corey Wilkes/trumpet, Alex Harding/ baritone sax, and the bands founder, Dr. Kahil El’Zabar/multipercussion/ composition, is guaranteed to inspire audiences. The EHE is a must-see ensemble, who’s truly making history with each performance! They are 21st century Griot, making Great Black Music for the Mind, Body, and Spirit!
February 15 | Peter Herrndorf Place – presented by Public Spaces (free)
A musical familyThere’s no one like Angelique Francis to warm our hearts in winter. Accompanied by her double bass and her band, this amazingly talented musician lights up the stage with her electrifying New Orleans-style performances.
February 18 | Fourth Stage – presented by Popular Music and Variety
The Underground Comedy Railroad tours across Canada every year to celebrate Black History Month and is known for being the first ever all black comedy tour in the country. The tour travels from Halifax to B.C. bringing diverse perspectives to regions across the country who have never experienced this kind of unique cultural event. The Underground Comedy Railroad Tour was created by Rodney Ramsey and Daniel Woodrow in 2012 to create opportunities and introduce the voices.
February 20 | Fourth Stage – Community programming
BEYOND BLACK HISTORY MONTH
While the NAC’s mission is to showcase talented artists from all backgrounds, here’s a list of some upcoming events featuring Black artists.
Internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma presents Broken Chord on March 1 and 2; Afro house band OK Naledi takes the stage on March 4; on March 16, in a highly anticipated Canadian premiere, Chineke! performs with acclaimed Canadian composer and pianist Stewart Goodyear in Callaloo – A Caribbean Suite for Piano and Orchestra. On March 17 and 18, choreographer and dancer Rodhnie Désir will perform her award-winning documentary choreography BOW’T TRAIL Rétrospeck.
In April, resident chef La-toya Fagon will add her special touch to the menu at 1 Elgin, and in May, choreographer Dada Masilo explores her roots in Le Sacrifice.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Programming at the National Arts Centre is made possible through the support of many generous individuals and organizations from across the country. The NAC Foundation would like to thank Mohammad & Najla Al Zaibak (Bay Tree Foundation), Gail Asper, O.C., O.M., LL.D. & Michael Paterson, The Azrieli Foundation, BMO Financial Group, Bonnie & John Buhler, Adrian Burns, LL.D. & Gregory Kane, Q.C., Canadian North, The Crabtree Foundation, Margaret Fountain, C.M., DFA (h) & David Fountain, C.M., Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, C.M., O.N.L., LLD (hc), Susan Glass, C.M. & Arni Thorsteinson, O.M., Donald K. Johnson O.C., Dr. Dianne Kipnes, C.M. & Mr. Irving Kipnes, C.M., The Leacross Foundation, Mark Motors Group, Meta, The Janice & Earle O’Born Fund for Artistic Excellence, Power Corporation of Canada, the RBC Foundation, RBC Royal Bank, Rogers Communications, Dasha Shenkman, OBE, Hon RCM, The Slaight Family Foundation, TD Bank Group, The Vered Family, and two Anonymous Donors. Thank you also to our many other supporters across the country.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Anicée Lejeune
Communications Strategist
Programs and Special Projects
National Arts Centre
514-237-9553 anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca
Annabelle Cloutier
Executive Director
Strategy and Communications
National Arts Centre
613-301-2764 Annabelle.cloutier@nac-cna.ca
THE GREATEST LOVE STORY OF ALL TIME TAKES THE STAGE IN SOUTHAM HALL
For three nights only, The National Ballet of Canada brings Romeo and Juliet back to life at the NAC
January 24, 2023 – OTTAWA, Canada – From February 2-4, a romantic breeze will blow on Southam Hall’s stage as NAC Dance welcomes The National Ballet of Canada with its acclaimed production Romeo and Juliet by choreographer Alexei Ratmansky.
Created in 2011 to open the company’s 60th anniversary season, this production is true to the colour and character of 16th-century Verona. Fast footwork, expressive pas de deux, and inspired ensemble sections make Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet a thoughtful and visually striking revival of one of ballet’s great narrative works.
Set to the enduringly popular music of Sergei Prokofiev, and accompanied by the National Arts Centre Orchestra, this guest appearance by the NBoC is not to be missed.
The February 3 performance will be filled with emotion as Guillaume Côté, Principal Dancer with the National Ballet, will dance the role of Romeo at the NAC for the last time. Côté created the role in Ratmansky’s production 11 years ago.
“Gorgeously performed with incredible musicality by The National Ballet of Canada, you are sure to be swept up in the grandeur and drama of this unforgettable love story.” – says Cathy Levy, Executive Producer, NAC Dance.
THE STORY
Verona is the site of a longstanding feud between two families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo, a Montague, falls in love with Juliet, a forbidden Capulet, and they secretly marry. When Juliet learns she is pledged to marry someone else, she takes a sleeping potion to convince her family she is dead. She sends news of her plan to Romeo, but he does not receive it. Believing Juliet dead, Romeo takes his own life and she, on waking, takes hers.
