As Toronto celebrates five years of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Scotiabank
commits to long-term funding and secures future of event

TORONTO, Oct. 3 /CNW/ - As Torontonians took to the streets en masse in a free all-night celebration of contemporary art last night, the City of Toronto announced a four-year funding commitment from Scotiabank.

"Toronto is never so alive as it is during Scotiabank Nuit Blanche," said Rita Davies, Executive Director of Culture, City of Toronto. "The event has transformed Toronto - in the way we engage with contemporary art, with each other and with our city. With four more years to look forward to, I can only imagine the continued magic that will unfold. Our thanks to the arts community that supports it, the audience who attends it, and to Scotiabank who continues to believe in the importance of this event for the future prosperity of our city."

"For the past five years, we have experienced a night of innovation and all-night celebration of contemporary arts and culture through Scotiabank Nuit Blanche," said Duncan Hannay, Senior Vice-President, Marketing. "Scotiabank is thrilled to extend our partnership with the City of Toronto for the next four years, looking to the future of this festival as it showcases the wealth of creative talent that enriches our lives."

The fifth edition of the event demonstrated an ongoing evolution of the all-nighter as audiences - many for the first time - encountered contemporary art, and their city, in a whole new way. The event continued to push the boundaries of art in public space, while making it accessible to entirely new audiences. Over 130 projects - some large scale spectacles to accommodate and wow the masses; others smaller, more intimate experiences designed to captivate and engage - offered audiences magical moments with art in public space until the early hours of the morning.

The event continues to build Toronto's profile as a creative hub - with media coverage spanning the country and spreading globally, hotels fully booked in the downtown core, and the phrase 'Nuit Blanche' trending on Twitter in Canada for days leading up to the event.

Share Your Night, a new platform for gathering the thousands of comments, texts, tweets and photos shared by event goers and participants throughout the night, was streamed in real-time on screens at the event. The public is encouraged to view the archive and vote for Scotiabank People's Choice at www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca until October 6.

Toronto's Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is an annual all-night celebration of contemporary art produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto's arts community. It has been honoured with the prestigious Urban Leadership Award and the Globe and Mail Business for the Arts Award and been named the 'Best Art Event' by NOW Magazine for two years in a row. The 2010 edition of the event brought together the exceptional talents of more than 500 artists and curators, 90 galleries, museums, cultural and educational institutions and neighbourhoods and 600 volunteers who committed their night to celebrating the city's thriving commitment to contemporary art.

Plans are already underway for the sixth edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, which returns to Toronto on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2009 the Bank provided about $39 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. For more information the public can visit www.scotiabank.com.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. 2009 marks the 175th anniversary of Toronto's incorporation as a city. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.

    
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/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Media contacts: Giannina Warren, Economic Development & Culture, 416-395-7318, [email protected]; Livy Feldgajer, Scotiabank Public Affairs, 416-888-4695