September 18, 2006 -

MONTREAL -- Canada’s National Arts Centre today announced the first programming details of Quebec Scene, a dazzling multi-disciplinary arts festival that will take place in Ottawa-Gatineau from April 20 to May 5, 2007. Part of a series of festivals exploring Canada’s cultural panorama, Quebec Scene will celebrate a dynamic culture: a synergy of the old and the new, of traditions and new technologies, of established and emerging artists.

In what will likely be the largest collection of Quebec artists ever presented outside of Quebec, over 700 artists from disciplines as varied as music, theatre, dance, visual and media arts, film, circus, literature, comedy, storytelling and culinary arts will appear in more than 25 venues around the Ottawa-Gatineau area. One of the Quebec Scene’s goals is to individually select and invite 90 + international and national agents and presenters to attend the festival, discover contemporary Quebec talent and bring it back to their own audiences.

To help in the colossal task of producing a festival of more than 100 events that reflects Quebec’s artistic scene, Heather Moore, Producer and Executive Director of Quebec Scene, has called on a team of Quebec-based artistic advisors and programmers including Claude Poissant, Marie Fraser, Jean-Philippe Tremblay, Jean Fugères, Cathy Levy, Dominique Soutif, Paul Symes, Jacques Falquet, Petronella van Dijk, Normand Laprise and Daniel Vézina. The considerable contributions of these advisors will allow her to create a festival that will artfully capture the voice of contemporary Quebec.

“It has been a privilege for me to discover the wealth and richness of the Quebec arts scene, and the passion that Quebecers have for their artists”, Moore said. “Quebec Scene is a celebration of that passion and will allow new audiences outside Quebec to share in that discovery.”

Quebec Scene will include an exciting mix of new works by some of Quebec’s most sought- after creators. Among the names behind those works are: La La La Human Steps, Dave St-Pierre (A little tenderness, for crying out loud!) Pierre Lebeau in collaboration with Benoît Charest and Béatrice Bonifassi (Lèvres), 4D art (Norman), Théâtre La Catapulte (Les Entrailles by Claude Gauvreau), Olivier Choinière (Welcome to Ottawa, a City Where You Are a Tourist, presented in association with Théâtre de la Vieille 17) and Wajdi Mouawad (Scorched, the premiere of the English version of the play Incendies, presented by NAC English Theatre).

Many theatre and dance companies will perform at Quebec Scene. Marie Chouinard (bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG vARIATIONS), Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal(TooT and Noces), both presented by NAC Dance, le Théâtre du Sous-Marin Jaune (Discours de la méthode), le Théâtre de la manufacture (Avaler la mer et les poissons), Infinitheatre (with The Facts Behind The Helsinki Roccamatios), L.I.F :T (King Dave by Alexandre Goyette), Théâtre Pap (Everybody’s Welles, presented in French and in English) and the Great Canadian Theatre Company(Helen’s Necklace,byCarole Fréchette). There will also be theatre for young audiences, with Théâtre le Carrousel (Contes d’enfants réels presented by NAC French Theatre), Théâtre Bouches Décousues (Mika, l’enfant pleureur presented by la Salle Jean-Désprez), the circus company the 7 fingers (Loft, the English version of les 7 doigts de la main), le Théâtre des 4 Coins (Fantôme de Canterville) and Théâtre le Clou (Assoiffés), the latter two co-presented by Théâtre de la Catapulte and the Quebec Scene.

Among the bands featured at Quebec Scene will be Les Breastfeeders, the Lorraine Desmarais Trio, Les Vulgaires Machins, Arseniq 33, Les Batinses, Thomas Hellman, Geneviève et Matthieu, Les Trois Accords, Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, André Leroux Quartet, Christine Jensen, Andrée Dupré and Jean Milaire, Magnéto, Florence K, Susie Arioli Band, Le volume était au maximum et GrimSkunk.

On the classical side, Kent Nagano will make his Ottawa debut conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Other performances include the Quebec Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Yoav Talmi. Quebec Scene is also delighted to announce a classical concert version of the rock opera Starmania by Luc Plamondon, and a NAC Orchestra concert featuring renowned Quebec pianist Louis Lortie.

Quebec Scene will also feature 50 established and emerging visual and media artists who will present their work in 15 exhibitions and events in Ottawa and Gatineau. Among the exhibitions are Dé-constructions at the National Gallery of Canada (featuring Michel de Brouin, Jean-Pierre Gauthier, Karilee Fuglem, Tricia Middleton and Annie Thibault); Pixels et papier at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (with Michael Flomen and Alain Paiement; L’échelle humaine at SAW Gallery; and Making Real, an exhibition specially commissioned by Quebec Scene. Curated by Marie Fraser, it will feature 15-18 artists, including Pascal Grandmaison and a production of the sound work by Jean-Pierre Aubé, in collaboration with Avatar.

All of this represents approximately one-third of the full programming of Quebec Scene, with the balance to be announced in February 2007.

Quebec Scene is the third in a series of national festivals produced by the NAC that began with Atlantic Scene (2003) and Alberta Scene (2005). Both the Atlantic and Alberta Scenes were major successes that exposed artists to new audiences, national and international presenters, and drew unprecedented media coverage for the participating artists and arts organizations.

“The NAC has a long and storied history of presenting Quebec’s most exciting artists,” said NAC President and CEO Peter Herrndorf. “The National Arts Centre is delighted to be using the Quebec Scene festival to showcase Quebec’s established and emerging talent to the rest of Canada…and to the world."

The performance venues will include the four stages of the NAC, the National Gallery of Canada, Arts Court, Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Library and Archives Canada, Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, La Nouvelle Scène, Barrymore’s Music Hall, The Black Sheep Inn, Capital Music Hall, the Great Canadian Theatre Company, la Salle Jean-Désprez, SAW Gallery and SAW Video, AXENÉO7 and the Ottawa Art Gallery. Venues will also include bars, museums, restaurants, and other locations in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. We are also grateful to our partners that include Moment Factory, Punk Ottawa, the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, and the Ottawa Folk Festival.

The National Arts Centre Foundation gratefully acknowledges support by Major Sponsors Gaz Métro and Enbridge. Program Sponsors Casino du Lac-Leamy and Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Media partners are CBC/Radio-Canada, Gesca Limitée, notably through La Presse, Le Soleil and Le Droit, and the National Post.

Government partners are the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of Québec through the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts.

The NAC Foundation also extends a warm thank you to the National Arts Centre Friends-Quebec, a committed group of individuals and corporations who understand the need to support arts and culture, and especially Quebec artists. Guy Pratte, Chair of the NAC Foundation Board of Directors is particularly pleased to announce that Yves and Carol Fortier have graciously agreed to act as Honorary Presidents of the NAC Friends – Quebec.

For more information about Quebec Scene, please consult the event website at www.quebecscene.ca.

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For more information:
Chantal Dufresne
(514) 844-9554
commdufresne@videotron.ca

Jayne Watson
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000 x 524
jwatson@nac-cna.ca