Mardi Gras to split parade and party
The Mardi Gras parade and official after-party will be held on different weekends in 2010.
Next year’s parade will be held on February 27, while the party will be held on March 6. Fair Day will be held on 21 February and Harbour Party on 28 February.
The festival will also be cut back to two weeks.
New Mardi Gras CEO Anna McInerney said the decision to split the parade and party was an evolutionary one.
We’ve looked at how other major festival-type events are produced around the world and one of the clear lessons is that they run as a series of parties, she said in an official statement.
Rio and New Orleans are not just a single parade Â-” though they have that as their core. They encompass many small parades and parties and go on for days. That is what we want to bring to Sydney at Mardi Gras and in particular that final week.
The 2010 season theme, Mardi Gras’ History of the World, will be an exploration of gay people’s stories through the ages and a queer take on some of the great moments and figures of history.
Festival executive producer Danielle Harvey said the decision to further cut the festival back, now to two weeks, was also based on other international events.
A review of major arts festivals around the world showed they were typically two-week festivals, she said.
By moving to two weeks we will be able to create a much more impactful experience for both local and international audiences.
NMG chair David Imrie said the changes to the festival would continue to make it one of the best in the world.
Mardi Gras has already evolved out of all recognition from the 1978 march to become a major arts festival, party promoter and world-famous event, he said.
This would not have been possible without flexibility and creativity in how we program. A good example was the move to a summer parade. If that hadn’t happened the event would never have grown to the stature it has.
Have your say: Should the parade and party be held on different weekends?
Vote now in our online poll.
I wonder if splitting the parade and party is a precursor to moving the party to Homebush?
Watch this space …
The question that I have with the change is;- will people dress up for 2 nights? This really could turn the MARDI GRAS PARTY into just another party.
Sorry to say, but Mardi Gras you will not be getting my $150 (there abouts) for my party ticket and I think I have only missed 3 over the years.
A dedicated 78’er
Merlot, Look at your own language. You are resorting to name calling under a pseudonym in order to stop my questions. All I am saying is that if Mardi Gras board/staff are heading down a path that they themselves identify as risky, then I as a member want to be reassured that they have made this decision based on sound research and advice. Secondly I would like to be reassured that if it fails, that there is enough -˜fat’ in the budget that the organisation would survive past 2010. Currently I am not convinced of either of those things. I could be wrong but I don’t think that I am the only member worried about this.
NMG have released a statement to members today saying that they are confident in their decision and they have taken many factors in to consideration. That may be true, but if they are confident they will have no reason not to discuss their decision and how they came to make it in a face to face meeting with members. A meeting would be an opportunity for the board to explain and also to listen to members. A face to face meeting is always better than postings on a website or email/ press releases to members. Posters have commented on the boards leadership in making this decision. To be on a board and be willing to make tough decisions is one type of leadership. It is much more difficult as a community leader to stand up in front of members and discuss your decision and to truly listen to their concerns and to me that would demonstrate a higher level of leadership
That’s so true Chris, Its funny I have to say I never thought of it that way but that actually makes allot of sense.
Also, with my previous post I meant that people from the gay community may not want to be involved in the parade from this decision.
Oliver..you boring ole nanna (apologies to the nannas) what is wrong with a-œLook at me! Look at me! Fest for the gay and lesbian community…we spend all our waking days with the look at me heterosexual culture…walking down ANY street,in our lives , the media , marriage ,pop culture need I go on. EVERY day is the heterosexual Mardi gras and you bemoan us having one night!!!
The Mardi Gras is a Stale old, “Look at me! Look at me!” Fest which original idea came out of San Francisco and really was for the sole purpose of Legalising Homosexuality. Its Sleazy and outdated and people are starting to realise it.
It’s quite obvious the community haven’t been turning out as spectators to watch the parade…which is the heart of Mardi Gras.
This move could really reinvigorate the parade and bring some excitement and buzz back to the MG season.
Its all going to be straight people watching the show and the floats will now be ones from straight people/community as with all this rage I’m sure allot of gay people will choose not to be part of it – Its ok for the straights I mean they don’t care about the parade being for us/our community, as long as they get a chance to wear barely nothing and act all girly on a night where it is deemed appropriate then that all that matters, as their community/lifestyle/clubs/RSL’s etc don’t allow such “dramatic” behaviour as our community does.
MG is my night, Oxford st is my street and I want them back.
Its not fair. It REALLY isn’t and for all you people telling us to shut up and to deal with it is simply wrong.
We got rorted.Simple.
Damned if you do, Damned if you don’t!!!
Poor Mardi Gras committee, copping a beating for doing their job. Their unpaid thankless voluntary job.
My two cents worth on putting the parade and the party on different nights: About time, now we can all go and enjoy both rather than just one or the other. No more exhaustion.
