Our History
For more than twenty years, Odyssey Showcase has distinguished itself by creating, producing and presenting bilingual, multicultural, unique live musical and theatrical events.
These projects were designed and successfully delivered to educate audiences in entertaining ways about the history of Canada and related historical developments. They particularly portrayed artistic, societal and cultural developments that contribute to social inclusion and the study of history in Canada.
Established in 2000 as a not-for-profit organization, Odyssey Showcase became a registered charity in 2004. Throughout our initiatives, we place great importance on inclusivity and making our programming accessible to everyone. We focus primarily on highlighting inspirational, historical characters and events that have contributed to the making of modern Canada, bringing together performers and audiences from different walks of life and diverse cultures.
Odyssey Showcase has a stellar track record of building networks and bringing together performers from the Indigenous, Métis, Black and other communities to portray famous historical figures from their own communities in the context of numerous projects such as, Canada Roars (the history of music in Canada), The Gift of Jazz (a tribute to Black History Month) and historical vignettes such as tributes to Canadian Confederation and Remembrance Day (featuring Canadian Afghan veterans). We have also collaborated creatively with such groups as Aboriginal Experiences, the RCMP, the Ottawa Police Pipe Band and ethnic dance troupes.
Odyssey Showcase has also presented historical, educational, artistic initiatives including plays, live concerts, speaker series and authentic character interactions at a myriad of occasions and events. These have included Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill and Remembrance Day commemorations at the National Gallery of Canada, government and private conferences and Governor-General hosted events, and tributes to other significant historic moments and iconic Canadian figures for a wide variety of audiences.
In 2015, the Mayor and City Councillors of Ottawa awarded Odyssey Showcase and our primary sponsor TD Bank Group a bilingual congratulatory certificate: “in recognition of the celebration of its 15th Anniversary producing CANADA ROARS: A Musical Taste of Our Canadian Heritage, a premiere presentation of the roots and development of Canada’s rich and diverse heritage on stage” going on to note that the annual production ” has distinguished itself as Canada’s longest-running, bilingual musical show, with an all-star Canadian cast, which celebrates key social and cultural transformations in history that have contributed to the building of contemporary Canada.”
At our 20th anniversary fundraiser at the Ottawa Art Gallery in October 2019 Odyssey Showcase was presented with another award from the City of Ottawa for distinguishing itself: “As a charitable organization dedicated to advancing education, through the presentation of performing arts productions highlighting Canada’s rich and diverse history, culture and heritage…The team behind Odyssey Showcase also merits accolades for its contribution to instilling pride in Canada’s progress, values and achievements.”
We rely primarily on grants, sponsorships and donations to continue the important work of supporting artists and presenting educational entertainment in new and exciting ways.
Funding provided by the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation
All photos by Alan Dean Photography, photolafontaine and Stephen Willcock with permission.
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