25 February 2005

Giant Mirror Ball To Be Installed Today

The world’s biggest mirror ball will is to be hoisted into place in Cuba Street this evening.

The 3.5-metre colossus – designed by Wellington artist Greg Kyle and incorporating at least 5000 separate pieces of mirror – is to hang from a scaffold erected in the Swan Lane car park between Ghuznee and Vivian Streets.

The mirror ball will be lifted into place at about 5pm.

It’ll take pride of place during tomorrow’s Cuba Street Carnival – and will be a glittering focus during the Night Parade tomorrow evening.

Cuba Carnival Trust Chair Chris Morley-Hall says the mirror ball is “outstanding – when we get the spotlights aimed at it tomorrow night it’ll just dazzle the whole street.”

However he says the mirror ball will have stiff competition in the dazzling stakes. Groups from all over New Zealand are feverishly making the last-minute touches to floats, decorations, costumes and performances.

With major prizes up for offer to participants in the night parade this year, the midnight oil is being burnt to make sure everything is perfect for a win

With a theme of “BODY ELECTRIC”, Floats will be judged by celebrity judges – Suzie Moncrieff (World Of Wearable arts) Polly Gillespie (ZM morning Crew) Mark Blumsky (Former Mayor Of Wellington And Trustee Of The Carnival).

“The prizes recognise the huge amount of time and effort that so many people put into their floats, rather than making it a competition,” says Chris.

“The mission for the Cuba Street Carnival 2005 is to inspire and impress. Along with the spectacular night parade, a major element of this will be the decoration of the entire site,” says Chris.

The new-look Carnival is focusing on the wealth of creativity on which Cuba Street prides itself.

A team of post-graduate students from the Victoria University School of Architecture and Design have been designing and constructing a myriad of installation pieces over the last three months to ensure the entire carnival site is transformed into to a spectacle of colour.

“Retailers are getting in on the action as well this year,” says Chris. “With prizes up for grabs – including nights at the Duxton hotel and dinner at Logan Brown, windows are being given the spruce-up for the best dressed shop on the street competition. There have even been rumours of live interactive window displays,” says Chris.

Carnival 05 will hit Cuba Street from 11am Saturday 26 February, with the Night Parade from 8.30pm.

ENDS

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