Saturday 25 June, 5.30pm, The Octagon, Dunedin
On June 25th 2011, the lights will be turned off in the heart of Dunedin city and ‘Night Creatures’ will take over. The iconic Dunedin Midwinter Carnival returns in 2011 with ‘Night Creatures’, New Zealand’s very own insect fairytale.
The Octagon’s Victorian streetscape and St Paul’s Cathedral will be brought to life, with braziers and giant lanterns, stilt walkers, musicians and dancers, who will circumnavigate the Octagon, joined by hundreds of smaller hand-made lanterns carried by local children. The lanterns represent returning light, creativity, and community.
Juliet Novena Sorrel, the carnival’s Artistic Director described the moment when the lanterns are lit just before the parade starts as “truly magical”. The magic must be powerful as an estimated 10,000 people attended the Midwinter Carnival in 2010.
The Midwinter Carnival art team works hard to make each event unique with a new theme, different costuming, lanterns and performance every year. Sorrel explained that “Dunedin has some very talented people and it is great to be able to bring them together to celebrate winter, the longest night and the rise of Matariki.” This year promises to be just as magical. Expect giant lanterns created by Dunedin artist Katrina Thomson which will represent features in the night sky, giant puriri moths the moon, and wetas.
Spectacular costumes are another essential element of the Midwinter Carnival. Well known Dunedin fashion designer Fieke Neuman is working on the Carnival art team to create extraordinary stilt costumes with an insect theme. The costumes will be performed in by a group of young women stiltwalkers trained by Novena Sorrel, who was herself a professional stiltwalker. The stilt characters have names such as ‘Girly Long Legs’, ‘Mosquitoes’ and ‘Beetle Girls’.
Last year saw 70 costumed performers and this year’s procession promises additional “feature characters” who will showcase their individual talents. International stiltwalker and aerialist Rhys Latton has joined the Midwinter Carnival team this year and will perform as a giant spider on four legged stilts. Sorrel described Fieke Newman’s creations as “So unique that audiences are in for a real treat, while actors like Rhys ‘become’ the creatures they portray”.
The first midwinter celebration was held in 1997 and over the last decade the Midwinter Carnival has left indelible memories in the minds of Dunedin’s younger generation. Hundreds of local families will be part of this year’s parade with their own hand-made lanterns. Lantern making workshops for all ages will take place on 4-5th June, 11-12th June, and 18-19th June, in South Dunedin, North East Vallery, and the central city. The cost is $5 per lantern and participants must register online at http://www.midwintercarnival.co.nz/.
The Midwinter Carnival event is suitable for all ages with organisers requesting a donation or gift of koha from attendees.
For more information contact:
Sarah Girvan Juliet Novena Sorrel
Publicist Artistic Director
Immersion Marketing Dunedin Midwinter Carnival
03 479 2036 03 477 3350
021 552 240 027 565 7713
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