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The National Arts Centre of Canada ('''NAC''') (in , Ontario , Canada that is a venue for Music , Theatre , Dance and other arts. It is operated by the federal government and is located between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal , only blocks from Parliament Hill .

One of the largest performing arts facilities in Canada (at 1.158 million square feet), it was one of a number of projects launched by the government of Lester B. Pearson to commemorate Canada's 1967 centenary. It opened on June 2 , 1969 having cost $46 million (CAN) to build . The building was designed by Fred Lebensold . It is a large brown structure based around the shape of the hexagon. The roof of the building is attached to the Mackenzie King Bridge and contains gardens that are open to the public.


PERFORMANCE FACILITIES

The NAC has four stages:
  • Southam Hall, with 2,323 seats, is the largest stage and it is the home of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra , Opera Lyra Ottawa , as well as ballet and other major visiting shows and productions.

  • The Theatre, with 897 seats, is mostly used for theatre and dance events. It has been home to the English-language and French-language theatre companies.

  • Studio, with 300 seats, is also a theatre venue.

  • The Fourth Stage, with 150 seats, has been recently added and is home to a wide variety of community programming.



The Artistic Director of English Theatre is Peter Hinton and the Artistic Director of French Theatre is Denis Marleau.

As well as the four stages the NAC is also home to the Le Café restaurant, numerous offices, and a large underground parking garage.

The NAC is a co-producer of the Canada Dance Festival and the venue for the Ottawa International Animated Film Festival .


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