Auckland Pride Parade director Richard Taki has a challenge for people complaining about gaps – he wants them to come and volunteer and help close the gaps next year. While it’s been widely declared the best Parade yet, and a major step up in terms of the quality of the floats, the one criticism has been gaps between the floats. Taki says people just need to get over it. “We did a huge amount of work to reduce them. We can only do so much.”He says, for example, one float was going very slow and the gap became bigger and bigger. He and his team walked with them and upped the pace until they were within a good distance of the float in front again. “And it was solved. It’s not like we’re not trying to reduce them and I think people in their feedback should really give of themselves and come and help us. We actually do need help. We did have some volunteers not turn up on the day, so then I have to quickly fill those spots with friends and friends of friends – we need volunteers. “If people want to put energy into anything, I would rather they put their money where their mouth is and come and help us out on the day. Because it is a huge event. And they have got to realise I am not the Louis Vuitton Cup, I am not the Farmers Santa Parade – I don’t have thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. This event is put on my one part time paid person – that’s me. I give the rest of my time for free. And I work this event with volunteers.” Taki says he will take last year's gaps on the chin, but says people are “just being naughty this year” and should come and volunteer. “And then they’ll see how difficult it is to put an event of this scale on when you’re working with unpaid people.” The event director is tired, but and happy. He is offering a massive thank you to all those who did volunteer, saying spending time with them after the parade and expressing his gratitude was one of his highlights of the night. “Half of them were yelling ‘we’re coming back next year’,” he says. Taki says the feedback he’s had from people who took part was that it boosted their pride and their self-confidence. “The feedback I am getting is how proud people are of themselves and their groups.” It seems crowd numbers were down. The weather wouldn’t have helped. Taki says there were also a number of major events on that Saturday. “I know that there were people who probably would have come to the parade, who went to those other events. We were competing … I’m sure that would have had an effect. And obviously the rain kickstarting from the morning and going throughout the day does put a dampener on it.” He says there were thousands of people in the parade though and he is focusing on is their smiling faces. What seems certain is that next year will be the biggest parade yet, with Auckland Pride Festival being run in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Outgames. In the meantime, Taki has a plan to start collecting images, jewellery, art and costumes from the parades for posterity. “I am starting to ask some people if they will gift me items. I really want to work on creating a gallery exhibition. It won’t be ready for a few years because I need material, but I’ll apply for funding external to Pride, external to Council, from an arts organisation, to see if I can get some pieces curated and properly stored. “Then in a few years’ time we can have an exhibition for Pride, but also to pay homage to Hero. I know people have already done similar things, but I certainly want to start a legacy, so we can have a section about Hero as well.” Taki says of the floats have had the touches of people from the fine arts world “and they have created some amazing pieces of work that we should certainly have on display.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 2nd March 2015 - 9:41am