The National Arts Centre (NAC), a government-run theater organization in Ottawa, ON, has scheduled events in February it described as “an open invitation to black-identifying audiences.”
The NAC shared its racial focus for ticket sales on its event description of Is God Is as part of its “Black Out” series of performances:
On February 17, the evening’s performance of Is God Is will introduce the first of two Black Out nights that will be at the NAC this year. A Black Out is an open invitation to Black-identifying audiences to come and experience performances with their community. The evenings will provide a dedicated space for Black theatregoers to witness a show that reflects the vivid kaleidoscope that is the Black experience.
Christopher Deacon, the NAC’s president and CEO, framed his organization’s race-based “open invitation” as part of a broader pursuit to make the NAC an “inclusive institution” for “all Canadians” while providing a “safe space for everyone at the NAC.”
CEO of @CanadasNAC is sticking with his theatre’s racially segregated Feb 17 show. (He doesn't use the term "racially segregated," of course, preferring the usual euphemisms.) But he also hints this race-controlled show could be the last, due to (undefined) "course corrections" pic.twitter.com/A31R5BqaET
— Jonathan Kay (@jonkay) January 30, 2023
In a memo to NAC employees, Deacon described the racial initiative as a “positive step forward” towards “diversity and inclusion.”
The NAC clarified on Monday it would not deny ticket sales to anyone:
From February 9 – 18, the NAC will present 9 performances of Is God Is, including one on February 17, designated as a Black Out Night. Everyone is welcome at all shows of the NAC, including for that evening : no one will be turned away.
— National Arts Centre (@CanadasNAC) January 30, 2023
The NAC is controlled by a Canadian crown corporation subservient to the federal minister of Canadian heritage. Its executive board is primarily appointed by the federal government, with two seats reserved for the mayors of Ottawa, ON, and Gatineau, QC.
Seventy-eight percent of the NAC’s revenues in its 2022 fiscal year came from government funding.
The NAC’s February events include Drag Story Time, which the taxpayer-funded organization describes as programming “to entertain children and families of all ages.”
A theater in Toronto, ON, is similarly hosting “Black Out Nights” for some scheduled shows in February. Theatre Passe Muraille, which is primarily funded by government grants, announced its race-based ticket sales policy on its website:
Black Out Nights are performances exclusively for Black audiences (inspired by the event of the same name in the Fall of 2019 for Jeremy O’Harris’ Slave Play on Broadway). The spirit behind this evening is to provide a space for Black theatre-goers to experience theatre in a space made for them.
The theater included a question about “non-black” patrons seeking to attend its “Black Out Nights” events in a FAQ section:
What happens when a non-Black person tries to enter the space during Black Out Night?
Theatre Passe Muraille welcomes everyone who self-identify as Black to attend this performance. However, if someone self-identifies as a non-Black person and demands to enter the room, a member of our staff will be present to chat with this person. We try our best to have this labour land on a non-Black staff member and we will have non-Black front-of-house, leadership, or technical and production team members present in the lobby to help de-escalate such situations.
Theatre Passe Muraille emphasized that its “Black Out Nights” events are “dedicated to Black audiences.”
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