All gifts to the National Theatre School – no matter what size and no matter what form – are welcome and have a positive impact on the students’ training and the School’s continued success.
The National Theatre School is recognized as a charitable organization under the rules and regulations of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and the Income Tax Act (charity registration #13053 3979 RR001). The School provides tax receipts for all charitable donations.
Download the list of NTS donors who have made new gifts or pledges of $1,000 or more, cumulative from August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2011 by clicking here (pdf).
DONOR PROFILES
Bob Walter, NTS Acting Alumnus 1977
Life has a funny way of turning out. You never know where it might lead.
For Robert Walter, his New Brunswick beginnings have led to the Westcoast; his passion for the arts has taken him from the National Theatre School to the Kamloops Festival of the Performing Arts ; and his love of acting has turned into an education in medicine that plays out in a surgical theatre. It’s a long journey, but one that holds strong memories and lifelong lessons.
There are reasons why the NTS is the recipient of an annual donation by Bob and his wife, Dr Jill Calder. He notes, without a pause, that the Arts are underfunded and that is why he gives to Arts and Culture. It is for that reason, and the value that the Arts adds to communities, that makes him continue to give on an annual basis.
“We give locally, but we also always give to the NTS. The NTS offers an extraordinary opportunity to our theatre artists. It provides practical training that is very intense and focused and all of this takes place in a great city.”
The location of the NTS, in Montreal, enhances the appeal. “Montreal is a European-styled city, a remarkable place to be with a compelling landscape and dramatic characters. For an English speaker from outside of Quebec, this back drop of Montreal is a significant part of the experience for an NTS student.”
There is never enough money for all that is needed, Bob adds, so an annual gift to the priority needs of the School is his way of supporting the National Theatre School of Canada.
“The School offers extraordinary theatre training that is unavailable elsewhere. It is as simple as that. There is nothing else quite like it.”
Donors to the Philippe Casgrain Fund for Voice and Diction
In February 2010, the community lost Philippe Casgrain — a brilliant lawyer as well as a Life Governor, former Chairman of the Board of Governors (1968-1971), and Honorary Legal Counsel for the National Theatre School of Canada.
Within days, individuals who knew Philippe started to work together to build the Philippe Casgrain Fund for Voice and Diction, which was established only months earlier by a close family friend. A letter writing campaign began, asking for support of the fund in memory and in celebration.
The response to the campaign was swift and generous. Donations came flooding in from colleagues, alumni, family and friends who responded with gifts to the NTS through Canada Helps and also direct to the School.
The Philippe Casgrain Fund for Voice and Diction now equals over $100,000. Remarkably, the dream of developing a fund to support voice and diction training at the NTS was seized and nurtured and grown in memory of Philippe Casgrain, and donations from $50 upwards have now combined to make a lasting legacy in memory of a remarkable man.
A Gift of Diversity - CTVglobemedia
In July of 2008, the NTS received a generous donation from CTV through the CTVglobemedia-CHUM benefits, which has pledged $1 million over seven years to help nurture and enhance cultural diversity at the NTS.
Since the start of this project, the NTS has reassessed its openness to diversity at a fundamental level — in its teaching, student body, produced works and student production supports. The NTS recognizes that more must be done to train a greater range of artists, so that their distinctive stories can engage our audiences and illuminate our screens.
As a result of CTV's contributions, broader outreach has been made by the NTS to diverse young artists through expansion of communications as well as through the support of student productions that focus on diversity.
Our annual Open House/Culture Days in September clearly shows the impact of this outreach.
Our student body is now more reflective of our society, as is our teaching staff. CTV’s funding is also directed to hiring more diverse faculty and teachers. Maiko Bae Yamamoto, Didier Lucien and Yael Farber are just some of the diverse teaching talent at the NTS whose hiring was assisted through this support.
These changes, and the successes of such graduates, such as Sandra Oh, Raoul Bhaneja, Anita Majumdar and Wajdi Mouawad, attest to the fact that the NTS is well-positioned to train the next generation of artists, creators and actors capable of communicating with increasingly diverse audiences — and this is made all the more possible through the generosity of CTV.
Enbridge, a leading supporter of the arts
Headquartered in Calgary, Enbridge transports the natural gas and crude oil that is used to heat homes, power transportation systems, and provide fuel and feedstock for industries. The company is a leader in energy delivery in North America.
