Poet's Bridge Artwork to Dazzle in Lights Festival

Poet’s Bridge will be turning it on for this season’s TSB Bank Festival of Lights.

Artist Nicola Haines Ramsay has designed a dazzling new lighting display for the bridge, as well as a black-light feature near the Gilbert Street entrance to Pukekura Park.

Says Acting Senior Coordinator Events Anna Carrington: “People will be wowed by the Poet’s Bridge artwork as Nicola will be suspending coloured diamonds above and around the bridge, and visitors will be able to walk among them.

“The artwork is called Sky of Diamonds and it’s the third festival artwork that Nicola has designed for Poet’s Bridge.

“We’re also lucky to have local multimedia artist Tim Gruchy designing a stunning projection for the Fountain Lake, and we’ll have the very popular Sleeping Giant and Grimace the Gorilla returning.”

This year, creation of the evening On Stage entertainment programme was managed by a community working party who called for applications.

“There was an overwhelming response,” says Ms Carrington. “We had more than 150 applications from people who were keen to perform during the festival, covering a wide range of acts. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm from performing artists.”

Sixty artists have been selected for the free On Stage programme, which will run every night from Boxing Day to 26 January – including one show at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands. There are also 24 daytime Summer Scene events for pre-schoolers to early teens.

Accessibility has been an important focus of the Council this year, which has worked with Access Taranaki to ensure the festival is fun, exciting and accessible to all members of the community.

“A specific section in the festival brochure has information and lists events for the benefit of those with limited mobility,” says Ms Carrington.

The festival brochure is being printed now and will be delivered to all mailboxes in the district from 5 December. Copies will also be available from the Civic Centre, i-SITES and branches of TSB Bank.

During the Christmas period, festival hosts in Pukekura Park will give out free postcards that promote the TSB Bank Festival of Lights and WOMAD. “Festival visitors can use them to invite friends and family to join the summer fun in New Plymouth,” says Ms Carrington.