Creation of the first national Indigenous Theatre department of its kind in the world. Goals of the measure are as follows:
* Develop, nurture and showcase Indigenous stories at the community, national and international level;
* workshop and develop new work, as well as invest in and create opportunities for presentation and production for existing work;
* mentor and create internship opportunities for emerging creators, actors, designers, directors and other production personnel;
* provide meaningful opportunities for mid-career and established Indigenous artists;
* harness the power of digital media to serve remote communities through arts education and cultural engagement coast to coast to coast; and
* aid in the retention, resurgence and resilience of Indigenous cultures.
The inaugural season of the NAC Indigenous Theatre was announced in 2019. The first season celebrates Indigenous women's resilience, strength and beauty, with 9 productions out of 11 written and created by women. In addition to English and French, more than 10 Indigenous languages will be spoken in the works presented during the first season. The initiative was launched with a festival in September showcasing 111 theatre, dance and music events featuring 332 participants, including performers, elders, creators and others. There were 12 concerts - including Buffy St-Marie, Susan Aglukark and Florent Vollant- four theatre productions, two dance performances, as well as artist masterclasses , story-building workshop, culinary arts events, visual arts exhibits, free public noon-hour programming and family-friendly activities, and Indigenous arts programming for national and international artists, producers and presenters. The inaugural festival attracted more than 15 thousand people to various events and resulted in more than 118 million online impressions, including hundreds of media mentions in English, French and Indigenous news outlets across Canada.
The Indigenous Theatre's first season continues to attract strong interest from audiences and partners alike.
N/A