A unique two-year professional development program for Canadian producers

November 14, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund is proud to announce the launch of its very first Creative Producer Fellowship, intended for producers who are at a turning point in their career.

Developed by the NAC’s National Creation Fund and Professional Development teams, the Creative Producer Fellowship will support three producers from January 2025 to January 2027. Recipients will take part in a range of activities designed to give them the skills, connections and resources they need to create essential, high-impact work and build a lasting career.

“Incredible performances also require incredible producers, and it’s time to gift meaningful resources to producers too. And so I’m proud to share that we are launching our very first Creative Producer Fellowship,” said Sarah Conn, Artistic Producer, National Creation Fund. “We believe producers are critical catalysts for cultural change and deep community impact. We are seeking three ambitious people who share our belief in producing’s changemaking capacities and who are interested in co-creating high-impact opportunities to participate in our Creative Producer Fellowship.”

Each Fellow will receive direct funding of up to $30,000 per year to cover their participation in mentorship opportunities, masterclasses, professional development sessions, and strategic industry networking.

“The National Arts Centre is a house of dreams where creativity takes flight on stages. We are committed to accompanying creators in their dreams through professional development experiences. The new Creative Producer Fellowship will support Canadian producers who are passionate about the arts and who contribute to the vitality of our communities,” said Christopher Deacon, President and CEO of the NAC. “We hope this Fellowship will allow them to enhance their artistic process and achieve their full potential.”

Each fellowship is bespoke in order to provide optimal support to and meet the professional needs of each participant. Applications are due on December 4.

More professional development opportunities

In addition to this new Fellowship, the NAC is inviting Canadian performing arts organizations who share its commitment to creating transformational experiences for artists and arts professionals to collaborate with the NAC on its new Apprenticeship Program for Technical Production, Producing and Design. Applications for this program are also due on December 4.

And since the NAC aims to be a centre of professional development for Canadian artists, this week the Centre welcomes the first cohort of the Résidence en gestion culturelle (cultural management residency), offered in partnership with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF). This professional development opportunity is designed for emerging and mid-career professionals working in the administration and management of Canada’s French-language performing arts who wish to diversify, deepen or refine their practice and expand their professional network to interact with other visiting artists and share knowledge and skills with various NAC departments.

“We are delighted to join with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française to support the professional development of cultural managers in the Canadian and Acadian Francophonie,” said Christopher Deacon. “This new Résidence en gestion culturelle will allow Francophone performing arts professionals to enhance their expertise so that they, in turn, can support and promote French-language performing arts in Canada. We look forward to welcoming them to the NAC for their week-long residency this week.”

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

The National Arts Centre Foundation would like to thank Scotiabank and Fred & Elizabeth Fountain.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CREATION FUND

The National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund makes transformative investments in the creation of bold new music, dance, theatre and interdisciplinary performances, and it is an incubator devoted to developing the conditions necessary to create incredible work. Fuelled by generous donors from across the country, the Fund aims to catalyze the creative dreams of Canadian artists, invite audiences to fall in love with artistic creation, and contribute to Canada’s cultural vibrancy.

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,
NAC Programs and Public Spaces
National Arts Centre
514 237-9553
anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca