June 05, 2006 -

OTTAWA -- The National Arts Centre (NAC) today released its 2004-2005 annual report, following its tabling in Parliament. The report provides highlights from the previous performance season including the National Arts Centre’s successful performance and education tour to British Columbia, the largest-ever gathering of Alberta artists on a national stage during the Alberta Scene festival and the first Canadian appearance by the legendary choreographer Pina Bausch and her dance company in 20 years.

“The NAC is truly living up to its name,” said Dr. David Leighton, outgoing Chair of the National Arts Centre’s Board of Trustees. “Over the past season, the NAC has made a difference in the arts across Canada and in the lives of countless artists, students, teachers and audiences.”

The annual report covers the period from September 1, 2004, to August 31, 2005.

Highlights of the year included in the report:

• A highly successful performance and education tour by the National Arts Centre Orchestra to British Columbia in November 2004, featuring more than 95 education events, now a signature for NACO tours;
• the Alberta Scene festival held during the spring of 2005, the largest gathering of Alberta artists outside the province with more than 600 artists in venues across the nation’s capital;
• the expansion of the NAC’s Summer Music Institute for talented young musicians, conductors and composers;
• Denis Marleau’s extraordinary mounting of Maurice Maeterlinck’s Les Aveugles;
• the return of legendary Pina Bausch to the NAC during the only Canadian appearance of her German dance company;
• 4Play Canada -- a celebration of Canadian plays at the Old Vic Theatre in London, which introduced critically acclaimed Canadian work to British producers;
• the third edition of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival which attracted more than 125 international presenters and producers to see the best in contemporary Canadian theatre; and
• a record $6.1 million raised from donors and corporate partners to help fund the NAC’s artistic and education work across the country.

After six consecutive years of operating surpluses during which the NAC’s accumulated surplus grew to more than $1.2 million, the NAC reported an operating deficit of $892 thousand for 2004-2005 - retaining an accumulated surplus of $355 thousand. The NAC Board approved the operating deficit in order to allow the NAC to continue with its national activities on the condition that the Corporation return to an operating surplus in 2005-2006. The NAC is projecting a small operating surplus for the current fiscal year.

The 2004-05 Annual Report highlights the NAC’s progress against its strategic goals: artistic excellence, an increased emphasis on the NAC’s national role, greater commitment to youth and education and a dramatic increase in earned revenues.

The full text of the annual report is available on the NAC’s website at:
http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/corporatereports/index.html
http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/allaboutthenac/index.html

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For additional information, please contact:
Jayne Watson
Director of Communications
(613) 947-7000 ext. 260