Official Languages Program Management (15%)

Rating

The National Arts Centre (NAC) does not have an official languages action plan for applying Parts IV, V and VI of the Official Languages Act. During the past two years, the official languages champion has been circulating a memo to all employees about the institution’s official languages successes. This year, the memo includes a description of the application of concrete measures and measures the institution would like to take to further improve its performance on its official languages commitments. The actions listed in the memo are generally ongoing and recurring. The NAC should develop a formal official languages action plan, which would bring together in one document the goals to be attained, required measures and relevant timelines.

Among the actions mentioned is a general appeal to all employees serving the public to systematically make an active offer of bilingual service when greeting clients and visitors. Although the results of in-person observations at the NAC are not perfect, the NAC reaffirms its commitment to active offer and bilingual service by reminding staff more than once a year of the importance of this issue.

The NAC could better focus its efforts, particularly by identifying the services that require more work to fully comply with the Act.

In 2008, the NAC adopted an accountability framework for official languages that sets out the roles and responsibilities of management as well as employees’ rights and responsibilities in terms of applying the Act.

The official languages champion issues regular reminders to members of senior management and employees of their obligations and rights under the Act.

As an institution designated by Canadian Heritage, the NAC is required to provide an action plan dealing specifically with the application of section 41 of the Act. The NAC action plan contains new and renewed initiatives for the development of official language minority communities (OLMCs) and the promotion of linguistic duality.

The NAC is cooperating fully and actively in responding to complaints received by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. There are very few complaints against the institution (one in 2007–2008). Any that are filed are handled immediately through corrective measures and reminders to managers.

C

Service to the Public – Part IV of the Official Languages Act (30%)

According to observations of service in person made by the Office of the Commissioner between June and December 2008, an active visual offer was present in 100% of cases, an active offer by staff was made in 58.3% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was available in 100% of cases.

According to observations of service on the telephone made by the Office of the Commissioner between June and December 2008, an active offer by staff or by an automated system was made in 100% of cases, while service in the language of the linguistic minority was available in 100% of cases.

According to observations of service by e-mail made by the Office of the Commissioner between September and December 2008, the availability of service is comparable for both linguistic groups 90% of the time, and benefits Francophones 10% of the time. With regard to the average response times, they are comparable for both linguistic groups.

A

Language of Work – Part V of the Official Languages Act (25%)

The survey conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of the Office of the Commissioner showed that, overall, 81.5% of Francophone respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR), New Brunswick and the bilingual regions of Ontario "strongly agreed" or "mostly agreed" with the language of work regime.

The entire NAC workforce is located in the NCR. For Francophone respondents, the satisfaction rate by question is presented below.

B

Participation of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians – Part VI of the Official Languages Act (10%)

Overall, the workforce is 31.6% Francophone.

The entire NAC workforce is located in the NCR.

(Source: OLIS II, March 31, 2008)

A

Development of Official Language Minority Communities and Promotion of Linguistic Duality – Part VII of the Official Languages Act (20%)

In 2008, the NAC adopted an accountability framework for official languages that deals specifically with Part VII of the Act.

As a permanent mechanism for promoting linguistic duality and giving greater visibility to its programs that help develop and enhance the vitality of OLMCs, the NAC has a separate section in its annual report entitled “The NAC and Official Languages.”

The NAC holds regular meetings with arts associations across Canada to learn what needs have been identified by its clientele and partners in the arts world.

As part of the NAC’s 2008–2013 strategic plan, management conducted a national consultation, to which numerous arts associations representing OLMCs as well as representatives of the Official Languages Branch of Canadian Heritage were invited.

The NAC’s planning for the BC Scene festival includes ongoing communications with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française and the Conseil culturel et artistique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique to identify artists from the province’s Francophone cultural community, give them visibility and promote their art. The goal is also to plan bilingual arts programming that reflects Canadian society. A number of arts events featuring OLMC artists have already been confirmed in the preliminary festival announcement, including two plays in French, a performance by clarinetist François Houle and shows by three Francophone singers from British Columbia.

The NAC participates actively in Canadian Heritage consultations on the Agreement for the Development of Francophone Arts and Culture in Canada, and in 2008 appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages to explain how it fulfills its official languages obligations. Committee members congratulated the NAC for integrating Part VII of the Act into its activities.

The NAC continues to deliver programs that focus on OLMC development, in particular the Festival Zones théâtrales and the Laboratoires du Théâtre français, as well as the Scene festivals (Scene Quebec in 2007 and BC Scene in 2009), the Musique en tête program and other music-education initiatives.

The English Theatre team stepped up its efforts to enhance the cultural vitality of Anglophones in Quebec through such activities as the one-week workshop for teens during March break, the commissioning or development of new works by six English-speaking Quebec artists, the Tadoussac Playwrights’ Residence and The Ark project.

According to its 2008–2013 strategic plan, the NAC will continue working on each of the above-mentioned initiatives. The plan also sets out concrete measures, through three French Theatre initiatives, to promote the development and vitality of French-language artists outside Quebec: playwright-in-residence programs; co-productions with regional theatre companies, included in the NAC’s regular season; and the commissioning of works from playwrights or actors to be staged at the NAC.

B

Overall Rating

B