The fonds consists of textual records, digital records, moving images and over 191 hours of sound recordings accumulated by Sarah Jennings who conducted over 100 interviews (some in many sessions) with individuals associated with the history of the National Arts Centre. These include prominent Canadian personalities in arts and culture: former NAC administrators, key performers, artists, writers and playwrights, political figures, and business leaders. The fonds also comprises transcripts of interviews and research files for the National Arts Centre oral history project. Material is the source of the book "Art and Politics: the History of the National Arts Centre" published in 2009.
Jennings, Sarah : Sarah Jennings is the daughter of the television pioneer and radio broadcaster Charles Jennings and the sister of the journalist and ABC news anchor Peter Jennings. Sarah, as other members of her family, got involved in journalism. She is a broadcaster, journalist and commentator who has specialized for many years in culture and the arts. As the national reporter in Ottawa for the CBC Stereo network's Arts News for eight years, she was deeply engaged with national political and cultural affairs. She has covered all the major national cultural organizations including the National Arts Centre, the Canada Council, the national museums and national agencies like the CRTC. Her work has also included many feature articles and documentaries on the work of individual artists in all disciplines and particularly leading artists in theatre, music and the visual arts. Her feature articles and commentaries have appeared on the CBC and BBC networks and also in publications ranging from the Globe and Mail, the Financial Post, the National Post, the Wall Street Journal and the American-based arts magazine ARTnews, for which she was a Canadian correspondent. An active arts supporter, she has served as an outside board member on the Board of Trustees of the National Arts Centre and as a board member and vice-chair of Opera Lyra Ottawa for many years. As a university lecturer, she taught at Carleton University's School of Journalism for a dozen years, until 2005. She is the author of "Art and Politics: the History of the National Arts Centre" - Dundurn Press, 2009.
