Endowment Funds

Benefiting the National Theatre School in perpetuity, endowment gifts are meaningful, long-term investments aimed at securing the School’s success for years to come. These gifts are retained and invested to produce sufficient income to support specific NTS initiatives, such as bursaries, chairs and program support. You may also choose to create an unrestricted endowment which produces income resources that can be used where the need is greatest.

The original gift made to an endowment is known as the principal, and the principal cannot be spent. This allows the endowment to grow and to make an impact in perpetuity as it continues to generate income. An agreement between you, the donor, and the School establishes the initiatives that will be supported by the endowment. Most endowments are named in honour of the donor or someone you wish to honour. Endowment gifts may be pledged over a three- to five-year period.

While the National Theatre School’s endowment assets have grown steadily in recent years (from $3,903,293 in 1999-2000 to $6,818,558 in 2005-2006), there remains a significant gap between the income derived from the endowment funds and the needs of the School. Outright and deferred gifts to the endowment increase the NTS’ ability to plan for the future and ensure it continues to thrive for another 50 years and beyond.

Bursary Funds

Talent and dedication remain the sole criteria for admission to the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS). The NTS’ primary concern will always be to recruit the most talented young candidates, those most determined to dedicate themselves to the art of theatre and its related art forms, regardless of their financial status.

To honour its commitment to excellence, the NTS established the Bursary Fund endowment. Made up of private donations and totalling just over $5.6M, the capital of these endowments is invested in perpetuity so that it provides a long-term and predictable source of support for the training of tomorrow’s theatre artists. Every year, the equivalent of 4% of the principal is dispersed in the form of bursaries to students who need it most or in direct funding for the programs. Last year, $220,000 in bursaries was allocated.

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the School has established and consolidated some 130 named bursary funds over the years.

Alumni Bursary Fund

NTS Alumni have been there and understand the stress of developing their artistic capacities while worrying about their financial situation. As a graduate, you may wish to ensure the success of the next generation of theatre artists currently training at the School by contributing to the Alumni Bursary Fund. This bursary fund was established in 1986; since then, generous alumni have supported some 40 NTS students. It is a helping hand across the generations!

Cirque du Soleil

The Cirque shares with the National Theatre School an intense desire to have a positive impact on society by contributing to and strengthening its cultural fabric. The Cirque du Soleil also works with and trains the next generation of performing artists, and hence understands the significant role they play in society’s development. This is why in 1996 the Cirque established a bursary fund at the School to support these young artists and has contributed to it annually. Thanks to the Cirque du Soleil’s generosity, over 40 students have received bursaries.

J.W. McConnell Family Foundation Fund

The NTS has received significant and sustained support from the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation over the years. In addition to grants allocated for the restoration of the Monument-National, the establishment of the Directing Chair, and the creation of the Cultural and Artistic Leadership Program (CALP), the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation has contributed $200,000 to establish a bursary fund. Since its creation in 1996, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation Bursary Fund has helped to support close to 50 students, all of whom have demonstrated remarkable talent.

The Honourable Pauline McGibbon Fund

Pauline McGibbon, President of the Dominion Drama Federation and former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, was one of the founding members of the National Theatre School and chairman of the School’s Board of Governors from 1965 to 1968. Thanks to her vision and commitment, the dream of a national theatre school was initially conceived in 1958. In 1996, the NTS honoured Mrs. McGibbon for her ongoing support and dedication by establishing a bursary fund with an initial contribution from The du Maurier Arts Council.

Chairs

Chairs are another type of endowment fund, which are established to enhance a specific program or project. The National Theatre School presently holds two chairs which have a combined capital total of $1,330,051 and provide support to the French and English Directing program and the Playwriting program.

Directing Chair

Thanks to its Directing Program created in 2001, the NTS trains theatre directors who will have an impact on the theatre scene and the performing arts in general. Though only 2 anglophone and 2 francophone students are recruited biennially, this leading edge, exclusive program needs to be thoroughly supported. The program implies continuous work with professional actors and creators, as well as frequent access to well-equipped performance spaces.

The Directing Chair supports research, visits by leading directors, and the production costs of staging the public exercises created by the graduates. Your donation will ensure that the students continue to learn and practice their craft in the best possible conditions. The Chair has capital totalling $1.152 M and is managed by the School’s Director General and the artistic directors of the English and French sections. The Chair funds projects through annual grants of 4% of its capital.

Over the coming years, the School plans to increase the present Directing Chair’s endowment by $2.5M in order to meet its ongoing needs.

Playwriting Chair

The NTS Playwriting Chair allows the School to provide the highest possible level of training by inviting professional playwrights to share their insights and knowledge with the Playwriting students.

The Playwriting Chair supports the Residency Program. The primary activity of the program is to create a synergy between the national playwriting community and the School. The School invites approximately seven playwrights a year, for a period of one to six weeks each. The program is an enhancement of the teaching which goes on in the classroom. Exposure to a variety of playwriting styles and forms helps students to reveal and shape their unique voice, as well as create an essential dialogue between professional playwrights and students.

This program can best be summed up as a "mentorship program," which creates lifelong connections between the national playwriting community and emerging playwrights. Your support will help the School increase the Playwriting Chair’s endowment by $500K in order to meet its long-term needs.