Latest news with #NAC
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
Ottawa's National Arts Centre cuts ties with controversial Chinese dance group
The National Arts Centre in Ottawa will not be hosting a controversial Chinese performance group next year, following internal deliberations about potential blowback the Crown corporation could face over allegations regarding Shen Yun's treatment of audience members with disabilities and a breach of previous contract terms, CBC News has learned. Emails released in an access to information request show the NAC was considering the move for months — during which time the centre heard from at least two MPs wondering about whether there would be a Shen Yun show in 2026. Based in New York, Shen Yun is closely affiliated with the Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa), a spiritual movement banned in China and long at odds with the country's ruling communist regime. In an email dated Jan. 13, Heather Gibson, the executive producer for the NAC's popular music and variety programming, reached out to the centre's CEO Christopher Deacon, as well as to Annabelle Cloutier, an executive director in strategy and communications, to recommend that we do not continue our relationship with Shen Yun in 2026 in light of continued issues with their organization respecting our contractual agreement, primarily with the box office. The Falun Gong spiritual movement is banned in China. Photo: The Canadian Press / Sean Kilpatrick She also alluded to allegations that continue to surface about the organization, without specifying details. That note followed reporting last year by The New York Times which alleged Shen Yun forced its troupe (new window) of young dancers through emotional abuse and long work hours while discouraging them from seeking treatment for injuries. The New York Times investigation also alleges Shen Yun raked in hundreds of millions of dollars (new window) over the last decade, including through unethical and potentially unlawful methods. In a reply to Gibson, Deacon said he saw Shen Yun's future with the NAC as a programming decision to be made at her discretion. I appreciate and respect that, but it's not going to be (only) me who is dealing with the potential issues this may cause in media, phone-calling campaigns, meeting requests to your office, etc., Gibson wrote in response. In the past when we have moved forward with this, the CEO eventually overrode our decision. Which I also respect, but it has made it difficult to conceive of this as a programming decision alone. Deacon replied that he supports Gibson's decision. In February, Liberal MP Judy Sgro wrote to an NAC producer saying she had been contacted by the Falun Dafa Association of Canada and requested a thorough explanation as to why [Shen Yun] would not be able to secure dates. A month later, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis wrote to Deacon over his concern regarding the prolonged delay in the scheduling of Shen Yun's 2026 performance dates. Enlarge image (new window) The National Arts Centre, seen here in 2020, has rented its performance spaces for use by Shen Yun for years. Photo: The Canadian Press / Adrian Wyld Genuis noted the Falun Dafa community has had a nearly two-decade-long run with the NAC as a presenter of their show. Recent efforts by the CCP [Communist Party of China] to transnationally repress and discredit the Shen Yun performances and undermine the efficacy of Falun Gong practitioners in their attempts to share the story of a pre-communist China in these rich performances are extremely concerning, he wrote. The importance of preserving their artistic freedoms here in Canada is all the greater given the severe lack of protections that their group experiences in China. NAC staff complaints Shen Yun last performed at the NAC in late April. On April 28, Gibson asked colleagues in an email about whether Shen Yun should return in 2026. I have received some unsettling information informally, she said. Could someone please send through formal comments about the run of shows that we did with this client please? A supervisor at the centre, Myriam Lamontagne, replied that she had worked on the troupe's 2024 shows. She said Shen Yun installed their own box office booth at the centre, which she said was a breach of contract. When I told them that it was unacceptable and against the contract, and I asked them to close the box office booth, the situation escalated, they questioned my legitimacy and they treated me as if I had no say to what they were doing within the NAC, she wrote. Enlarge image (new window) Conservative MP Garnett Genuis is one of at least two MPs who have raised concerns with the NAC over its decision to not book Shen Yun next year. Photo: The Canadian Press / Adrian Wyld She also said Shen Yun were taking pictures of individual patrons during the shows, without their knowledge, and refused to stop when she asked them. Lamontagne also cited another colleague who worked on this year's shows. She said a Shen Yun manager asked to remove and refund a patron with disabilities from Southam Hall, during the performance, as they were making sounds due to their disability. She said NAC staff told her they were uncomfortable