Jenny, no doubt (some) members disagree.
But the thought of a meeting in the middle of winter and 30 angry people passing motions, demanding the production of documents, dismissing explanations…self-promoting activists proclaiming they represent “the members” concern.
Look at your own language…”we” “our” “the members”. It’s your opinion, your entitled to it…stand for the next Board.
Invariably, your gathering will carry a motion opposed to the move. Next? The chaos descends.
Miranda…you sound very bitter..sounds like you could benefit enormously from lightening up…maybe take a few pills and go dancing..hell you may even enjoy yourself!!
It seems that everyone always bitches about Mardi Gras. For years people have said it’s getting stale.
So the board of Mardi Gras does something that looks quite clever to give it some oomph in 2010 by shortening the festival and providing three huge weekends, a move that might bring back the tourists like it used to be ten years ago when the streets were full of foreigners for a couple of weeks, and Sydney had a great atmosphere.
And then people start carrying on about the changes, saying they wanted it to stay the same.
Why don’t we just wait and see? 2010 might turn out to be the best ever Mardi Gras. Or maybe it won’t, and NMG will change the format back again. Either way, it’s not a matter of life or death here people – keep it in perspective.
And for what it’s worth, I congratulate the board of Mardi Gras for having the guts to try something new.
I agree with those punters who say “let’s suck it and see”.
Meanwhile, well said Alex Day. So long as the Board has done its due diligence on this — that any risks have been identified and will be managed and that the objectives of these events continue to be met consistent with the core purpose of the organisation — I don’t see what all the fuss is about.
Merlot, I agree that I elect a board to lead but I also elect them to represent me as a member. When David Imrie was elected as president, he said that is was his intention to improve member communications, to involve members more and to be consultative. I can’t see those qualities demonstrated in the processes associated with this decision.
For most management decisions I expect the board to show leadership, however I don’t equate leadership with cutting members out of decisions where there input should be sought.
In changing the nature of the linkage between parade and party, the board are making a very major organisational decision which may make or break the organisation. I have seen one Mardi Gras organisation go under and I don’t want to see another. To me Mardi Gras is too important. It could be that this is the best decision ever made for Mardi Gras, or it could be that it is the worst decision ever made. I don’t believe Mardi Gras could survive two bankruptcies therefore I don’t believe that just saying ‘let’s give it a go and see what happens’ is acceptable.
To me it is a reasonable request that we members are provided with all the data/research on which this decision was based so that we can make up our own minds. To me it is a reasonable request that Mardi Gras hold a members meeting to discuss the issues and the reasons for the decision. I would like to think that New Mardi Gras were still responsive enough to members that on seeing the number of postings here, that they would organise a members meeting to discuss the issue rather than have members be forced to organise an EGM.
This may be the answer to having more gays and lesbians watch the parade.
Many years ago there was a huge debate about moving Mardi Gras from June, where it coincided with Pride week.
The move to late summer proved a success, I hope this move similarly breathes new life into MG.
(…and yes, I am a member, no I don’t want forums, workshops, consultation meetings, committees, plenary sessions…let’s get on with it and give it a go!)
Please consider the people who travel from country N.S.W. A Split Party /parade will only mean one thing ..do we travel for the parade or the Party as most people will choose one or the other, not both? My partner and I have travelled from the North coast for over ten years now and this creates an awfull dilema..we would much prefer the parade/party to held on the same night as we always attend both.Please consider people who travel a long distance local and overseas ..Phil
People who like gay plays are going to find it difficult to see all the plays in a two weeks period. And if they also like gay films, it will make it impossible to see both the films and the plays.
Good on the Board for showing leadership and making decisions. The proof will be in the results.
I’d suggest to Jenny Mann et al that they stand for the Board, rather than yawnsome demands about “being heard” where 20 opinionated armchair experts turn up to a meeting and claim their opinion represent tens of thousands of lesbians and gays in this city.
Stop sounding like Talkback Radio, or in Jenny’s case, a Maoist Collective about to conduct a purge.
There is a lot of complaining about the board making a decision without consulting it’s membership.
Whilst I agree it should have, on a PR basis if nothing else, the fact remains. It doesn’t have to.
The members elect a board to make decisions about the organisation.
Members can also vote the board out.
If enough members get together, they can call an EGM and move a vote of no confidence in the board.
So if the board and this decision really annoy you, then you need to start organising a new ticket.
Splitting the parade and party really doesn’t bother me. We’ll get over it and embrace it or scrap it very quickly.
I am a NMG member/party goer/parade participant/festival attender and the sort of person who turns up to consultations and responds to surveys. The only consultation that I can recall is the electronic survey that i completed, a forum some time ago on fair day, a more recent forum on Sleaze Ball(the last one I could not attend). From the disucssion and questions asked in these places, I would never have guessed this was on the horizon. Claims are made in the press release about what party goers/parade folk etc want and need based on the extensive research and consultation.
