Monday 3 October 2011

Social Media Never Sleeps During Nuit Blanche












In 2006, at the tender age of 16, I ventured downtown to experience the artistic journey of Toronto’s very first Nuit Blanche. As I embarked on the all night celebration of contemporary art, music, and culture, I experienced Toronto transformed by artists. I bragged about my participation in the sleepless event to my peers, to which they replied, “what is Nuit Blanche?” I reminisced and considered the potential such an event could have on Torontonians in the future if greater awareness and publicity surrounding the artistic crawl was created.


Toronto Transformed by Artists


The sixth annual Nuit Blanche featured 130 contemporary art projects throughout three zones. The addition of interactive social media tools allowed participants to spread the word and create interest surrounding Nuit Blanche.


Night Navigator


The Night Navigator, a free application for Blackberries and iPhones, acted as a navigation tool for Nuit Blanche participants, it provided:

· Maps of zones, and their proximity to your current location

· The route to all night subway stops

· Connection to My Night, your previously decided exhibits of interest.


Sharing your Night


The “Share your Night”, free downloadable phone application provided the opportunity for art- lovers to share and document their experiences with the entire city.

Participants could follow by:

· Nuit Nation: this displayed photos, messages and information provided by participants and the Nuit street team

· Nuit News: provided updates on the event throughout the night.

· Art lovers were able to watch the interactions through live updated projections that were located at all three zones.


Toronto Transformed by Social Media


Now that the sixth annual Nuit Blanche has come and gone, the addition of social media tools promoted the essence of artistic talent not only to Torontonians, but also to tourists. I believe that it wasn’t art that transformed Toronto; it was social media that transformed Nuit Blanche! Did you attend the event? If so, do you believe that social media has transformed Nuit Blanche? What are some of your ideas on how to increase awareness for future years?


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