working with the group. On April 30, in another email on the same chain, a senior manager at the NAC, Robyn Gilchrist, wrote about how she and others had discussed specific instances of guests with disabilities being asked to leave the hall during Shen Yun's last visit. These actions expose us to potential human rights complaints, she wrote. If any of these guests decide to file an official complaint, we would be unable to defend our position. This could result in front-page news and create a lasting public record that portrays the NAC as unkind to individuals with disabilities. A local Shen Yun organizer told CBC News that these incidents amounted to a misunderstanding. Local organizer 'mystified' In a statement, the National Arts Centre confirmed to CBC News that Shen Yun has no dates booked for performances at the NAC in 2026. It added venue and rental contracts remain confidential. The NAC also confirmed the content of the emails reviewed by CBC News, but added the availability of our halls for rentals depends on our own artistic programming which we prioritize over rentals. Grace Wollensak, who has helped organize past Shen Yun shows, says she was mystified by the NAC's decision. Wollensak is a national co-ordinator for the Falun Dafa Association of Canada. She said the NAC sent the group their decision in writing on June 28, but did not mention any specific reason. She said the centre's CEO told them last week that it was due to rental availability. National Arts Centre CEO Christopher Deacon told staff in January that he viewed a potential decision not to have Shen Yun return next year as a 'programming' matter. Photo: Serge Gouin We had a pretty great, friendly meeting, Wollensak said. He even suggested we continue with a follow-up meeting. She said it was the NAC who had removed some patrons with disabilities. Wollensak said she had told the centre it was on heightened awareness for potential disruptions from agents of the Chinese government. She said there had been dozens of threats against recent Shen Yun performances. Wollensak said the NAC removed three attendees in wheelchairs for making disruptive noises, and she ensured they were refunded before they left. We want to emphasize that we have no intention of excluding individuals with disabilities, Wollensak said. In fact, for the past 18 years, wheelchair-accessible seating has been available for every Shen Yun performance. Wollensak also denied the allegation that Shen Yun were taking pictures of patrons at the NAC. Shen Yun has a strict policy prohibiting anyone — including local presenters, media and audience members — from taking photos of either the performance or audience during the show, she said, adding that the NAC did not inform them of any such incident. Wollensak also said that in 2024, the group stopped selling tickets at its information desk when it was asked to do so. Wollensak said Shen Yun had previously sold tickets at the NAC, and hadn't been told this was a breach of contract. We like to comply and follow the rules, Wollensak said. There's no reason not to do so. Human rights lawyer calls for reversal The association said the show not taking place next year would be a win for the Chinese government. Emails sent by the Chinese Embassy to the NAC over the last two years show diplomats seeking to invite NAC representatives to embassy events — including Deacon and Nelson McDougall, managing director of the orchestra, to a reception in September 2023. It is unclear if either of them attended. However, in July 2024, after receiving another invitation, Deacon told staff that he had received advice that he should meet the Chinese ambassador, and that McDougall should join the meeting. Enlarge image (new window) David Matas is a human rights lawyer who says the NAC is making a mistake by getting rid of the Shen Yun show. Photo: The Canadian Press / Tom Hanson A note on the Chinese Embassy's website (new window) in August 2024 said the ambassador paid a visit to Deacon. In its statement to CBC News, the NAC said its artistic programming and venue rentals decisions are made independently and without external influence. Its decision comes after Montreal's Place des Arts also said it will not book any dates for Shen Yun next year. According to Shen Yun's website, the only Canadian city where it has performances scheduled in 2026 is Vancouver. One vocal critic of the NAC's decision, human rights lawyer David Matas, provided CBC News a copy of a letter he sent to the centre, urging it to reverse its move. I ask that the NAC grant its stage to these performers, and not lend itself to become a paving stone in the campaign of transnational repression waged by the CCP regime, Matas, who represented groups that spoke out against Chinese state repression during the public inquiry into foreign interference, wrote. This would be contrary to the Canadian values of human rights and diversity, as well as the mandate of your arts centre to present and showcase the best of cultures. Matas said The New York Times was making itself a vehicle of the Communist Party of China's transnational repression against Falun Gong, a charge also levied by the movement itself and Shen Yun since the release of the paper's stories last year.
