National Arts Centre becomes more 'national' in 2020

The pandemic may have shut its doors for most of 2020,but it didn't stop the National Arts Centre (NAC)from findingways to showcase and supportartists across the country in ways it hadn't before.

"Suddenly an opportunity to change presented itself," said Christopher Deacon, president and CEO of the multi-disciplinary and bilingual arts centre in downtown Ottawa.

"In any normal timeit's very hard to give up habits, to change behaviour."

In the last days of winter,COVID-19 forced the NACto shut down itsstages and cancel all performances. Revenue evaporated from ticket sales, banquets and restaurant meals, even the downtownparking garage.

"To experience the building emptywas quite shocking," said Deacon.

He said his team scrambled to adapt and find innovative ways to continue to support Canadian artists, helped by $18.2 millionin emergency funding from the federal government.

Suddenly an opportunity to change presented itself.- Christopher Deacon, NAC

The NAC partnered with Facebook to launch Canada Performs,which is still offeringdaily performanceslivestreamed from artists across the country in the new year. It's paid to host more than600musicians, actors, dancersand writers.

"We looked at it as an emergency relief fund," said Heather Gibson,the NAC's executive producer of popular music and variety.

But whether audiences would leap at a chance to viewvirtual performances was another question.

"Would people really go on a Tuesday night to watch a concert on their computer screen?" Deacon recalls wondering.

He's been surprised and delighted by the answer.

"In fact, tens of thousands of Canadians did just that," said Deacon, "so that was a big thing."

For Deaconthis meant the NAC could shine a spotlight on performers from communities across the country without the logistics of travel andseating space.

"It created this great opportunity for me to accomplish some of what I was trying to do," said Juno-winning Alberta musicianCeleigh Cardinal, who had to scrap this year'splans for a tour through eastern Ontario.

She saidshe'd always dreamed of performing at the National Arts Centre and, ahead of a mid-December stream, thought being showcased on Canada Performswould help her expand her audience.

"So it's pretty incredible that a career goal like that has managed to be met while in a pandemic."

New partnerships,programming andvision

The NACalso reachedout toregional arts and theatre groupsto co-produce performances, including teaming up with Ottawa's Bluesfestfor the first time to present a series of weekend drive-in concerts.

"These partnerships have sparked automatically and they're really driven byneed," Deacon said."I think this is going to continue."

WATCH from June | The goal of the NAC's Bluesfest partnership:

Drive-in concerts could help get industry back to work, says NAC producer

4 years ago

Duration 1:14

Heather Gibson, executive producer of popular music and variety at the National Arts Centre, says artists and production experts are looking to get back to work after months of COVID-19 cancellations.

But according to Deacon, one of the most significant shakeups at the NAC is a "radical change in programming"in response to a social movement that gained steam during the pandemic.

Deacon saidthe murder of George Floyd in Mayinspired asocialreckoning that could not be ignored and caused the cultural institutionto re-examine itself to be more inclusive, diverse and relevant.

The NAC orchestra has added Black, Hispanic and female composers to its repertoire, while the English theatre has partnered with Montreal's Black Theatre Workshop.