Auckland Pride Parade Route and Time Confirmed

Pride Parade Route and Time Confirmed

The Auckland Pride Festival Trust is pleased to announce the official route and time for next year’s Auckland Pride Parade 2013.

The Auckland Pride Parade 2013 will take place on Saturday 16 February, on Ponsonby Road. The parade will start at Three Lamps, Ponsonby Road in the late afternoon at 4PM and will travel the length of Ponsonby Rd to end at Western Park.

Auckland Pride is thrilled that the Parade will be held on Ponsonby Road, once again. “It's like a return to the home of Auckland’s Rainbow Community and a place that holds wonderful memories for many Aucklanders from the old Hero Parades,” says Gresham Bradley, APFT Co Chair.

The Pride Parade has the theme “One Community” reflecting a Rainbow community that is one in its diversity, a community that has matured, and a community that has a place in the wider community.

‘One Community’ is a father, a banker, a mother, an office worker, a sister, a brother, a policeman, a politician, a daughter, a same sex family with children, a lawyer, a doctor, a labourer, a cleaner, an unemployed worker, a teacher, an actor, you and me, living in any suburb in Auckland or town in New Zealand.

The 2013 Auckland Pride Festival Parade will showcase and celebrate our artistic talents, many cultures, varied Rainbow Community groups and participation in the life of New Zealand society encompassing a broader demographic - the ‘One Community’.

The 2013 parade is being held mid afternoon attracting a broader audience including our children, youth and elders. An afternoon parade will showcase the different perspectives, cultural dimensions and many colours that represent our ‘One Community’.

Launch of the new Auckland Pride Festival Logo

The Auckland Pride Festival Trust is pleased to present the new Auckland Pride Festival logo, created by Kelly Baya of iCandyMedia. Kelly Baya’s logo design was selected among the applications to be eye-catchy, innovative and representative of the rainbow community.

“It was really exciting to see the different interpretations of ‘Pride’ that came through on the logo submissions. After a rigorous selection process we selected Kelly’s design, then worked with her to further refine the design until we came up with the finished product,” says Megan Cunningham-Adams, APFT Board Trustee.

This logo will be used as the forefront icon that symbolizes and represents Auckland Pride Festival to the community, unique to Auckland, New Zealand. It will be on display in and throughout the festival and its collateral. The Board would like to thank all those who put their logo concepts and designs forward.

Auckland Pride Festival and Parade Coordinators Appointed

The Auckland Pride Festival Trust is delighted to formally announce the two appointments to the Festival and Parade Coordinator positions, and they are Julian Cook appointed as Festival Coordinator and Jonathan Smith appointed as Parade Coordinator to the Auckland Pride Festival 2013.

Julian is an experienced event manager and marketeer who have worked on many festivals and major events within Auckland – including New Zealand Fashion Week, WOMAD, Ignite, AK03, Aroha and Hero, for which he produced the epic 2001 and 2002 Hero Parties. He is also a public relations writer for a range of arts, fashion, television, youth and charity organisations, including the Art Director of JACK magazine and a former Editor of Express newspaper.

Jonathan has had a strong relationship with the GLBT community over the past 18 years when he organised the first HIV/AIDS March held in Auckland in 1994. Since then he has been involved with the community in a variety of roles from Chairman of the NZ AIDS Foundation, founding trustee of the Circle of Friends, numerous fundraising events for NZAF, project manager of the Big Gay Out (2003/2004/2008) and more recently the Creative Director of Queen of the Whole Universe. He is also known for his alto ego Bimbo that he shares with his/her partner Buffy.

Jonathan is also the owner /director of Eventimento NZ Ltd, an event management company specialising in art related events small and large, which he combines with his lecturing responsibilities at Unitec.

The Board congratulate and welcome Julian and Jonathan to this great opportunity to lead and organise Auckland Pride Festival and Parade 2013. Both men will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills to the Auckland Pride Festival 2013 and have a great deal of knowledge in working with the community and in events and festivals alike.

The Auckland Pride Festival Board and the appointed Coordinators will be working with key sponsors, such as Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), stakeholders, such as Auckland Council, Auckland Transport (AT), NZ Police, and the LGBT Community to ensure the Auckland Pride Festival and Pride Parade will run successfully and become must-attend events of the 2013 calendar.

The Auckland Pride Festival Trust would like to thank all those who put their names forward. With an extensive number of high quality applicants, the interview panel was faced with a difficult decision to make. The calibre of the applicants and their interest and commitment to their communities and to Auckland was impressive.

People interested in information on participation in the Pride Parade please contact the Parade Coordinator, Jonathan Smith on parade@aucklandpridefestival.org.nz

People interested in information on the Pride Festival, please contact the Festival Coordinator, Julian Cook on festival@aucklandpridefestival.org.nz

ENDS

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