I am very excited for Nuit Blanche again this year. I am amazed that last year’s first attempt has quickly become a highly anticipated Toronto institution. I love it for the way it just transforms the city for a night as thousands of people take to the streets and wander from one captivating experience to another.
For the inside scoop on what to see, check out Andrea Carson’s blog, View on Canadian Art (VoCA).
Students at a small town Nova Scotia high school rallied to support the victim of bullies who was targeted because he wore a pink shirt, which (of course!) made him gay. (Thanks to Bike Rally buddy Owen for passing this on.)
Central Kings students wear pink to send bullies a message
The story has been picked up internationally, and now the school is being contacted by others who want to bring “Pink Shirt Day” to their schools. A powerful meme about tolerance is released, and a million pink shirts bloom.
My friend Owen does amazing work in the small Ontario town of Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes region. Among other work for PARN, Owen works with student GLBTQ groups and helps students set up groups in their schools. He told me of a school near the cottage country town of Bobcaygeon (pop’n: 3,000) with a vibrant queer youth group that includes many straight participants. I was astounded. As a kid who grew up in Owen Sound (pop’n: 22,000) in the 80s, I just couldn’t imagine that level of awareness, openness and support in a tiny rural Ontario town.
Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, an anthem for kids growing up gay in the 80s, tells the story of a gay boy who has to leave his small town, soaked in the melancholy that implies. Of course, this is still an all too frequent story, but one that is becoming less and less common thanks to the work of students, community activists and the culture at large.
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
As I reflect upon the change that has happened in our culture, it gives me hope in so many other aspects of life.
Now if we could only coax the hot gay nerds of TorCamp out of their geeky closets. Maybe a trail of iPhones might do the trick…
Without telling anyone, Facebook has changed the rules. If you have a group with 500 members, sending out a message to them will cost you $150,000. Ouch.
Thought this might be of interest to some:
Has there been a shift in political use of the Internet and digital new media – a new Web 2.0 politics based on participatory values? How do broader social, cultural, and economic shifts towards Web 2.0 impact, if at all, on the contexts, the organizational structures, and the communication of politics and policy? Does Web 2.0 hinder or help democratic citizenship? This conference provides an opportunity for researchers to share and debate perspectives.
This conference is being organized by the New Political Communication Unit in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Participate in a major collaborative research initiative that explores the unique characteristics of communities, neighbourhoods and districts in which talented artists, entrepreneurs, firms and organizations thrive. Help inform public policy makers on how to better protect and promote these critical local habitats of infrastructure and services that sustain Toronto’s cultural and creative sectors.
The Creative Convergence Project is a major collaborative research project being undertaken by a consortium that includes: Artscape, MaRS, Evergreen, OCAD, Canadian Film Centre, Toronto International Film Festival Group and funded by partners OMDC, City of Toronto, TEDCO, Waterfront Toronto and with the participation of the University of Toronto Cultural Economy Lab and a long list of partner organizations. I’m the project manager for this, and it’s really fascinating work. I’m lucky to be involved and am enjoying working with the amazing people at Artscape: Tim Jones, Reid Henry and Lori Tesolin.
We’ve started a Facebook group for the project. While Richard Florida may now call Toronto home and the “creative city” is on the lips of many among Toronto’s chattering classes, it is the many thousands of creative and passionate Toronto citizens that will cocreate a city where every individual’s creative passion is nurtured and developed for the benefit of our long-term sustainability and quality of life.
Make art. Build a building. Create software. Tell stories. Push the boundaries of perception and knowledge. Perform, dance and play. All this needs space, place, people and connectivity to make it come alive.
We hope you will join us in writing the story of a city embracing its future.