Museum creates content for Facebook. Talks directly to children in their environment

Canada's first cultural attraction to host a Facebook Live event. From the Ontario Science Centre's Da Vinci exhibition
Da Vinci would have been impressed. A Facebook First is broadcast live from Leonardo exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre
It is what is coming to your Facebook account soon. A couple of weeks ago, radio show host William Doyle Marshall and I took in the very first Canadian museum Facebook "TV" broadcast to be held.
The Facebook Live event was at Toronto's Ontario Science Centre (Canada) in their exhibition hall where they have a traveling exhibition about the inventions of Leonardo daVinci. The Science Museum brought in a panel of experts from as far away as Italy to talk on camera to educators and young Facebook followers about the genius of the Italian inventor who died five centuries ago.
The hour-long broadcast shown in real time on Facebook had a very large cast of characters (most shown in picture below) and probably had a very large budget (Wendy Mesley doesn't come cheap). Facebook keeps tight controls on the "broadcast rights" for these shows, and, only an approved camera crew (not shown) could be used.
In the changing landscape of media, it is very hard for a public cultural institution to find a place to talk seriously about their exhibitions, without buying advertorial programming in the off-hour wasteland of broadcast TV.
The Science Centre provided an hour of live content on Facebook and was able to reach children on a medium where they are known to be found. Educational. Interesting. Worthy, but, advertorial none-the-less. 
The Medium Isn't The Message
Science Centre expert  Hooley McLaughlin talked about the importance of talking with students about science. "Da Vinci exemplified living a full, rich life, letting his imagination wander in daily life," he said following the Facebook broadcast. "That is a powerful message. He didn't differentiate between art and science. (Young Canadians) don't have to think of themselves as one type, having one career. You can invent in any area of your life."
William and I were the only "media" at the event. We were in a public hall next to the broadcast area. I couldn't hear it very well and the lighting was awful. Didn't matter since the DaVinci debate was meant for computers - where it looked great. Watched most of it on my Blackberry while sitting in the audience.
Part of the team that staged the da Vinci Facebook Live Event
The “Inspiring Inventiveness: Beyond da Vinci” panel included Kobo founder Michael Serbinis (centre - eyes closed), da Vinci expert Massimiliano Lisa (second from left with eyes closed), Today’s Parent executive editor Sandra Martin (3rd from left - eyes open!!!) and the Science Centre’s chief science officer, Hooley McLaughlin (far left eyes closed). Broadcast live inside Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop: The Exhibition, was moderated by CBC host Wendy Mesley (fourth from left with eyes open - standing under shelf of skulls).
(I was going to post this report in one of my blogs but thought Facebook was a more suitable place for it! So this appeared on one of my two blogs an hour before appearing here)

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