Update: The new pictures can be found here.
I don’t really know how to announce this, so I’ll just do it straight up: Cirque du Soleil has handed M-C two press passes to blog the premiere of Delirium, its new live music and performance event, and she has decided to take me. This is the first time Cirque du Soleil has allowed citizen journalists to blog, podcast, and vlog the event as journalists. Ever.
What does this mean, on a practical basis? It means Marie-Chantale Turgeon of Vu d’Ici fame and myself are attending this event as press. It also includes backstage access before the show, for the purpose of interviews or whatever. (All credit goes to M-C for this. She did all the work and deserves the attention.) While I don’t know much of the details, I suspect that Cirque has decided to do this because the organization hopes to open this kind of participation to the public at large. This would be amazing for publicity, not to mention making the company look great in the eyes of the public.
Anyone who listens to my podcast knows that I see very little difference between producers and consumers of content. I see the only barrier as being a mental one, and even that has mostly been created by media organizations who are preventing access to their transmitters. So I’m happy to be working with an organization that is embracing the culture that we, on the web, are so accustomed to.
One of the strongest arguments for such an opening, in my opinion, is that the hugest fans of the arts are generally not the journalists themselves. Day in and day out, fans of Cirque du Soleil are discussing arcane topics on message boards that most journalists would get lost in anyway. I say: why not let that enthusiasm carry over into the public portrayal of your projects? Cirque: These people love you! And bloggers are producing more important, funny, and insightful content than they ever have – let yourself be a part of where the world is going.
On my end, I’m extremely excited to be producing content that both newbies and existing fans of Cirque du Soleil can find exciting and informative. If you have any opinions or comments, please let us know!
(Also see M-C’s post on the event, in English and French.)
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