As a member I call on NMG board/CEO to:
a) Give details of exactly how and when their extensive research and consultation was conducted;
b) Release to members the research reports/data on which they have based this decision;
b) Hold a members meeting to explain how they could make such a fundamental change to Mardi Gras without discussing the proposal with members at a members meeting before the final decision was made.
How much funding will Mardi Gras receive from the State Government and was a condition of increased funding that they either move MG to Homebush or separate parade and party?
I agree Vincent, I doubt there was any research done it was simply governed and “dished” out by the board – I think they should atleast explain themselves to the community in that regard.
But look at this way, it will mean more money for drug dealers as they will now have two weekends to do business.
Simply amazing!!! What will NMG tell the 1400 passengers that have booked on the Alantis gay cruise from Auckland to Sydney via Melbourne. They will nearly all expect to go to the after party. We already have bookings for the Noosa Mardi Gras recovery week from overseas guests that have booked to fly here after the party for their Australian holiday. These and hundreds of other overseas participants will now have their prepaid and pre booked travel plans severly upset. Is this another example of NMG ‘fortress Sydney’ policy that discourages visitors from interstate and overseas. Remember the drama this year with Events NSW and Flight Centre sponsoring Fair Day to the initial exclusion of interstate participants.
I feel there is potential to make the party and parade celebration bigger, like combine it over one week with all different activities as there’s all different sub cultures in the gay community.
This may well be the most ill-informed and thoughtless decision made by any Mardi Gras Board to date!
They are making a disastrous mistake, and it will have a far reaching and negative affect in regards to tourism numbers associated the Mardi Gras event both International and Domestic.
What about our Gay and Lesbians brothers and sisters across Australia, in particular country and rural areas (outside of the Sydney’s GAY Ghetto) who travel to this special annual event and who may not have the financial resources available to stay in Sydney for the full 7 days between the Mardi Gras Parade (one weekend) and Mardi Gras Dance Party (the following weekend) and or make 2 trips to Sydney!
Clearly an error has been made here and the questions should be asked “what research” was undertaken to endorse the radical decision to split the Parade and Dance Party?
Concerned!
Dieter, your claim that there was no consultation with the gay and lesbian community on this but that is not true. I am a member of NMG and in the last six months or so I have completed at least three email surveys from NMG and been to a focus group meeting. My partner recently received a phone call from someone at NMG too asking about his experiences in the Parade etc. So obviously NMG has been doing lots of consultation. I for one think this is a great move and can’t wait for 2010!
Cutting the Arts Festival back to 2 weeks is problematic. Danielle Harvey says other arts festivals around the world are two weeks long. Indeed they are, but they are curated and fees are paid to the artists: they are not ‘umbrella’ festivals like Mardi Gras.
A play cannot make back its costs if it runs for two weeks or less, unless it is subsidised. Also, two weeks is not enough to build an audience through word of mouth.
I assume plays and exhibitions which are part of the Festival will open before the launch, because it is financially necessary. Shows that run past Mardi Gras’ party date historically lose audiences from that point.
NMG needs to recognise this problem and be flexible. They should be prepared to promote and support arts events that commence before the launch date, or launch the festival well ahead of the opening Fair Day.
Well done NMG for a new revitalised image. We need people at the helm who have vision and courage to take MG to the next level.People will always resist change, better the devil you know than don’t!
I personally look forward to the new format as it will give greater opportunity for more people to participate than concentrating the apex of the festival in just one night.
People are attached to their version of MG. Mine’s a circa 1990 one night parade/party. Everyone I knew was in the parade or watching it and all walked to the party afterwards and danced all night. Oxford St was OURS and the hardest drug taken was E. Oh, and I was a 19 yo country boy spending my first year out of home in the big city.
Whatever happens, I hope today’s boys and girls stay safe and make their own happy memories.
The Parade is supposed to be the highlight / culmination of the whole season. It is ,after all, the whole reason and purpose for everything, so why have it in the middle?! The season ends with the parade/party. It’s what we work towards. It should be at the end.
The whole point of the party is that it’s an “after” party (as in, “after the parade”). Don’t the organizers know this?! It’s really basic stuff. The old format always had major events to punctuate it and keep the excitement going. Launch, Pool Party, Fair Day, Harbour Party, Parade/Party. The NMG board has progressively taken away the all of the exciting events, and has lost sight of what Mardi Gras is about, how a “season” runs, and what it has to offer. Why split two things that intrinsically belong together.
Who did the NMG board survey to come up with this idea? Each other? Because they certainly didn’t consult with the community.
I believe that the board and CEO of NMG have seriously lost their way. I really don’t think that they know what they’re doing.