Beyond Ice: Interactive experience from the NFB to debut June 21 in Canadian Museum of Nature’s new Canada Goose Arctic Gallery

May 10, 2017 – Ottawa – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The Canadian Museum of Nature and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) are teaming up to produce a unique interactive installation—with real ice—as part of the museum’s new Canada Goose Arctic Gallery. Dubbed Beyond Ice, the installation will debut June 21, 2017, with the opening of the gallery.

This new permanent gallery is the museum’s Canada 150 legacy project. It will immerse visitors in the Arctic’s natural landscapes and its biodiversity through specimens, artifacts and interactives as well as through the voices and perspectives of the peoples that live there. Visitors will be able to reflect about the impacts of change in the Arctic — in the past, present and future.

“By partnering with the National Film Board, one of Canada’s great cultural institutions, museum visitors will get introduced to the Arctic through an innovative and impressionistic storytelling experience” says Meg Beckel, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). “This collaboration is a fine way to continue the legacy of both the museum and the NFB in raising awareness about the Arctic, whether through studying the region’s biodiversity and environments, or through the perspectives of the North’s Indigenous peoples.”

Upon entering the gallery, Beyond Ice will transport visitors to the Arctic with a sensory experience of the region’s sounds, light, sights, and even touch— with slabs of real ice. Visitors will be surprised by the rich biodiversity of the Arctic, and reminded of the interconnectedness between humans and nature. Arctic scenes and animation by Inuit artists projected on the ice will bring the installation to life as visitors walk through it and explore the ice up close. (Image: Conceptual visualization of Beyond Ice)

“The NFB has been a hub of innovation for more than 75 years and the source of countless technological and creative breakthroughs. We are so proud to be partnering with the Canadian Museum of Nature, their scientists and creative teams. Beyond Ice is a great example of the NFB stepping into a public space, venturing into uncharted creative areas and pushing back the boundaries of digital production with new ways of engaging with audiences,” says Claude Joli-Coeur, Government Film Commissioner and President of the National Film Board of Canada.

The NFB is creating the multimedia assets with input from the CMN, and is currently testing them at its Interactive Studio in Montreal. The Museum is managing the installation of the ice structure, which is developed by the Crystal Group based in France, one of the world’s leading designers of ice-focussed exhibits.

Entry to experience Beyond Ice and the Canada Goose Arctic Gallery will be included with regular admission to the Canadian Museum of Nature. The museum is located at 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa.

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Online Screening Room: NFB.ca

About the Canadian Museum of Nature

The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada’s national museum of natural history and natural sciences. The museum provides evidence-based insights, inspiring experiences and meaningful engagement with nature’s past, present and future. It achieves this through scientific research, a 14 million specimen collection, education programs, signature and travelling exhibitions, and a dynamic web site, nature.ca. The museum’s Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration continues the museum’s legacy of more than 100 years of research, documentation, and collections about the biodiversity of Canada’s North.

About the NFB

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is one of the world’s leading digital content hubs, creating groundbreaking interactive documentaries and animation, mobile content, installations and participatory experiences. NFB interactive productions and digital platforms have won 100 awards, including 17 Webbys. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.

Quotes

“By partnering with the National Film Board, one of Canada’s great cultural institutions, museum visitors will get introduced to the Arctic through an innovative and impressionistic storytelling experience” says Meg Beckel, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). “This collaboration is a fine way to continue the legacy of both the museum and the NFB in raising awareness about the Arctic, whether through studying the region’s biodiversity and environments, or through the perspectives of the North’s Indigenous peoples.”

“The NFB has been a hub of innovation for more than 75 years and the source of countless technological and creative breakthroughs. We are so proud to be partnering with the Canadian Museum of Nature, their scientists and creative teams. Beyond Ice is a great example of the NFB stepping into a public space, venturing into uncharted creative areas and pushing back the boundaries of digital production with new ways of engaging with audiences,” says Claude Joli-Coeur, Government Film Commissioner and President of the National Film Board of Canada.

Associated Links

• Canadian Museum of Nature
• Canada Goose Arctic Gallery

Contacts

For the Canadian Museum of Nature
Dan Smythe
Media Relations
Tel.: 613-566-4781
Cell: 613-698-9253
E-mail: dsmythe@mus-nature.ca

For the NFB

Pat Dillon-Moore
Publicist
Cell: 514-206-1750
E-mail: p.dillon@nfb.ca

Lily Robert
Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
Tel.: 514-283-3838
Cell: 514-296-8261
l.robert@nfb.ca

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