Enbridge is also a leader in supporting the arts. Since 2005, it has provided bursaries from the Enbridge Bursary Fund to National Theatre School (NTS) students originating from Alberta. These bursaries have given students a chance to explore and diversify, hone their craft, showcase their talent and flourish in their careers. Alyssa Hudson (NTS Acting graduate, 2006), Daniel Briere (NTS Acting graduate, 2007), and Matthew MacKenzie (NTS Playwriting student, who will graduate in 2009) have all been proud recipients.
Enbridge also supports The Ark, an innovative national theatre research and development project that the National Arts Centre (NAC) English Theatre initiated in partnership with the English Section of the NTS. For the past three years, 12 NTS acting students have sojourned in Ottawa for three weeks to collaborate with seasoned professional actors and coaches to explore dramaturgical texts linked to the NAC English Theatre for its following season. The experience has provided a period of intensive training and mentoring that exists nowhere else in Canada and that ends with a public performance. By supporting The Ark, Enbridge has demonstrated its understanding of the various elements that go into training artists in the theatre, and of the importance of investing in arts education.
The National Theatre School is grateful for the strong support it receives from Enbridge, and Enbridge is proud to support arts and culture as part of its commitment to building sustainable communities across Canada.
Click here for Enbridge's impact on our students.
Ada Slaight, a valued patron for all NTS students
Toronto resident Ada Slaight, is long time supporter of the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) and has continually shown a deep appreciation for the young artists who have dedicated themselves to the art of theatre and its related art forms. Ms. Slaight's support has always focused on enriching the training offered at the School, as well as expanding students' career opportunities once they venture out into the professional world.
Each year since 1997, Ms. Slaight has provided NTS students with the opportunity to travel to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival or on alternate years to the Shaw Festival. These trips have allowed students to experience the dynamics of life in the repertory theatre system. The Stratford Shakespeare/Shaw Festival Field Trip has recently been enriched with internships and collaborations with artists and specialists, giving students the chance to connect with professionals in their particular field and to experience classical theatre in a professional setting. Approximately sixty students from different programs participate in this annual three-day field trip.
Ms. Slaight has been a strong advocate for the development of professional integration tools for NTS graduates; she helped fund the creation, production and delivery of promotional materials, such as top quality CVs, production and design portfolios, and casting photographs for these young theatre professionals. Professional casting photographs, as well as printed and online CVs, are now a part of the regular services offered to NTS graduates.
More recently, Ms. Slaight's concerns have centred on the importance of favouring NTS students' ability to create and work in Canada's both official languages. Consequently, she has funded new pedagogical initiatives which resolve to cross linguistic barriers, such as translation and adaptation workshops for French and English playwrights and directors, language coaching and translation services for graduating students in the French and English Acting programs wishing to audition in the other official language.
In 1999, Ms. Slaight established a named endowment fund to support NTS students experiencing financial need. "The space for my dreams and my time at the School, which I will carry with me through all my work and for the rest of my life, was in part made possible by you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Brendan McMurty-Howlett (Acting 2008).
The School is deeply grateful for the financial support offered by Ms. Slaight and for her continuing belief and confidence in the School.
TELUS, in tune with the community’s needs
TELUS owns and operates Canada's largest 3G network, however its partnership with the community reaches beyond fibre-optics or networks. In tune with the community’s needs, it is creating strong support networks in all areas of community life. The TELUS Montreal Community Board has been the major supporter of the National Theatre School’s Theatre for Young Audiences project since 2006.
This project consists of 2 Francophone and 2 Anglophone playwriting students creating plays specifically intended for young audiences. Then based on these original works, full theatrical performances are staged for children in the community, free of charge. In addition to training young theatre professionals in the specialized field of Theatre for Young Audiences, this project introduces live theatre to children for whom this experience would not otherwise be accessible. It is an art form to which children respond enthusiastically, thereby favourably influencing their educational development by inspiring a passion for learning.
Given the limited availability of arts programs in schools across the country, the TELUS Community Board’s generous funding of the Theatre for Young Audiences project is an extremely important initiative for the long-term enhancement of our community. Children who are introduced to live theatre at a young age are more likely to be open to other art forms, maintain life long learning through continuous exposure to the arts, and hence contribute more fully to society.
The National Theatre School is extremely proud to be associated with TELUS!
www.telus.com
