Shapelitakuan Project

Since 2019, the National Theatre School of Canada has been collaborating with the Pessamit Innu Council to promote the Shapelitakuan Project, an artistic and community initiative deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions. This project led to the creation of a high school youth troupe in Pessamit — the Shapelitakuan troupe — which explores and shares its identity through theatre.

For a month, theatre creation workshops are offered by trainers from the NTS and Indigenous artists, both indoors and outdoors. These workshops are designed in close collaboration with elders and community members, and validated by the language and culture department of the Pessamit Innu Council, ensuring an authentic and respectful cultural transmission.

More than just an artistic project, Shapelitakuan is a catalyst for cultural affirmation and identity pride. It provides young people with a space to tell their stories, reconnect with their language, and give voice to their community on stage — a powerful way to build the future while honoring their roots.

This project is made possible thanks to the support of the Secretariat for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, the Molson Foundation, Nouveau Monde Graphite, and Ms. Alberta G. Cefis.

Photos of Shapelitakuan Project

NTS' Youth Tour

Every year, students from the French section of the NTS visit public schools in Montreal, primarily those in underserved areas, to present performances specially designed for young audiences. This project involves all sectors of the NTS — acting, set design, production techniques — and creates a vibrant, lasting connection between the School and the diverse communities in Montreal’s neighborhoods.

Through a partnership with the Maison Théâtre, graduates receive training in cultural mediation, which they apply directly in the schools. Each performance is accompanied by a preparatory activity and a post-show discussion, offering students a comprehensive experience that is artistic, educational, and human.

The Youth Tour serves as a catalyst for discovery. For many children, it’s their first encounter with theatre. For NTS students, it offers a valuable opportunity to experience the realities of touring in non-traditional environments, develop their adaptability, and see firsthand the impact of their art on young lives.

The Youth Tour of the NTS is supported by the Molson Foundation.

Photos of NTS' Youth Tour Project

Résidence de quartier - Montréal-Nord — Theatre as a Driver of Inclusion

With the Résidence de quartier, the NTS establishes itself at the heart of Montreal-Nord to provide young people with direct, tangible, and dynamic access to theatrical creation. In collaboration with local high schools and community organizations, this project harnesses the talents of NTS students and instructors to lead customized artistic workshops.

Whether through drama classes, French-language courses, or extracurricular activities, young people explore the world of theatre alongside students in set design and instructors in acting.

The Résidence de quartier – Montréal-Nord goes beyond artistic learning by becoming a powerful tool for inclusion and dialogue. By showcasing the creativity of local youth, this project offers them a genuine platform for self-expression and interaction, pulling them away from screens and allowing them to discover the power of live arts.

This project is made possible thanks to the support of the Molson Foundation.

Photos of Résidence de quartier - Montréal-Nord Project

Lumière sur le Sénégal — Transmit, Inspire, Build

Thanks to the support of generous donors, two graduates of the National Theatre School of Canada, Flavie Lemée (Création et production, 2020) and Marguerite Hudon (Création et production, 2021), offered a series of workshops in lighting design and technique at the Senegal Talent Campus (STC), a professional training center dedicated to careers in the arts and culture.

Founded by Amadou Fall Ba, the STC addresses a crucial need: to train qualified professionals to support the growth of Senegal’s cultural industries. The school hosts around a hundred young people each year, with a particular focus on the professional integration of women into the cultural sector. Due to the lack of available local resources, the institution turns to international collaborations to provide specialized training.

In this context, two graduates from the NTS’s “Création et production” program designed several courses tailored to the local reality, while developing custom training plans for about twenty students. The workshops took place in Dakar, at the STC’s facilities and various cultural venues, allowing participants to experience a hands-on immersion into the professional world.

This project demonstrated the power of technical arts as tools for education, autonomy, and social transformation. It addressed a critical training need while fostering lasting cultural exchanges in a spirit of solidarity and co-creation.