Ottawa, March 4, 2021 — March is the Mois de la Francophonie (Francophonie Month), and Francophone artists are in the spotlight at the National Arts Centre! With music, theatre, dance and more, a diverse virtual program awaits you to celebrate this annual event.

As a bilingual cultural institution since its inception more than 50 years ago, French programming is an essential part of who we are," said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. "We present programming in French throughout the year, but this is the first time that we have really put the emphasis on such rich programming during Francophonie Month. We thought it was important to create a unique space to celebrate the diversity of Francophone language and culture across the country. This will be a wonderful opportunity for Francophiles and Francophones to discover exceptional talents.

The lineup includes free shows and activities as well as some paid performances. The programming includes: Viens avec moi, the rock opera by Acadian group Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire; music performances by Fransaskois Shawn Jobin and Quebec group Le Vent du Nord; Sang, one of Brigitte Haentjens’ most recent stage productions; and Joe, an iconic dance work by choreographer Jean-Pierre Perreault. The Mois de la Francophonie also provides an opportunity to invite the public to rediscover some of the French-language projects developed during the pandemic, such as Ersatz, a web platform imagined in pandemic times and inspired by French-language theatre for young audiences.

March 17–23
Jean-Pierre Perrault’s Joe
Webcast (pre-recorded)

Watch Joe, a moving masterpiece of humanity by Jean-Pierre Perreault, one of Canada’s most influential and respected contemporary dance creators.

Presented by Digidance, a partnership between NAC Dance, DanceHouse, Harbourfront Centre and Danse Danse.

March 19
Shawn Jobin
Live

Live from Saskatoon, French-Canadian hip-hop figurehead Shawn Jobin takes a break from preparing his new album, Distance, to deliver a performance of his show with a few bonus features.

March 20
Le Vent du Nord
Live

Get ready for an exhilarating musical celebration! With an extraordinary rapport and their own unique sense of humour, the group’s five singers and multi-instrumentalists perform songs and tunes that tell the story of Quebec, its history and memories—things to be protected as fiercely as they are loved.

March 21
Viens avec moi – Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire
Live

Viens avec moi is the story of the music industry as seen through the eyes of two characters. A show that feels good, that makes you shout, sing, jump, dance. An outlet in gloomy times.

March 25–30
Sang, directed by Brigitte Haentjens, based on a script by Lars Norén
Webcast (pre-recorded)

Enter a family triangle shaken by the horrors of Augusto Pinochet’s regime. An explosive and dazzling tale powerfully anchored in reality, featuring Christine Beaulieu, Sébastien Ricard, Émile Schneider and Alice Pascual.

March 31
Our Stories: Indigenous Book Club
Uiesh Quelque part by Joséphine Bacon
Live

Join us for a virtual conversation between Joséphine Bacon and multidisciplinary artist Soleil Launière. They’ll discuss Joséphine’s book Uiesh Quelque part, the March selection of Our Stories: Indigenous Book Club.

 

In partnership with the Ottawa Public Library

 

And lots more! For the full schedule of Mois de la Francophonie events at the NAC, visit our website: https://nac-cna.ca/en/francophonie.

 

À PROPOS DU CENTRE NATIONAL DES ARTS

Le Centre national des Arts du Canada 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 algonquine anishnaabe.