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New Translation Canada

Celebrating great Canadian theatre in both official languages.

New Translation Development

Discover the leading new works of anglophone and francophone Canada, meet the playwrights and their translators, and play a part in the new translation process.

Towards a truly national theatre in both official languages.

Every three years, four or five Canadian playwrights in both official languages (French & English) are nominated for the Siminovitch Prize, Canada’s top theatre award. Each of these playwrights represents a leading voice in Canadian playwriting as nominated by their peers.

This independent project was born from a discovery that the works of the playwrights nominated for the 2020 Siminovitch Prize and their contributions to Canadian culture were not available in both official languages. We imagine a truly national theatre community where the works of anglophone and francophone artists are available and promoted to audiences in both official languages.

free as injuns by Tara Beagun, Native Earth (2012) | Photo: Juan Camilo Palacio

THE PRIX SIMINOVITCH PRIZE PLAYWRIGHT
NEW TRANSLATION PROJECT

ColoniséEs by Annick Lefebvre, Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui (2019) | Photo: Valérie Remise

Meet the Playwrights

Each work is a unique voice, approach to form, and view on the Canadian experience.

The playwrights nominated for the 2020 Siminovitch Prize are Carmen Aguirre (Vancouver), Tara Beagan (Calgary), Martin Bellemare (Montreal), Karen Hines (Calgary), and Annick Lefebvre (Montreal).

We contacted each of the playwrights who shared our excitement for this vision. They each selected 1 piece from their body of work for translation. These works represent a diversity of leading Canadian playwrights from different regions, lived experiences, cultural and linguistic heritages and draw from across their careers–from early noted works to recent creations.

All Canadians deserve access to these works.

Each work represents a unique voice, unique approach to form, and a unique view on the Canadian experience. We believe all Canadians deserve access to these works.

These award nominated and winning plays selected by their playwrights for translation are: Anywhere But Here by Carmen Aguirre with Raps Created With Shad Kabango; ColoniséEs by Annick Lefebvre; Crawlspace by Karen Hines, free as injuns by Tara Beagan and Moule Robert by Martin Bellemare.

Moule Robert by Martin Bellemare, Théâtre de Belleville (2019) | Photo: Samuel Rubio

About

the plays

Anywhere But Here by Carmen Aguirre, The Electric Company (2020) | Photo: Emily Cooper.

Crawlspace created and performed by Karen Hines (2017)

TRANSLATION FOR THEATRE

“A different language is a different vision of life.” – Federico Fellini

The theatre translation process is sometimes misunderstood. Professionally, it’s classed as “Creative Translation.” Rather than a word-for-word substitution, the source text is a point of reference to create an equally compelling work in the new language.

With many choices beyond words, the creative translator draws on a wide knowledge of the performing arts and a deep understanding of the target culture. In addition to new rhythms, poetic structures, and metaphors, it’s not uncommon for new scenes, scenarios, and text to be created. It is a uniquely collaborative art; one where the collaborators are the cultures and languages of the original and target population as embodied by the artists involved.

Our Creative Translation team is gathered from leading theatre makers in both official languages from across the nation.

Projects:

QColoniséEs

By Annick Lefebvre
Translated to English
by Johanna Nutter

July 29, 2024

N’importe où sauf ici

By Carmen Aguirre | Raps created with Shad Kabango
Translated to French by Emmanuelle Jimenez

February 9, 2024

libre comme des sauvages

By Tara Beagan
Translated to French
by Charles Bender

April 16, 2023

Robert Moule

By Martin Bellemare
Translated to English
by Jack Paterson

October 8, 2022

Crawlspace

By Karen Hines
Translated to French
by Mishka Lavigne

June 19, 2022

News:

Shinning a light on new translation

Shinning a light on new translation

LA SALLE DES MACHINES:
From the Source to the Target

Thursday, November 17, 5 p.m.
Salle Jean-Claude-Germain du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui
3900 Saint-Denis, Montreal, H2W 2M2 Canada

read more

Who we are

A team of independent theatre makers and administrators from coast to coast.

Yolanda Ferrato

Co-Founder
(Nova Scotia)

Johanna Nutter

C0-Founder & Creative Producer
(Quebec)

Jack Paterson

Co-Founder & Creative Producer
(British Columbia)

Arts Across Canada

celebrating great canadian theatre in both official languages

We gratefully acknowledge the support of

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Activities related to this project take place on the traditional unceded territories of several First Nations and Indigenous groups in the territory now known as Canada. These include: the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver, British Columbia), Kanien’kehá:ka Nation (Montreal, Quebec), Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), Tsuut’ina Nation, Nakoda Island First Nations and Métis Nation (Region 3) (Treaty 7 Territory, Calgary, Alberta), Anishinaabe-Algonquin Nation (Ottawa, Ontario) and Mi’kmaq Nation (Nova Scotia). We recognize and honour the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation commission and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous sovereignty on this unceded territory.

*A territorial or land acknowledgement is an act of reconciliation that involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases still do call it home.

For more information on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada click here.