Imagine 600 Ontario artists taking over theatres, concert halls, clubs, galleries and artist-run centres throughout Ottawa-Gatineau.
That's Ontario Scene, the next instalment in the National Arts Centre's highly-successful series of Scene festivals.
From April 28 to May 10, 2015, Ontario Scene will celebrate the province's dynamic culture – a blend of tradition and innovation, of established and emerging artists. With 90 events over 13 days, it promises to be a daring, eclectic reflection of contemporary Ontario.
The province's top artists in music, theatre, dance, visual and media arts, film, literature and culinary arts will come together for one of the largest gatherings of Ontario artists ever held.
Ontario Scene will be the seventh in the series of biennial NAC Scene festivals. It began in 2003 with Atlantic Scene, followed by Alberta Scene (2005), Quebec Scene (2007), BC Scene (2009), Prairie Scene (2011), and last year’s epic Northern Scene.
Earlier today, the Government of Ontario announced it will provide significant funding for the festival through the Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program. We are grateful for its generous support, which will benefit Ontario artists who will have the opportunity to be part of this national showcase.
The festival is also made possible by a combination of private and public sector funding. We extend a warm thank you to the Ontario Scene Council, led by Co-Chairs Valerie Pringle and Robert Foster. This committed group of individuals are lending their leadership, support and guidance to assist in the festival's fundraising efforts.
Ontario Scene staff have been working for the past year on the festival, meeting artists and arts organizations and seeing as many performances and exhibitions as possible. The range and depth of talent in the province is staggering, and we look forward to unveiling some preliminary details about Ontario Scene programming in the fall.
