 MEDIA RELEASE |
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MEDIA RELEASE |
For Immediate Release
September 25, 2002
John Murrell wins Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts
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John Murrell, one of
Canada’s most respected playwrights and artistic director/executive producer of
Theatre Arts programming at The Banff Centre has been awarded the
2002 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the
Performing Arts. The prize (worth $50,000) is awarded by the
Canada Council
for the Arts and recognizes the highest level of artistic excellence and
distinguished career achievement by Canadian artists who have spent the major
part of their career in Canada in dance, theatre, and music. "I am delighted
that John was chosen as the recipient for this award. I cannot think of a more
deserving artist to receive this honour than John Murrell. His creative vision
is instrumental to the artistic development of both Theatre Arts programming and
the Centre as a whole because he reflects the values of The Banff Centre. He is
deeply committed to encouraging and building on Canadian culture, both in his
role as mentor to young artists, and in his outstanding vocation as a voice for
a distinctly Canadian culture," says Mary Hofstetter, president and CEO of The
Banff Centre. "His latest project is giving a voice to a little-known piece of
Canadian history: he is writing the libretto for a new opera (based on a true
story of love, crime, and unjust punishment that happened in Alberta in the
1920s) to be set to the music of composer John Estacio," she adds. |
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John Murrell is once of Canada’s most frequently produced playwrights, with
his work having been translated into more than 15 languages for performances in
more than 35 countries around the world. The Walter Carsen Prize recognizes John
Murrell’s work as a refined playwright and translator as well as a leader in the
field of arts advocacy drama, establishing him as one of Canada’s foremost
cultural visionaries. The endowment was created in 2001 when Toronto businessman and philanthropist Walter Carsen, O.C., donated $1.1 million to the Canada Council. The prize is awarded annually on a four-year cycle, as follows: dance, theatre, dance, music. Last year’s recipient was acclaimed choreographer, director, and dancer Brian Macdonald, C.C., a founding member of Banff Centre’s professional dance program and faculty member for more than 40 years. The Prize will be presented by Jean-Louis Roux, Chairman of the Canada Council for the Arts, at a reception in Calgary on Monday December 9, at the Martha Cohen Theatre at the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Media representatives are welcome to join the presentation. |
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Click here for background information about John Murrell
Click here to read the related media release from Canada Council for the Arts
Click here to listen to the September 26, 2002, CBC Arts Report broadcast of this story
Click here to read the September 25, 2002 CBC Arts Now article on John Murrell winning this award
Click here to read the September 25, 2002 Yahoo! News article on John Murrell winning this award
The Banff Centre is Canada's only post-secondary institution dedicated to the arts, leadership development, and mountain culture. Programs are designed to enrich professional practice beyond the realm of traditional education. The Centre's unique mountain environment and multidisciplinary setting reflect a commitment to personal growth and lifelong learning.
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