December 06, 2006 -

OTTAWA -- ArtsAlive.ca, the National Arts Centre’s performing arts education website, has a bold new look that enables easier-than-ever access to engaging information that helps students, parents and teachers explore the fascinating world of the performing arts.

The new look includes a freshly redesigned splash page that is colourful and attractive to the eye, complete with bold imagery and compelling photographs. The page also features a “What’s Hot” section that highlights different content every time the user visits the site. That same feature also appears on each of ArtsAlive.ca’s four modules (Music, English Theatre, French Theatre and Dance).

Reconfigured introductory pages allow for a more in-depth experience with the extensive content that is available. Resources and information of interest to each of ArtsAlive.ca's major target audiences—teachers, students and parents—are identified on the home page of each of the sites’s four modules, which will help guide those audiences to content suited just for them. Finally, users can sign-up to receive monthly updates about what’s new on the site.

“We’re excited about ArtsAlive.ca’s new look and features,” said Maurizio Ortolani, NAC New Media Producer. “Now that the site is more engaging, and better equipped to help users discover the wealth of information available to them, we’re sure ArtsAlive.ca will make learning about the performing arts more fun than ever.”

Launched to the Web in 2002, ArtsAlive.ca is the National Arts Centre’s performing arts education website targeted at Canadian teachers, students and parents. The website helps the NAC pursue its strategic goals of strengthening performing arts education across Canada and developing audiences among Canadian youth. In 2005, EduNET Connect, an Internet Educational Network, awarded ArtsAlive.ca an EduNET Choice Award for providing and maintaining valuable educational content. In 2003, EducationWorld.com gave ArtsAlive.ca a perfect A+ rating in its review of the site. The goal of Education World is to make it easy for educators to integrate the Internet into the classroom.

ArtsAlive.ca is produced by the National Arts Centre New Media department and is made possible by support from the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online (CCO) program. ArtsAlive.ca exemplifies the NAC’s deep commitment to youth and education—one of the organizations strategic goals.

The Department of Canadian Heritage is pleased to support this project through the Canadian Memory Fund, part of its strategy for Canadian Culture Online. This Fund supports federal institutions in putting Canada's key cultural collections online. The goal of the Canadian Culture Online strategy is to ensure a dynamic and diverse Canadian cultural presence on the Internet.

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For more information, please contact:
Mary Gordon, Communications Advisor
National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000, ext. 524