René Cormier, Artistic Director of Zones Théâtrales to leave the NAC on March 31, 2017
As a result of his recent appointment to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, René Cormier, the Artistic Director of the Zones Théâtrales biennial, will be stepping down on March 31, 2017.
“In order to be able to devote myself fully to my new duties as an independent non-partisan senator, while continuing my efforts to defend and promote the arts and culture, I need to gradually reduce my other work-related activities,” said Cormier, who has held the Artistic Director position since 2010. “I am leaving the artistic director position fully confident that the Zones Théâtrales biennial is now a key event within the Canadian and international Francophonie. I wish to thank the management and staff of the National Arts Centre, as well as our partners, Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as the Francophone theatre artists and collaborators, for the trust they have placed in me over the past six years.”
“Although we are sad to see René Cormier leave, we know that he will continue to be a passionate defender and promoter of the arts and culture,” said Peter Herrndorf, the NAC's President and Chief Executive Officer. “During his time with Zones Théâtrales, René worked tirelessly to help the NAC promote linguistic duality and the development of Francophone minorities in Canada. His work contributed greatly to a reinvention of the national theatre landscape by bringing together Francophone artists from a wide range of regions – the West, Ontario, Quebec and Acadia, bringing our artists’ latest creations to the attention of presenters while fostering the development of a strong and original body of dramatic works, and generating exchanges between creators, company managers, presenters and audiences. We thank him for his invaluable contribution and wish him well in his new duties.”
A call for applications will soon be launched for a new artistic director. A transitional period of several months will give the outgoing artistic director time to show his replacement the ropes.
The Zones Théâtrales biennial is a festive and inclusive showcase for the latest theatrical creations from Acadian and Francophone communities, artists and companies across Canada, including the various regions of Quebec. It attracts theatre companies, emerging and established artists, theatre professionals, and especially presenters, critics and regular theatregoers, to theatrical performances, readings and celebrations intended for national and international dissemination.
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