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION
In-person in Southam Hall
February 2-4 at 8 PM
To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-844-985-2787 (ARTS). Please visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit to find out what you need to know before accessing the building and facilities.
To learn more about the 2022–2023 NAC Dance season, visit the NAC website.
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Lead philanthropic support for Romeo and Juliet is provided by Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., with additional generous support from Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and Walter Carsen, O.C.
THANK YOU TO OUR NAC DANCE SPONSORS
NAC Dance and the NAC Foundation would like to thank the donors and partners who have made the season possible. Thank you to Hotel Partner the Lord Elgin Hotel. The role of Executive Producer, NAC Dance is generously supported by an anonymous donor.
ABOUT THE NAC
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
FAMILY DAY WEEKEND ACTIVITIES: BIG BANG MUSIC FESTIVAL IN THE CAPITAL FEBRUARY 18 AND 19
Ottawa, January 17, 2023 – The BIG BANG Festival gets underway from February 18 to February 19, 2023, offering a variety of engaging and vibrant indoor musical activities for the curious kid in everyone.
The family-friendly programming features exciting concerts, surprise performances, interactive sound machines and many wild curiosities to discover across the NAC building. Described by festival programmer Mélanie Dumont as an “explosion for all senses”, this event is a special treat that celebrates the colour and magic of sound and music.
The annual BIG BANG attracts thousands of young visitors and their families to the NAC for an incredible weekend of music and fun activities. As part of the Winterlude festivities, it will include an array of amazing free and affordable on-site performances of all kinds. Don’t forget to check out our website for our full events schedule!
THE ULTIMATE MUSIC ADVENTURE
Get ready and follow along for a musical journey that features mysterious music rooms, funky performances, and dancing puppets! In addition to affordable paid shows, families can anticipate a wide
range of free performances and activities. Book your tickets and plan an unforgettable weekend now: http://www.bigbangfestival.ca. Ticket prices range from $5-$15, including a 25% discount when you buy tickets to two or more BIG BANG performances!
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
FREE ACTIVITIES AND SHOWS
Socalled & Friends
Merry Mix of Music and Marionettes
The undisputed party king has a name: it’s Josh “Socalled” Dolgin! There’s no one like him for getting a crowd up on its feet. Ready for the inventor of klezmer hip hop and his band? Let the fun begin!
February 18-19 | Free | 3 Showtimes 20 minutes ● Bilingual ● For all ages
What (Re)Connects Us
Musical Rubber Bands
Multimedia artist Stéphanie Laforce is a bit of a magician. She imagined a sound installation where all you have to do is manipulate the rubber bands to produce the sound of wind, waves, a foghorn here, the song of mermaids there. It’s the beginning of a fabulous and collective sound journey.
February 18-19 | Free
Continuous ● Without words ● For all ages
Garden for Little Souls
Fun Islands for Toddlers
A garden in winter! It’s a dream come true for little ones, who will happily venture into this beautiful experimentation space. Picture this: walking through a bamboo forest, having fun making a turtle sing or walking on a bridge of bells! Everything is possible in this discovery space.
February 18-19 | Free
Continuous ● Without words ● Ages 2-7
Diogene’s Shed
Mechanical Orchestra
Ingenious and interactive, this installation from the creators of Alice Factory features a strange collection of objects. All carefully arranged on the shelves of crowded cabinets, they come to life without warning, producing an improbable concert of mechanical music.
February 18-19 | Free
Continuous ● Without words ● For all ages
TICKETED EVENTS
Alice Factory
Festive Cinematic Concert
A musical tea party with Alice and her partners in rhyme! A dazzling performance based on the many film adaptations of Alice in Wonderland, experience the delightful music and visuals of this rendition featuring three inventive musicians and a young Alice at the mic.
February 18 & 19 | $15
55 minutes ● In English ● Age 5-12 This show is also offered in French under the title Alice Bricolé.
Angelique Francis
A Musical Family Affair
There’s no one like Angelique Francis to warm our hearts in winter. Accompanied by her double bass and family band, this amazingly talented musician lights up the stage with her electrifying New Orleans-style performances. Mixing together blues, jazz, and gospel, get ready to dance!
February 18 | $15
45 minutes ● Bilingual ● Age 5+
Music Rooms
À la Carte Micro-Concerts
About 15 minutes long and performed in unique spaces, experience this year’s collection of Music Rooms. You can enjoy the magnetic rhythm of the koanni with returning artist Bonsa, or step into a universe of sound and movement with urban dancer Tangent, and DJ Rise. Or maybe you want to take a detour into the world of 13th to 18th century melodies with Katelyn Clark and Ben Grossman. No matter what you choose, these micro-concerts are offered at an accessible price and make a truly great experience for young ones.
February 18 & 19 | $5
20 minutes ● Multilingual ● Ages 5+
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Psst! Our full events schedule is now available for viewing! Visit our website at http://www.bigbangfestival.ca to begin planning the musical journey of your dreams.
The BIG BANG loves to travel, and what’s more, it loves to take visitors of all ages on adventures.
It builds on the legacy of the OORSMEER festival, founded by Wouter Van Looy in 1995, to offer children an artistic and musical program designed specifically for them, and which they even help deliver by participating in certain interactive installations.
Over the past 10 years the festival has travelled to several European cities, from Tallinn to Lisbon, from Antwerp to Athens, from Seville to Dublin, from Lille to Enschede, via Ghent, Brussels, Rouen, Reykjavik and Copenhagen. In 2019, the event took a giant leap across the ocean to land in its first North American city: Ottawa! Since then, each edition has been a resounding success, bringing together thousands of curious people attracted by the many guest artists and a host of invigorating performances and micro- concerts. Don’t miss the festival’s return to the NAC this winter!
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR BIG BANG FRIENDS
The Ottawa presentation of the BIG BANG is the result of the NAC’s relationship with Belgium’s Zonzo Compagnie, which specializes in musical theatre for young audiences and is directed by
Wouter Van Looy. Over the past few years, the NAC has presented several Zonzo performances, including Listen to the Silence, set to the music of John Cage; Slumberland, an exploration of the world of dreams and the night; Mile(s)tones, a show about legendary jazzman Miles Davis; and HUSH: Henry’s Dream Machine, an off-the-wall concert-performance about Henry Purcell, the Shakespeare of English music!The BIG BANG in Ottawa is presented in partnership with Winterlude and is supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme, the NAC’S Arts Alive Learning Hub and the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation. The BIG BANG is an initiative of Zonzo Compagnie.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of artists and audiences from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation.
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Sky Dancers: Honouring Strength and Resilience in the Community of Kahnawake
Dora Award-winning Indigenous dance theatre production recaptures impacts of a tragic historical event that made headlines around the world.
January 12, 2023 – OTTAWA (Canada) – NAC Indigenous Theatre is proud to welcome the visually stunning Sky Dancers in the Babs Asper Theatre from January 19 to 21, 2023.
Sky Dancers explores the impacts of the Quebec Bridge disaster of 1907. The bridge that was to span 1,000 metres on the St. Lawrence River collapsed while under construction, killing 75 men including 33 Mohawk ironworkers from the community of Kahnawake. It’s a personal story for choreographer Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo whose great-grandfather lost his life that day, and a universal story that touches on family, community, resilience and building bridges between people and generations.
The production, supported by the NAC’s National Creation Fund, premièred in Montreal, and was presented in Halifax in 2021. It went on to win a prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Touring Production of the Year in 2022 in conjunction with its presenter in Toronto, the Harbourfront Centre.
Artistic Director and Choreographer of A’nó:wara Dance Theatre, Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo, is a multi-award-winning dancer and choreographer who was notably named performer of the year of the Grand Prix de la danse de Montréal in 2021.
Using both contemporary and traditional practices, Diabo brings the past to the present in a way that will enthrall and resonate with audiences while deepening understanding of Indigenous people’s history.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Sky Dancers
Choreography and Direction by Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo.
Featuring: Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo, Simik Komaksiutiksak, Victoria May, Katie Couchie, Falciony Patino, Sebastian “Bash” Hirtenstein, Emmanuelle Martin, and Oliver Koomsatira.
Music Direction by Michael Tekaronianeken Diabo; Set and Video Design by Andy Moro; Lighting Direction by Aurora Torok; Costume Design by Jeff Chief; Video Direction by Samuel Boucher; Co-produced by Gregg Parks; Production Coordination by Claire Bourdin.
To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS).
As we have in past seasons, Indigenous Theatre will continue to offer community engaged activity, learning opportunities and corollary programming in and around the work presented on stage. We are honoured to be able to continue to offer $15 All My Relations tickets to the Indigenous community in the upcoming season. It extends to most of the programming from all disciplines at the NAC.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
Indigenous Theatre and Programming at Canada’s National Arts Centre is made possible through the generous support of individuals and corporations from across the country. The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to acknowledge the leadership support of Mohammed A. Faris, Kenneth and Margaret Torrance Endowment for Indigenous Theatre and an Anonymous Donor. Thank you to Indigenous Theatre Season Sponsor BMO Financial Group, Official Hotel Partner Embassy Hotel & Suites, and Official Rail Partner VIA Rail. Thank you also to TD Bank Group and the Slaight Family Foundation, Major Sponsors of Indigenous Programming at the National Arts Centre, and Presenting Partner of #ReconcileThis Meta. We also express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts for their longstanding support of the NAC and the arts in Canada.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre in collaboration with Black Theatre Workshop, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ian Hobson
Communications Strategist, Indigenous Theatre
National Arts Centre
343-588-0742 Ian.Hobson@NAC-CNA.ca