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Book Review: Ashwin Sanghi's ‘The Ayodhya Alliance' Makes You Curious About India's Science
In The Ayodhya Alliance, you find the writing style a little different. It has his deep research and convincing power bridging fiction and history I was in two minds: does a book written by a bestselling author who has already sold millions of copies of his work needs a review? The Ayodhya Alliance is the latest offering by Ashwin Sanghi. Authors like him and Amish Tripathi are trailblazers in English literature who have popularised Bharatiya itihasa among the youth brought up on a sterile concoction of so-called secular education that basically negates any achievements of Bharatiya civilisation, and also its historicity. They have successfully aroused the curiosity of Gen Z in our itihasa and knowledge systems. Youth is their main reader. This is no mean achievement. Interestingly, this duo was rejected multiple times by the publishers and had to self-publish their first works. Their success saw many writers join this club of Indian fiction based on our itihasa, Puranas and Vedas. Some good, some not so good; just riding the wave. Hence, it is obligatory for us to acknowledge their trailblazing efforts. First book in the Bharat Series by Ashwin Sanghi was published in 2007. A period when Communist-influenced Congress alliance UPA was in power. Its policies were controlled through an extra-constitutional body called NAC (National Advisory Council) dominated by the Left and ultra-Left, and led by Sonia Gandhi. It was the peak of 'secular politics'—short hand for anti-Hindu narrative. It was the period when education was totally neutered and became amoral, churning out deracinated rootless young citizens. For most of the countries in the world and also Indian citizens, Bharat was looked through the narrow lenses of classical and tribal dance forms and arts, and classical music. The narrative of Bharat created by the west was still the standard western set for us – fatalist people, seeped in orthodoxy who only focused on otherworldly pursuits, who had no scientific or technological achievements to their names. They even suppressed the Indians' skills used by them, for example, ship building and wootz steel used for their crusades and wars. I am not even going to the worst description of Indians whose only claim to fame was casteism, widow burning etc. Ashwin Sanghi came up with Bharat series during those times. Bharat series is not about glorification of ancient Bharat, nor about jingoism. It is about raising the curiosity of the reader about Bharat's science and technology. He does not work on fables and myths. He researches and picks up on a particular aspect of Bharatiya civilization's achievements in science and technology, presenting history in an interesting way. He then tosses up mind-boggling thrillers with facts woven into fiction. He creates such a fine alloy of a story that you cannot distinguish the metals used to create it; when real world meets fiction, or when fiction feels like a real story. He is a rare writer who also gives sources from where he picked up those facts, to prove their authenticity. The Ayodhya Alliance, like most of his works, spans massive time-space, nearly 7000 years. The story moves back and forth in time. This time his story moves between ancient Korea, Thailand, Middle East, Europe, Maharashtra, Southern part of Bharat and Ayodhya, with the stage set in modern-day South Korea and Bharat. The challenge in the story revolves around finding the right kind of metallic alloy that can withstand the newly discovered unbeatable destructive firepower of China. Just to add a little spoiler – the scientists are desperate to unravel the mystery — how could the technocrats of those times create the glorious Ellora caves in a given timeframe with such speed and accuracy? Did they use ordinary chisels and tools or did they have science that made these tools extraordinarily powerful? How could 2 lakh tonnes of hard stone be removed from the monolithic hill, carving it from top to bottom? How did those rocks turn so malleable that the sculptors could make them sing and dance to their tunes using their tools? Can the caves provide answers to the search for the ultimate alloy that can defend as well as destroy enemy armaments with precision? The narration does not slacken anywhere. Chapters are small and move rapidly in every few pages, hence you are glued to the story. The writer's arguments about science and metallurgy are compelling and raise your curiosity to go and check an encyclopaedia. His 'may be' hypothesis makes you open up your imagination. You imbibe the atmosphere of Pandian, Chola, and Chera period, you witness cultural and trade exchanges between various geographies of Bharat thousands of years back and feel the pulse of an integral civilisation existing since eons. This is the beauty of this novel. This story is imagined and written with Indic focus. Unlike other novels of Ashwin Sanghi where the story plays out in other countries and geographies and Bharatiya knowledge system is the added element with occasional visit to Bharat, The Ayodhya Alliance is located in Bharat, while other civilizations, the lands linked with Bharat through Hindu and Bouddha dharma, and trade in case of Roman and Middle East civilizations appear as and when the story demands it. It is a heady cocktail like all the novels of Ashwin Sanghi's Bharat series. Although the story must have taken years of painstaking research and visits all over the world, the writer has been able to bring it to the present with the newly rebuilt Ram Mandir with the felicity of a skilled artist. Generally, the pace of Sanghi's novels is frenetic, with stunning twists to the thriller with bodies falling like ninepins. In The Ayodhya Alliance, you find the writing style a little different. It has his deep research and convincing power bridging fiction and history, spanning huge time lines but it does not have the earlier frenetic pace. The story moves at an easy pace, with less blood and thrills and chills. But it keeps you glued as it travels continents and remains a page turner like all his novels. Curiosity to find where the writer is leading the reader, made me sit late for three nights. Epilogue is an epic visualization. Language is more poetic, carrying deeper emotions. Maybe the theme itself impacted the writer too. I think the readers are going to love The Ayodhya Alliance. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 27, 2025, 12:17 IST News opinion Book Review: Ashwin Sanghi's 'The Ayodhya Alliance' Makes You Curious About India's Science Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- New Indian Express
