Since 1960, the National Theatre School of Canada has shaped some of the country’s most influential theatre, film, and television artists. Based on Saint-Denis Street in Montreal, NTS offers professional training in English and French across acting, directing, playwriting, design, and production. Its model blends tradition with innovation, emphasizing both transmission and creation. Alumni include names like Sandra Oh, Roy Dupuis, and Wajdi Mouawad, and the School’s reach extends far beyond its Montreal campus to stages and screens around the world. In addition to professional programs, NTS now offers community engagement initiatives, artistic residencies, and public workshops, ensuring that its expertise is accessible to a broader range of Canadians. Rooted in Montreal’s creative history and carrying the cultural traditions of the Kanien’kehá:ka territory where it stands, NTS continues to evolve, balancing a deep respect for the craft with a sharp eye on the future of performance.

Over the decades, NTS has built key pillars of its legacy, from acquiring and restoring the Monument-National theatre in 1978 to launching the Écriture dramatique and Playwriting programs in the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years, it established the Artistic Residency Program and rescued the Sears Drama Festival, now known as DRAMAFEST, expanding its commitment to cultivating both emerging talent and broader access to the performing arts across the country.