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National Arts Centre Cuts Ties with Controversial Shen Yun Dance Group Over Contract and Human Rights Concerns
ByAinvest
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025 9:31 pm ET1min read
The National Arts Centre in Ottawa has cut ties with Shen Yun, a Chinese dance group affiliated with Falun Gong, due to concerns over contract breaches and potential human rights complaints regarding the group's treatment of people with disabilities. The centre will not host Shen Yun's performances in 2026.
The National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa has decided not to host Shen Yun, a Chinese dance group affiliated with Falun Gong, in 2026. This decision comes following internal deliberations and concerns over potential human rights complaints and contract breaches [1].Emails reviewed by CBC News revealed that the NAC was considering this move for months. During this period, at least two MPs inquired about the possibility of Shen Yun's 2026 performance. The centre's CEO, Christopher Deacon, and executive producer Heather Gibson discussed the potential issues, including allegations of emotional abuse and long work hours for the troupe, as well as unethical and potentially unlawful financial practices [1].
NAC staff also raised concerns about Shen Yun's treatment of patrons with disabilities. A supervisor, Myriam Lamontagne, reported that Shen Yun installed its own box office booth, took pictures of patrons without consent, and asked a patron with disabilities to leave during a performance [1]. These incidents could potentially expose the NAC to human rights complaints, which could result in negative publicity [1].
The NAC's decision follows a similar move by Montreal's Place des Arts, which also will not book any dates for Shen Yun in 2026. According to Shen Yun's website, the only Canadian city where it has performances scheduled in 2026 is Vancouver [1].
One vocal critic of the NAC's decision, human rights lawyer David Matas, urged the centre to reverse its move. He argued that the NAC should not become a "paving stone" in the campaign of transnational repression waged by the Chinese government [1].
The NAC stated that its artistic programming and venue rental decisions are made independently and without external influence. However, emails from the Chinese Embassy to the NAC suggest that there may have been attempts to influence the centre's decisions [1].
References:
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/shen-yun-national-arts-centre-1.7593929
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