October 05, 2005 -

OTTAWA -- This season, the National Arts Centre’s innovative Live Rush™ programme is now available to all full-time students ages 13 and over – as long as they were Live Rush™ members during the 2004-2005 season. Live Rush™ allows students to purchase low-cost last-minute tickets to live performing arts events. Earlier this year, Live Rush™ eligibility had been restricted to full-time students ages 13-29, as is often the case with student-ticket programmes. National Arts Centre staff quickly realized, however, that too many graduate and mature students would end up missing out on the fabulous music, theatre, dance, and opera programming being presented at the NAC.

As the goal of the programme is to encourage accessibility and affordability for students and to provide exposure to the thrill and excitement of the live performing arts, the age restriction has been lifted this season for students over age 29 -- as long as they were Live Rush™  members during the 2004-2005 season. All newLive Rush™  members – i.e. those that were not members in 2004-2005 -- qualify for the programme only if they are full-time students between the ages of 13 and 29.

Live Rush™ is the National Arts Centre’s uniquely affordable programme which enables full-time high school, college, and university students to explore the world of live classical and pop music, classic and contemporary theatre, and ballet and modern dance – all for the price of a movie. In Ottawa-Gatineau, students have access to hundreds of events -- including all those produced by the National Arts Centre, Opera Lyra Ottawa, and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra -- for only $10!

Live Rush™ was inaugurated in September 2000 – and since then, over 26,000 students have registered for the programme and over 47,200 Live Rush™  tickets have been sold. The NAC gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our partners in the Live Rush™ programmme: OC Transpo, STO Société de transport de l’Outaouais, University of Ottawa CHUO 89.1 FM, and Carleton University CKCU 93.1 FM. Live Rush™ is one of the top priorities for the NAC’s generous donors and is proudly underwritten, in part, by the National Arts Centre Donors’ Circle.

For additional information, please visit the Live Rush™  website at  www.liverush.ca

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Information:
Gerald Morris, NAC Marketing Department
(613) 947-7000, ext. 249
gmorris@nac-cna.ca