The Next Act: the National Arts Centre Releases its New Strategic PLan

 

 

The NAC’s 3-Year Plan (2020-2023) will lead and support the performing arts sector in Canada by focusing on its renewal, long-term resiliency and impact through dynamic artistic leadership, community building, learning and innovation and operational sustainability. 

August 11, 2020 – OTTAWA – The National Arts Centre today unveiled the details of its new Strategic Plan for the next three years. Entitled The Next Act, the Strategic Plan announces that the NAC will lead and support the renewal of the Canadian performing arts.
https://nac-cna.ca/en/stories/story/the-next-act 

The NAC is releasing this plan in a period of upheaval for the performing arts that includes the tremendous challenges posed to artists, performing arts centres and venues by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the widespread recognition of the need to eliminate racism from our institutions.

“At the NAC, we see an opportunity for profound change,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “We imagine a vibrant, renewed performing arts ecosystem that includes a wider spectrum of stories, cultures and artists. We imagine greater access and opportunities for engagement with the performing arts for all. We imagine a strong, adaptable sector that embraces innovation and fosters the next generation of performing artists, audiences and cultural leaders. With The Next Act, our 3-Year Plan, we commit to leading and supporting the growth of a renewed performing arts sector—not a resurrection of the old, but instead a transformation into something new.”

 

The NAC has already begun its work of helping the renewal of the performing arts centre through initiatives like #CanadaPerforms, which has showcased and paid more than 700 Canadian artists for their online performances, and partnered with shuttered arts festivals across the country;  through arts research on arts attendance during the time of COVID-19 in partnership with Business + Arts and Nanos Research; and by developing a national, online toolkit for the re-opening of performing arts centres and venues. More initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks, stemming from this strategic focus and intent.

 

“Under the leadership of President and CEO Christopher Deacon, the NAC is ready to lead and support the renewal of the performing arts nationwide,” said NAC Board Chair Adrian Burns. “Through collaboration and investment in creation, production, co-production, and dissemination, along with a heightened focus on community engagement, learning, and innovation, the NAC will shape a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for the performing arts in Canada.”

CONSULTIONS TO RESPOND TO OUR TIMES

 

Over the past 18 months, even before the pandemic hit and changed the world and deeply impact the performing arts sector, the NAC was developing a new strategic plan that would guide the organization from 2020 to 2025. That process involved numerous and widespread consultations with artists, arts organizations and stakeholders nationwide. That plan was set to be released in June 2020. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as it became clear how deeply the performing arts would be affected, the NAC quickly shifted its strategic focus and energies towards the renewal of the Canadian performing arts sector. Nevertheless, much of the thinking, feedback and ideas garnered from the original cross-country consultations have informed the The Next Act, the NAC’s 3-Year Plan.

 

THE NEXT ACT: HOW THE NAC WILL LEAD AND SUPPORT THE RENEWAL OF THE CANADIAN PERFORMING ARTS SECTOR

 

The NAC’s new Strategic Plan, which is available on the NAC’s website, contains four key strategic goals and associated key priorities. They will be guided by five values – Inclusion, Creativity, Generosity, Sustainability and Engagement –and shaped by a vision statement:

 

“Over the next three years, the NAC will lead and support the renewal of the Canadian performing arts sector. Through collaboration and investment in creation, production, co-production, and dissemination, along with a  heightened focus on community engagement, learning, and innovation, the NAC will shape a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for the performing arts in Canada.”

 

 

THE NAC’S 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS AND PRIORITIES

 

1. SUPPORT RENEWAL THROUGH DYNAMIC ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP

 

• Amplify historically excluded voices on the national stage.

 

• Continue to develop NAC Indigenous Theatre, showcasing Indigenous stories, and promoting the work of Indigenous artists.

 

• Partner with artists and arts organizations to create, produce, co-produce, and disseminate artistic work.

 

1. BUILD COMMUNITY TRHOUGH EXPANDED ENGAGEMENT

 

• Work collaboratively to strengthen relationships with historically excluded communities.

 

• Enhance the NAC’s national reach through expanded digital engagement.

 

• Increase programming and engagement opportunities for youth and families.

 

• Deepen the NAC’s understanding of audiences to enhance visitor experience, digital engagement, accessibility and inclusion.

 

1. FOSTER LONG-TERM RESILIENCY THROUGH LEARNING AND INNOVATION

 

• Expand educational programming and online learning opportunities for students and teachers.

 

• Create new opportunities for professional skills development in the performing arts.

 

• Build partnerships to support research on the impact of the performing arts.

 

1. MAXIMIZE IMPACT THROUGH OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

 

• Ensure the health and safety of employees, artists and audiences at the NAC.

 

• Respond to the financial impacts of the pandemic through prudent financial management and diversified revenue strategies.

 

• Modernize digital infrastructure to drive organizational efficiency and support governance.

 

• Lead change in the performing arts sector by championing environmentally sustainable practices.

 

ABOUT THE NAC

 The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams—the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety—and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation.