Nocturne: Art at Night
It’s a cool fall night, and you’re walking down Barrington Street. Suddenly you’re confronted with something that you’ve never seen before. Something that makes you think. Something that takes your breath away. You’re surrounded by people who are sharing the experience.
And this is only the beginning. You’ve just discovered Nocturne.
Saturday, October 16th marks the third annual installment of Halifax’s nighttime arts festival, a completely volunteer-run initiative that strives to present art to the public in new and innovative ways, and transforms the city into something a little more alive. This year’s Nocturne features over 100 experiences, from galleries, to independent artist projects, to large-scale collaborative pieces. Nocturne extends through the city this year in five zones: Downtown Halifax, South Waterfront, Spring Garden and Universities, North End, and Downtown Dartmouth. Each zone has it’s own energy, it’s own character, and each zone has something amazing to offer.
Downtown features forty experiences alone, ranging from video projections, to large-scale performances. The South Waterfront offers the collaborative spectacle of Marginal Road, combining the efforts of artists representing NSCAD, Visual Arts Nova Scotia, Pier 21 and others. Spring Garden will be abuzz this year as it marks the first time that the Public Gardens will be open at night. Stop by to check out the massive collaboration taking place there, offering the work of fifteen brilliant artists. In Halifax’s North End, in keeping with the community spirit of the area, several artists have created large-scale performance pieces within their own homes. Creighton Street and Northwood Terrace will be absolutely alive with light and imagery. Be sure to make the trip over to Dartmouth, to experience the musical performances taking place on the ferries. Once you arrive at Alderney Landing you’ll be transported back in time as the entire complex will be transformed into a circus, much like the one that once stood in its place. Music, theatre, performers, aerialists, and magic await you.
Nocturne is a completely free event, open to everyone. Come out and experience Halifax in a way you could never have imagined.
Download the 2010 Program Guide now!
Guest post by Jenny Johnson, Programming Director for Nocturne and an artist living in Halifax.
Photo Credit: Aaron McKenzie Fraser – photographer – http://www.amfraser.com
