nac ceo christopher deacon to step down
christopher deacon, 66, has decided not to renew his contract when it expires on dec. 3, 2025
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national arts centre president and ceo christopher deacon will step down at the end of 2025.
tony caldwell
/
postmedia
christopher deacon, the man who led the national arts centre through a six-year stretch of ups and downs that included its 50th-anniversary celebrations, the launch of the country’s first national indigenous theatre company and a global pandemic, is leaving his job as president and ceo of the multi-disciplinary arts facility in downtown ottawa. deacon, 66, has decided not to renew his contract when it expires on dec. 3, 2025, the nac announced in a release.
“being the nac’s ceo allows me to serve canada’s artists and audiences and it’s the best job i could dream of having,” deacon said in the statement. “through 2025, i will continue to lead the nac team as it presents a spectrum of wonderful shows and events, while planning an ambitious future.”
after a nation-wide search in 2018, deacon became the first person from within the organization to be appointed to the institution’s top job.
“few people know the nac as well as christopher deacon,” adrian burns, then-chair of the nac board of trustees, said at the time.
born in montreal and raised in aylmer, the bilingual deacon first joined the nac in 1987 as the orchestra’s tour manager.
“i was convinced it would be just for a year or two because who wants to come back to where your parents are,” deacon said in an interview with this newspaper when he became ceo. instead, he rose to become the orchestra’s managing director.
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“at a certain point, i got really hooked,” deacon added. “when i became managing director of naco, the first big job i had to do was recruit as music director pinchas zukerman, and, if that doesn’t get you addicted to music forever, nothing will.”
deacon took over from the late, legendary peter herrndorf, who was credited with transforming the nac into an artistically vibrant and financially viable entity after the challenges of the 1990s.
during his tenure, deacon has championed diversity efforts, promoted bilingualism and embraced digital initiatives, particularly during the pandemic when live performances were shut down. some of the projects he supported included the grand acts of theatre series and the #canadaperforms livestreaming partnership with facebook.
he has also been an advocate for the mental-health benefits of the performing arts, a focus that became sharper in the era of covid-19.
“it’s been a difficult year,” deacon said in 2020. “the risk of a little too much solitude is something that i feel keenly and so i see this season as a re-embracing of the magic of the live experience.
“but the magic only works when the audience is there to put themselves in the shoes of the main character or performer on stage, and to empathize and identify with that story. that’s a very powerful experience, and a great psychic and spiritual exercise.”
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the nac board of trustees will begin a search for a new president and ceo in the coming months.
(with files from peter hum)
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