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AIRsessions: Making connections, one song at a time
September 17, 2024Since 2018, Manitoba singer-songwriter Ila Barker has been hosting AIRsessions, a free music workshop series that mentors Indigenous youth ages 13 to 25. Initially offered only in Winnipeg, AIRsession has became pan-Canadian for over then four years now. Earlier this summer, Barker, who…
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Navigating Tides: A show that sails between dance and music
September 4, 2024A host of family activities will be offered on September 14 and 15 as part of the SPHERE Festival, including Navigating Tides, an interactive performance that uses music and movement to explore our relationship with water and our connection to the Earth’s ecosystem. This 30-minute “choose…
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Theatre for young audiences: A present for everyone
July 26, 2024An integral part of the National Arts Centre, French Theatre’s Children and Youth programming will soon have a new Associate Artistic Director. After more than a decade in the role, the incomparable Mélanie Dumont will be moving on to new and exciting challenges elsewhere, but the vitality…
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The Spirit Horse Returns: A Fun Afternoon of Artmaking with Rhonda Snow
March 14, 2024The NAC’s Canal Lobby was a creative playground for audience members of all ages on February 11, preceding the NAC Orchestra and NAC Indigenous Theatre’s sold-out performance of The Spirit Horse Returns. Anishinaabe artist and Ojibwe horse breed expert Rhonda Snow delighted patrons with…
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Jah’Mila brings her reggae roots to the classroom
February 27, 2024Dartmouth-area students get the full, immersive musical experience February is already off to a good start for students with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE). On February 1, 2024, Jamaica-born singer-songwriter Jah’Mila and her bandmates came to Woodlawn High to give lucky…
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The BIG BANG Ambassadors: “The standard-bearers of the event”
November 6, 2023A festival for children in which they are fully involved: welcome to the BIG BANG! Launched in Belgium in 1995 under the name Oorsmeer (Dutch for “oil for the ears”), the project has since been picked up by several European cities. The National Arts Centre (NAC) adopted the concept in…
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David Serkoak: Talking to youth through drumming
July 14, 2023Sharing his passion for drum dancing with younger generations is what has kept David Serkoak busy over the last few decades. The Inuit elder, originally from Nunavut and a teacher (retired since 2012), visits schools and remote communities to lead workshops in drum making and drum…
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The Great Canadian Orchestra Field Trip
April 11, 2023Planet Earth needs our help! Launching on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023, join conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and youth climate activist Aliénor Rougeot on an action-packed adventure from coast to coast – The Great Canadian Orchestra Field Trip. Learn how the natural world has…
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The NAC is Alive with the Sound of Students
March 27, 2023You know when it’s student matinee day at the NAC. On those days, a quick trip to Equator coffee shop begs the question: “Do I weave my way through the hundreds of excited kids, or do I wait until later?” The caffeine enthusiasts among us will jump into the crowd and share the thrill, while…
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Yao, artist and educator: Sharing a passion for words
February 22, 2023Throughout his career, Yao has struck the perfect balance of singer-songwriter and artist-educator. Hailing from Ottawa, with roots in Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, Yao is most famous for his work as a rapper and slammer and has led over a decade’s worth of writing workshops for high schoolers.…
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Chansons pour le musée: Multifaceted experience
November 29, 2022Creating theatre with and for young audiences After the show, the podcast and the performance, Karine Sauvé’s work Chansons pour le musée is now available as a multifaceted experience for students and teachers. A video recording of the show, a teaching guide and a spontaneous writing…
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Eskasoni Theatre Camp: Sparking a passion for theatre
October 14, 2022Helping young people find their passion through theatre is the aim of a partnership between the National Arts Centre Arts Alive learning and engagement platform, NAC Indigenous Theatre, and the Highland Arts Theatre and the community of Eskasoni, both in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Launched…
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Music as a tool for cultural exchange in schools
August 24, 2022The National Arts Centre and the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra join forces to celebrate Indigenous culture Since 2019, classical percussionist and PEI Symphony Orchestra member Ryan Elliot Drew and Mi’kmaq musician, dancer, and storyteller Richard “Eagle Dancer” Pellissier-Lush…
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Meet Omari Newton: actor, writer, educator and Arts Alive teaching artist
August 24, 2022As a teaching artist with Arts Alive, Omari Newton offers workshops on Slam Poetry and performing as well as various presentations that cover issues of social justice. The Montreal-born artist is an award-winning professional actor, writer, and director, and is a senior instructor at The…
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Autorickshaw: a musical vehicle
April 8, 2022This May, celebrate Asian Heritage Month, and bring joy to your students with a fusion of contemporary jazz, funk, folk and Indian music A virtual mini-series featuring Autorickshaw, a Canadian-based band that blends jazz, funk, folk, and Indian music to create their own signature…