(March 30, 2023) - On Saturday, March 25th, 黑料吃瓜不打烊’s (MSoA) students curated the fifth annual Nuit Blanche, an evening dedicated to celebrating unity, culture and pride within Sudbury’s arts community. Nuit Blanche was first conceived by MSoA students in 2017 and involves art installations, musical and dance performances, as well as local vendors.
“Nuit Blanche is all about bringing students and the northern community together through art and music,” explained Event Coordinator, Jenna El Takkale (Cairo, Egypt), third year Architectural Studies student. “Being able to enjoy artistic experiences as a community is powerful, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate many artists from across Northern Ontario.”
Nuit Blanche refers to night-time arts festivals that have become popular across the world.
According to El Takkale, the success of Nuit Blanche was made possible by a team of passionate student volunteers. Alongside her, student leads coordinated and curated an event that was enjoyed by hundreds of visitors to the MSoA:
- Artist management lead: Sophie Jenson (Bradford, ON), 3rd year Architectural Studies student;
- Music lead: Melanie Vanco (Sudbury, ON), 4th year Architectural Studies student;
- Vendor lead: Siah Klassen (Emonston, AB), 3rd year Architectural Studies student;
- Media lead: Tanya D’Souza (Lubumbashi, DR Congo), 4th year Architectural Studies student;
- Graphic design lead: Justine Raso (Hamilton, ON), 3rd Architectural Studies student.
Many special guests performed at this year’s Nuit Blanche, including:
- Indigenous Pow Wow performers such as LU’s Drumming Circle;
- Bad Actors, a local acoustic duo that played original folk music on banjo and guitar;
- Sierra MacMillan, talented 4th year Architectural Studies indie-alternative acoustic musician;
- Cassidy Houston, LU alumna and local folk singer and songwriter;
- Spiced Islands; local funk rock hand;
- Teleporters, local rock band;
- Nico See at the Boulevard, hip hop rap artist from New Liskeard (ON), accompanied by live music.
“Local vendors were also on the scene,” said El Takkale. “It felt great to be able to support Northern Ontario small businesses by inviting them to be a part of Nuit Blanche.”
“Nuit Blanche is an important student-led tradition at the McEwen School of Architecture,” said Dr. Tammy Gaber, Director of the McEwen School of Architecture. “Our students have hosted several very successful Nuit Blanches, including in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. This year’s Nuit Blanche was no exception in its grandeur. The creative energies of our MSoA student body and members of the local community were celebrated, and this event was enjoyed by all who attended.”
Architecture students are already excited about next year’s event, as the intention is for Nuit Blanche to return to being delivered annually. This year’s Nuit Blanche returned after a two year (2021 and 2022) hiatus that was catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It felt amazing to be able to offer Nuit Blanche once again to a community that I am proud to be a part of,” said El Takkale.