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Rita Joe’s I Lost My Talk: A poem for reconciliation
September 27, 2024As Canada observes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, a day dedicated to acknowledging the legacy of residential schools and the ongoing journey toward healing, we invite Canadians to engage with I Lost My Talk, the heartfelt poem of Mi’kmaw elder Rita Joe. In…
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Jeremy Dutcher brings his ancestors’ songs to Southam Hall
September 20, 2024Ahead of his highly anticipated headlining debut with the NAC Orchestra at Southam Hall on September 13, award-winning composer, musician and singer Jeremy Dutcher checked in with NACO Music Director Alexander Shelley for an illuminating one-on-one about music, identity, and culture. Their…
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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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Henry Kennedy appointed first Resident Conductor of NAC Orchestra
July 4, 2024Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra is delighted to announce that Nova Scotian conductor Henry Kennedy has been selected as its new Resident Conductor. Henry Kennedy hails from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and has spent his educational and professional life mostly based in the United…
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Irresistible Neighbourhoods: Preparing and recording Ottawa 2044
June 16, 2024You are invited to cast your mind 20 years into the future of the place where you live. What would make your neighbourhood… irresistible? In 2023, we asked emerging local playwrights to walk through their neighbourhoods and offer possible futures in the form of a radio play. Welcome to…
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Todd Houseman wins 2024 RBC Emerging Artist Award
June 5, 2024Todd Houseman, also known as Kaskitew Asiniy, is a Nêhiyaw (Cree) actor, writer, and improviser from Amiskwaciy (Edmonton). He received the 2024 RBC Emerging Artist Award for his significant contributions to theatre and his community. His work focuses on decolonization by prioritizing…
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Share the Air: Music by women continues to be underplayed
June 3, 2024Landmark study shows significant gender inequity on Canadian radio over the last decade with only marginal improvement on pop-oriented formats Women are almost invisible on some radio formats in Canada, according to an extensive study by Dr. Jada Watson through her research program…
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Kimiko’s Pearl: A ballet forged across generations
May 29, 2024A tribute to the strength and resilience of the Japanese Canadian community The internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II is the inspiration behind Kimiko’s Pearl, premiering at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines on June 22. Supported by the National…
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Celebrating 50 years of Canadian legend Bruce Cockburn
May 27, 2024One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. Cockburn has written more than 350 songs on 38 albums over a career spanning five decades. Twenty-two albums have received a Canadian gold or platinum…
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Creation as an act of friction
May 15, 2024We have so much to update you on at the National Creation Fund. This month marks two new investments and an exciting list of Fund-supported shows on tour, including an unprecedented FIVE premieres. Also, the NAC’s 2024-2025 season was just launched! It features a record-setting ten…
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Why I give to the performing arts: Dasha Shenkman
April 29, 2024I’m delighted to be supporting the NACO Mentorship Program, something that is very close to my heart. Although I have lived most of my life in England, I was born in Ottawa and have always felt Canadian, as opposed to British. So, there is a very strong connection for me to this city. My…
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Sustaining artistic risk
March 18, 2024The Creation Fund’s tag line is We fund risk. Artistic creation is inherently risky, conjuring creative and logistical ingredients together in entirely new ways, all driven by the question “What if...?” One of the beautiful/infuriating truths about artistic creation is that there is no…
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Mois de la Francophonie: Acadie in the spotlight at the NAC
February 29, 2024The Kipnes Lantern takes on a distinctly Acadian flair for Lisa LeBlanc’s collaboration with the NAC Orchestra After Lisa LeBlanc’s latest album, Chiac Disco, was shortlisted for a prestigious Polaris Music Prize (having already won two ADISQ Félix awards for album production of the year…
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Inspiring inclusion on International Women’s Day
February 20, 2024On March 8, the National Arts Centre celebrates the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women on its stages and in its kitchen for International Women’s Day. Ladies Who Lunch We welcome a new Resident Chef in March. Amanda Ray, the culinary virtuoso steering the kitchens of Drake…
