An Illuminating Experience
The Uber driver drops us off near Riddiford Garden amid the bustle of crowds and closed roads—children holding hands as they cross the street, parents looking equal parts excited and stressed as they monitor their children and take in the sights of HighLight 2019 simultaneously. We’re immediately struck by the scale of this annual Carnival of Lights; the complexity and craftsmanship. We are impressed.
When the opportunity arose to experience HighLight first hand we jumped at the chance, any excuse to get out of the city and do something other than working at home on the couch for the third Saturday night in a row. This was a work trip so we could justify a couple hours away from the desk and force ourselves to take a minute.
To be honest, we had no idea what HighLight even was at first—we don’t venture outside of our 10km run radius too often and have few reasons to hit the road and check out what’s happening beyond walking distance, not to mention the lack of non-bodily transport! I got on the phone with Carnival Director Carla Steed to find out a little more about HighLight and what it entails.
Carla leads a project team responsible for creating everything from the logistical plan, call for expressions and sponsorship to creative development, health and safety, and final delivery. Since HighLight was developed three years ago (Carla’s brainchild, created through her ‘regular’ job as Divisional Manager Promotions and Events at Hutt City Council) the event has grown to become one of the standouts of the year.
“This is the first year we’ve done a full open call for international, national and local artists” she tells me, and many of the installations are interactive, activity-based or require mass participation. “The goal was to bring in some more established artists to set the bar but still include many local and up-and-coming creatives in order to help foster that sense of community and support the event was built on.”
From the very beginning attendance exceeded expectations with 120,000 people enjoying the event in its first year. Unsurprisingly this was the cause of some stress and ended up being very labour intensive, so in the time since the focus has shifted to better deal with the crowds through participation and carefully managing queue-based attractions. The result is a well-oiled machine designed to provide the best experience for visitors possible, “we’ve amped up the creativity and love educating audiences through the use of new technologies”.
I asked Carla what the overall goal for HighLight is, and she summed it up as follows: “[HighLight] is about delivering a positive memorable experience for anyone who comes into contact with it, focused on all ages and accessibility.” They even worked with local disability groups and held a preview evening for people with disabilities—a pilot program they hope to grow each year as part of their commitment to being an inclusive event.
Bonnie and I certainly had a fantastic time, after filling up on souvlaki and fries we made our way around the myriad displays and watched as the revellers engaged with, examined and observed the artworks and light installations. We got lost in the UV Spaghetti, spotted an astronaut near the stream and watched an aerial performer get abducted by aliens. We heard families laughing, saw teenagers trying not to look conspicuous in their laden backpacks (they think they’re so subtle!), and volunteers handing out maps or pointing people in the direction of bathrooms and water stations.
A smooth operation for sure, delivered to a soundtrack of great live music, dancers and performers. We’ll definitely be back next year, and are so grateful to live somewhere that free events like HighLight Carnival can exist and thrive. Here are some of our favourites from the 2019 event:
HighLight Carnival of Lights is an annual free carnival weekend where Riddiford Garden in Lower Hutt is filled with light-up installations from local and international artists and live performances. This year it ran over Labour Weekend (25th–28th October) and featured more than 40 performances and installations.
Check them out on Instagram @highlightcarnival or at www.highlight.org.nz