The time is now - How to plan the best Nocturne ever!
And just like that, here we are again, the season of Nocturne is upon us!
It's been in our heads for months but now we get to bring you into our world and we want to help you make a plan to have the best Nocturne ever!
This year’s festival has so much to offer— including an extensive list of engaging physical AND virtual programming and 4 days to take it all in. With the extra time and space to experience more than you have ever before you can truly plan around your schedule and find ways to take in a little Nocturne every day.
Table of Contents:
- Make A Plan
- Zoom Etiquette
- Accessibility & Safety
- COVID Precautions
- Getting Information & Volunteers
- The Nocturne Guide
- Share Your Experience
First off, for those of you new to Nocturne, let us introduce ourselves! Nocturne: Art at Night is an annual celebration of contemporary professional art in Kjipuktuk/Halifax and this is the 14th annual festival. Typically a one-night festival, this year we’re presenting a hybrid version to bring art to the streets (and internet-connected devices!) of Kjipuktuk/Halifax and virtually everywhere for 4 days!
To have the best time at Nocturne, you’ll first want to...
Make A Plan
While you won’t be running the streets of this city to get to 100 projects in one night, you will need to plan ahead to know what’s happening each day of the festival. This way, you won’t miss any of the special scheduled programming. Nocturne projects this year take a few different forms:
- Physical projects
- Either at scheduled times OR available throughout the entire week
- Virtual projects
- Either at scheduled times OR available throughout the entire week
- Hybrid projects
- Available in both physical and virtual formats
To make your plan, start by checking out each category on our brand new Projects page. Click through and take note of the ones that intrigue you! Or check out this handy schedule. You can also check out The Guide which comes out in The Coast on October 14th!
Click on each project to find out more information - whether it’s happening at a scheduled time or if it’s available throughout the entire week. Some projects allow you to pre-register you can click the link to Register Now! and we’ve even added a handy “Add to Calendar” option.
For our physical and hybrid projects, we are taking COVID-19 seriously. And we want you to, as well! We have spaced out the projects in an effort to avoid large gatherings. Keep in mind all the public health regulations and take a look through our COVID-19 precautions here. Remember that masks are mandatory in all indoor spaces and proof of vaccination is required for many indoor venues. We have QR codes set up around the festival for you to sign in at incase we need to contact trace.
Whatever you do, your plan should definitely include:
- Picking up your vary own limited edition LIMINAL crewneck to keep you warm and toasty.
- A Nocturne Black IPA brought to you by our long-term pals Propeller Brewing (for 19+ beer-lovers!). $1.50 from every beer sale goes to Nocturne.
Safety & Accessibility
Every year we work hard to provide a safe and accessible experience for all who attend the festival so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the importance of accessibility and your safety at Nocturne! We are grateful to work with Emera this year in bringing more accessibility features to the festival across all 60+ projects! Read more about our partnership with them here.
This looks a little different when it comes to a partially online event. We’ve broken down these two topics in the next section:
Accessibility
Nocturne strives to highlight specific available services throughout the festival. You can find a handy "filter by accessibility" option on the Projects page. We also encourage all of our artists to host their projects in accessible spaces. Find all accessibility information for venues on individual project pages. As well, we ensure that gender-neutral washrooms and their locations are easily identifiable at each physical project location.
We’re always striving to make the festival more accessible, and are open to feedback at [email protected].
Safety
Our goal is for everyone to have a safe experience at Nocturne! If you do choose to get out and take in the physical projects, look to the experts at Heads Up Halifax on how to best ensure your safety while you're roaming the art-filled streets during Nocturne!
The Heads Up Halifax campaign reminds everyone to:
- Make eye contact with drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists when approaching a crosswalk to ensure you are seen and your intentions [to cross] are understood. No assumptions. No surprises.
- Slow down as you approach a crosswalk and scanning the street when approaching crosswalks and intersections
- Press the button to activate the overhead lights (when they exist) and not crossing the street when the flashing hand sign is present
- Avoid all distractions when driving or walking into a crosswalk area, whether people, cars, or bikes are present or not.
COVID Precautions
We take COVID-19 seriously and have some reminders for everyone attending Nocturne. See our COVID-19 Precautions here.
Volunteers & Getting Information
While we won’t have a “Hub” like past years, Nocturne volunteers will be out and about handing out guides and helping you find the information you need to enjoy the festival! You can find volunteers in key locations in each zone:
- North Memorial Library
- Propeller Brewery
- Halifax Central Library
- Salt Yard Two
- Alderney Gate
- Volunteers will also be stationed close to physical projects - look for the folks in the white vests.
Our volunteers can help you find:
- The nearest project
- Closest washroom
- A fresh copy of The Nocturne Guide
- And more!
Some of our volunteers are newcomers to our great city and are looking to get to know it better - make sure to say ‘hi’ when you see them!
The Nocturne Guide
If you don’t know yet, The Nocturne Guide is your go-to for all the information on projects the night of Nocturne. This year it is a little special! On the inside cover it features a special keepsake poster, a collaboration with artist Michelle Sylliboy, feel free to cut it out and hold onto the Nocturne memories long after the festival. Inside you can also find a listing of all the projects, a map, information about the festival and more! It is still best to keep an eye on the website incase any schedules change (we are all pretty used to that by now!)
You can pick up a copy of the guide from a volunteer or in any copy of The Coast October 14th edition - you can find The Coast at 600 locations, including on wire racks on every university and college campus, in high-traffic retail locations, entertainment establishments, and newspaper boxes around the city. Although, the highest concentration of The Coast boxes are found on the peninsula, you’re able to find a copy of The Nocturne Guide wherever you find a copy of The Coast in your neighbourhood in HRM. You can also see it here on their website.
We've also posted a downloadable PDF on our website!
Share Your Experience
We want to hear from you! How was your experience at Nocturne? What was your favourite project? Tag us @NocturneHalifax on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your photos, ideas, and comments.
Looking for more?
The best way to get information about Nocturne is to follow us on social media and make sure your notifications are turned on! We will be sharing your content throughout the week of Nocturne and posting LIVE from art installations all over the city. We’ll also keep you informed of any changes to project locations, schedules, and more.
And there you have it - how to prepare to have your best Nocturne yet!