Farmhouse, antlers and country-made gun part of BMC engineer's assets
BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance on Wednesday carried out simultaneous raids at four places linked to BMC executive engineer Jagannath Pattnaik over allegations of him amassing assets worth crores disproportionate to his known sources of income. On receiving information, the anti-corruption agency raided the four places linked to Pattnaik in Bhubaneswar and Gunupur in Rayagada. Searches were carried out at Pattnaik's three-storey building spread over 4,560 sqft in Badagada area here, farmhouse in Balianta, parental house in Gunupur and his BMC office chamber. So far, Pattnaik and his family members have been found in possession of a three-storey building and two high-value plots in Badagada area, one plot in Khandagiri and two double-storey buildings in Gunupur. Pattnaik's farmhouse at Ranapur mouza in Balianta area is spread over 1.57 acre land. It consists of a two-storey building over 833 sqft land, another house (570 sqft), a fish farming pond, poultry farm and several coconut, banana, dragon fruit, guava, grapes, blackberry, lemon, red sandalwood and mango trees. He was also found to possess bank/insurance deposits and investments in mutual funds amounting to Rs 80.35 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 460 gm, cash and household articles worth around `7 lakh and one car. Vigilance also found a pair of antler horns and a country-made gun from his possession. Searches are still underway and more assets in the names of Pattnaik and his family members are likely to be unearthed. Further action will be initiated accordingly, said a Vigilance officer. Pattnaik had joined government service in November, 1992 as a junior engineer in Gunupur NAC. He continued there till 2006 and in the same year he was promoted to the rank of assistant engineer and was then posted in Berhampur municipality. In 2011, Pattnaik was transferred to BMC as an assistant engineer. He was promoted to assistant executive engineer in 2016. He was promoted to executive engineer of BMC in October, 2024 and has been continuing to perform his duties there till date.
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sean Strickland suspended by NAC with disciplinary hearing scheduled
Sean Strickland can't fight until the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) considers recent actions accounted for. The NAC has temporarily suspended Strickland, with a disciplinary hearing set for Wednesday in Las Vegas. While the NAC did not respond to MMA Junkie's request for confirmation Thursday, all signs point to Strickland's suspension stemming from an incident at a recent Tuff-N-Uff event. At Tuff-N-Uff 145 on June 29, Strickland cornered teammate Miles Hunsinger, who was submitted by Luis Hernandez. Moments after the finish, Hernandez taunted Strickland, who then charged the cage and punched Hernandez twice. Chris Curtis also entered the cage with Strickland but did not throw blows. Curtis recently told Uncrowned he was fined as a result. It's unclear if a disciplinary resolution will be reached ahead of Wednesday's meeting in Las Vegas. The suspension could be extended to a future meeting. But as long as it's ongoing, Strickland will be unable to compete. "I wasnt even vocal in the corner," Strickland wrote on X after the incident. "The guy just wanted to antagonize me for a highlight.... What frustrates me is even during the fight he was insulting me. The athletic commissions job is to prevent this from happening. There was no warning. No penalty. They tell merhab to shut up all the time.. Even the announcers were calling it."
Time of India
17-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Chikiti wins third time in a row, Aska secures maiden victory
Berhampur: Aska Notified Area Council (NAC) in Ganjam district was adjudged the cleanest city in Odisha under the small cities (with a population between 20,000 and 50,000) category in the Union govt's annual Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2024-25 survey, the results of which were declared on Thursday. In the national ranking, the NAC town of Chikiti in the district stood second in the small cities category (with less than 20,000 population). Both the towns secured three-star ranking in the category of garbage-free city certification, conducted by the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoUHA) to assess cleanliness and sanitation of cities and towns across the country. President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards to the urban local bodies (ULB) at an event organized by MoHUA in New Delhi on Thursday. While Aska was awarded the first time, Chikiti NAC got the award for the third time. "Today is a proud moment for all Aska residents as the urban local body was adjudged as the first cleanest city in the state and second in the country. It was only possible due to the active cooperation of the people and the ULB staff's sincere work," Aska NAC's chairperson Bineta Swain, who received the award in Delhi, said. Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra, Aska NAC's executive officer, said they would try to get a five-star rating under the garbage-free city category next year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo Deepa Kumari Sahu, the chairperson of Chikiti NAC who was also in New Delhi, said the award was dedicated to the people of Chikiti. "Due to their cooperation and dedication of the staff, the town got a national award for the third time in a row," she added. Manohar Lal, Union minister for urban and housing affairs, and Tokhan Sahu, the minister of state, were also present at the event.
