COC Partners w/ @CineplexDigital Media & BT/A Advertising

Maddie Cotterill

This fall the Canadian Opera Company unveils the addition of a digital interactive multi-media wall to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Located within the glass-enclosed Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room of the opera house, the introduction of the multi-media wall is an exciting initiative to enliven the lobby area during performances and create an opportunity to engage with its audience in a more meaningful way.

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The interactive wall goes live at the Four Seasons Centre on October 6, 2016, when the COC opens its 2016/2017 season with Bellini’s Norma.

The COC’s interactive media wall is a 98” multi-touch interactive freestanding wall installed alongside the southwest corner of the Four Seasons Centre, facing inward for viewing and use by patrons. The wall infrastructure also includes two webcams for photo-capture applications. Using the latest touch sensors, the interactive screen provides a fast and intuitive interface for users to interact with the COC in various ways, including:-

  • Learning about season programming through interactive applications ranging from video trailers, social media feeds and trivia—applications that are custom and are built to suit the COC’s overall engagement objectives
  • Becoming a social media interactive display with content generated by patrons through comments posted about their COC experience on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

COC General Director Alexander Neef told us “The COC is always looking for new ways to engage with its patrons, and in an increasingly digital world this interactive wall allows us to do that via a dynamic and entertaining format. More and more of our patrons of all ages are engaging with us through a variety of digital platforms. This interactive wall is the natural next step in our digital evolution at the COC.”

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The creation of the COC’s digital wall has been through collaboration with BT/A Advertising, the COC’s advertising agency of record, and Cineplex Digital Media. BT/A Advertising has driven the creative process and developed a customized design for content presentation. Cineplex Digital Media conceived of the wall’s strategically designed installation and built out its varied interactive applications as needed for content supplied by the COC.

Barry Avrich, Partner, BT/A Advertising said “Just like the art form itself, this new medium will allow audiences to be immersed in the experience and express themselves in real time. It’s an exciting way to connect and be connected”.

The COC’s interactive wall was installed at the Four Seasons Centre on September 12, 2016 and select patrons were given a sneak peek at the company’s annual season opening party for its President’s Council donor members on September 13, 2016. The interactive wall is now a permanent fixture at the Four Seasons Centre and all COC patrons will have their first opportunity to engage with this new digital platform when the 2016/2017 mainstage season officially opens with a new production of Bellini’s Norma, running October 6 to November 5, performed in repertory with the COC premiere of Handel’s Ariodante, running October 16 to November 4.

The COC’s interactive wall is made possible in part through support from the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, extended to assist the company’s efforts in upgrading existing, under-utilized spaces at the Four Seasons Centre.


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