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Press Release

 

The Canadian Conference of the Arts announces its national arts awards winners for 2008

 

Ottawa, ON (February 17, 2009) -The Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) is pleased to announce that its Diplôme d'honneur will be presented to leading Canadian filmmaker Allan King, while the Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership will be given to one of Canada's forefront arts and culture advocates, Simon Brault. The 2008 CCA National Arts Awards ceremony will be presided over by renowned musician and arts advocate, Senator Tommy Banks, at the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa on March 12, 2009.

Born in Vancouver in 1930, Allan King began his prolific career with the CBC before becoming an independent filmmaker. Considered one of the most innovative and controversial directors in Canadian film, King’s current affairs, profile and documentary films have aired around the world for the likes of PBS, CBC, Granada and the BBC. A recipient of numerous prestigious awards, Allan King has also produced several dramatic feature films and programs for television which have been featured around the world. In September 2002, the Toronto International Film Festival featured a 17 film, 9 program series retrospective of his work in both the factual and fiction genres. An active advocate of the interests of the Canadian film and television industry throughout his career, he has served the Directors Guild of Canada for several years in various capacities. Allan King is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

 

Simon Brault wears several hats within the Canadian arts and culture community. Director General of the National Theatre School of Canada since 1997, Brault has just seen his mandate as Vice Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts renewed for another five years. But it is essentially for his work with Culture Montréal, which he helped create, that Simon Brault is being honoured with the Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership. The initiator of the Journées de la culture, a massive undertaking that since 1997 opens the doors of cultural centres and institutions across all Québec. Simon was also President of the Rendez-vous novembre 2007, a ground-breaking gathering of 1300 participants which produced a 10-year Action Plan aiming to lead political, economical, social and cultural actors towards the edification of Montréal as a 21st century cultural metropolis.  Simon Brault is also an Officer of the Order of Canada.

 

Recipients of the Canadian Conference of the Arts National Arts Awards are selected by the CCA's Awards Committee, based on nominations received from CCA members. The Diplôme d'honneur is presented annually in recognition of a sustained contribution to the cultural life of the country, whether through volunteer activity, mentoring, patronage, individual arts practice or other recognized support. More than 70 of the visionaries and creators of Canada's rich cultural identity, including Vincent Massey, Glenn Gould, Norman McLaren, Gabrielle Roy and Phyllis Lambert have been recognized since the award's inception in 1954. The award is in the form of a silver talisman designed by the late West Coast craftsmith, Bill Reid.

 

The Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership has been awarded annually since 1998, when it was established to recognize the leadership shown by the former National Director of the CCA during his tenure from 1989-98. It is presented to a Canadian who has made a significant contribution to the arts and culture through advocacy work or the development of cultural policy, or who has otherwise demonstrated leadership in the field. The award is an inscribed medal designed by Ottawa medallic artist Susan Taylor.

 

The Canadian Conference of the Arts is the national forum for the arts and cultural community in Canada. The oldest and largest umbrella organization within the cultural sector, the CCA is preoccupied with the common good of all disciplines and walks of life in the arts and culture community. The CCA serves as a leader, an authority and a catalyst to ensure an informed debate on cultural policy issues in Canada. The CCA’s mission is to ensure that artists and cultural institutions and industries can contribute freely and fully to a creative and dynamic Canadian society.

 

For more information on the CCA Awards, visit our website at http://www.ccarts.ca/en/awards/.

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