November 07, 2005 -

OTTAWA, CANADA -- The National Arts Centre is pleased to announce that Colin McIntyre is this year's recipient of the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring in the performing arts. 

Mr. McIntyre accepted the award at a special award dinner during the Canadian Arts Presenting Association’s (CAPACOA) annual conference on November 6, 2005 at the National Arts Centre.

“Colin has a vast amount of knowledge and experience on every aspect of touring,” said Peter Herrndorf, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre. “He has had a remarkable influence on the presentation of Canadian artists in dance, theatre, opera and music around the world. Colin has made an outstanding contribution toward strengthening and promoting Canadian arts and culture, which is why we are so proud to honour him with this award.”

McIntyre said he was thrilled to accept it.

“After having the privilege of working with Canadian artists around the world for many years, it is especially gratifying to be honoured in one’s own country by one’s peers,” he said.

The award consists of $2,500 and a specially designed sculpture.  

Established in 1992, the National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring honours exceptional achievement in fostering the touring of live performing arts in Canada.  The recipient is chosen from nominations solicited from within the industry and is selected by a jury composed of presenters, artists, management, the National Arts Centre and CAPACOA.  The recipient may be an individual, performing company, corporation or other organization.

Previous award winners include CBC Radio/Radio de Radio-Canada (2004), Debut Atlantic (2003), Richard Stoker (2002), Nicholas Goldschmidt (2001), Bruce Owen (2000), the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (1999), David Haber (1998), Dr. Elmer Iseler (1997), Jean-Paul Gagnon (1996), Hugh Davidson (1995), Mark Porteous (1994), George Zukerman (1993), and CAPACOA (1992).

About Colin McIntyre

Colin McIntyre is a Toronto-based producer, tour organizer and festival director as well as a specialist in touring and cultural exchanges with Japan and Asia. He is the Founder and Managing Director of McIntyre International Arts Management. For almost 40 years, McIntyre has gone around the world arranging performances, cultural events, festivals and exhibitions. Some of these have been in the largest and most prestigious performing arts venues at global cultural crossroads in front of tens of thousands of spectators, and some have been equally important visual arts exhibitions held in smaller galleries off the beaten track. In all, McIntyre’s touring experience encompasses performances and events in more than 80 countries.

In a lifetime that includes credits as a stage manager, stage director, lighting designer, set and costume designer, administrator, cultural official, director-general, artistic director and impresario, Colin McIntyre has built up a wealth of experience in all aspects of international cultural relations. He has worked for, or on behalf of, the governments of five different countries. His awareness of protocol is as sure as his knowledge of how to properly hang a back-cloth. McIntyre knows the intimacies of customs procedures, of the dimensions of aircraft cargo doors and of what to wear when greeting a prince of the Imperial Household during Golden Week. McIntyre’s eclectic choices of artists and repertoire have enlivened many major cultural events both in Canada and around the world, allowing him to build a reputation as one of Canada’s leading programmers and festival directors. McIntyre’s book on international touring, Road Signs: A Guide to Foreign Touring, is considered by many to be a standard textbook on the subject. He is currently writing a completely updated version of that book.

In addition to the wealth of knowledge acquired around the world, in the last 15 years McIntyre has built up a very relevant experience specializing in bringing the arts of Canada to Asia and those of Asia to Canada. In so doing, McIntyre has become an expert in the presentation of cultural events in Japan while also presenting a series of major Japanese events and artists in Canada.

He has held senior positions with the English National Ballet, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), and the Canada Council for the Arts where he was Head of Policy. He spent 13 years with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as both Director General and, for seven years, as Artistic Director. During that period, the works of James Kudelka, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, José Limon and Nacho Duato, amongst others, were added to the repertoire. McIntyre was the Executive Producer of Espana en Tokio (for the government of Spain); Executive Producer of Dance Canada ’94 (throughout Asia); Executive Coordinator of Today’s Japan at Harbourfront Centre; Director of the Cultural Program for Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific; and the Producer/Director of the Japan/Canada New Century Creators’ Series.

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For more information, please contact:
Peter Feldman
Executive Director, CAPACOA
(613) 562-3515

Mary Gordon
Communications, National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000, ext 524