NAC partners with Black theatre

The National Arts Centre is sharing the spotlight with Canada’s longest-running Black theatre company as part of the Ottawa institution’s new commitment to evenly split its English programming resources with Black arts organizations.

NAC English Theatre announced Thursday that it’s partnering with Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop to launch a collaborative curation model aimed at bringing Black perspectives to the national stage.

The Black Theatre Workshop will have access to half of NAC English Theatre’s resources to program its 2021-2022 slate, including funds and staffing.

The 50-year-old organization will also have a say in choosing another Black-run theatre company as its successor for the following season.

Black Theatre Workshop artistic director Quincy Armor

er sees the NAC collaboration as a chance to elevate Black artists across Canada and address some of the systemic inequities culturally specific theatres face in getting funding.

“There are so many talented Black artists that haven’t even begun to tap into their true potential,” Armorer said. “If nothing else, (this creates) opportunities for Black artists to have more employment, more exposure, more experience, which is then going to have a domino effect of hopefully making them be employed more thereafter.”