Richard Taki with husband Shane Returning Auckland Pride Festival Director Richard Taki says he and the Auckland Pride Festival Trust Board have listened to feedback about this year’s Parade, and promises issues with gaps between the floats will be fixed for 2015. The Kiwi Melbourne resident is coming back to take the reins of the splashy event for the second year running, when it returns to Ponsony Rd as a centrepiece of Auckland Pride Festival on Saturday 21 February, with a slightly later start time of 7.30PM. He says both he and the Board have listened to feedback and are using it in their planning for 2015. “There are two key operational areas that we'll be working hard to improve with our learnings from 2014,” he says. “The gaps between floats and the set-up area.” This year's stunning winning float. Picture by Adam Baines. Taki acknowledges the timing of gaps between the floats was too long for the 2014 Parade, something which will be rectified. He says the problem was exacerbated by several floats stopping, making the gaps even larger, so there will be an increased focus on issues around timing, choreography and stopping in next year’s pre-Parade training sessions and communications with participants. Taki says the instructions given in the set-up area were also not clearly understood by all drivers and participants, causing some floats to get out of order. He says more senior coordinators will be assigned to this area in 2015, with a stronger emphasis on set-up and pack-down area procedures in training sessions and communications. Most of this year’s senior volunteer team will return, and Taki says they are dedicated to working alongside participants to keep raising the presentation standard and wow factor of parade entries and floats. “I’m sure you’ll be as happy as I am that Baz Bloomfield is returning as the Parade Registration Coordinator and Murray Broadmore will be back as Parade Volunteer Coordinator,” Taki says. “These are volunteer roles that Baz and Murray have carried out with commitment, passion and pride in our community. Both put in almost as many hours as I did to bring last year’s Auckland Pride Parade to Ponsonby Road, and I'm very proud to be working alongside them again.” Picture courtesy of Auckland Council Taki has been back in Melbourne post this year’s Auckland Pride Festival, where he works at the Victorian College of the Arts. He was actively involved in the 20th International AIDS Conference in July, producing two new theatre works about people living with HIV/AIDS, and hosting the massive International AIDS 2014 Candlelight Vigil in Melbourne’s Federation Square. He’s excited about being back for Auckland Pride Parade 2015, which will hit Ponsonby Rd on Saturday 21 February with a slightly later start time of 7.30PM. It has a Gods and Monsters theme and participants are urged to “release the beauty, or the beast, within”. “I’m looking forward to getting my sexy on, and seeing all of the beautiful gods and delicious monsters,” Taki says. “Registration forms are up on the Auckland Pride Festival website, so I’d suggest that you let me know your ideas and music now – before anyone else steals your song or look!” Registrations are open here
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 9th October 2014 - 1:25pm