Meeting with Community leaders

The Cape Town Carnival committee, including Jay Douwes, left, met with the community co-ordinators of the carnival performers last night to discuss the 10 pods, costumes, music and floats as well as logistics for the big night.

10 floats and 2500 performers

After much debate and discussion the final line-up for next year's Cape Town carnival has been decided – there will be 10 pods each with a float, 200 costumed dancers and 10 showgirls or boys with dazzling and extravagant costumes leading the way.
The 10 pods are:
African beginning
Birds of a feather
Energy
Planet warriors
Colour the world
World without borders
Marching in time
Ancient and modern
Dance then!
Free to be you and me.
In between there will be marching bands, giant zorbs, puppets and other performers.

Big night out for soccer fans

15 young soccer players from informal settlement of Masiphumulele south of Cape Town were treated to a night out to remember when they attended the Bafana vs USA friendly soccer match at Cape Town Stadium.

Donning carnival masks and sporting South African flags, the under-15 players from Noordhoek Football Club sang all the way to the stadium on the bus and gave Bafana plenty of vocal support on the terraces. 

The youngsters, some of whom had never even visited the city before, were treated by the Cape Town Carnival and ZA Fanzone.

Giant Screen for Greenmarket Square

Who says the Cape Town Carnival doesn't incorporate all sectors of the community? On hearing that the folks over at the Super 15 office had foolishly scheduled the Stormers versus Bulls game on the same day as the Carnival (skande) we decided to do something about it. We are erecting a giant screen in Greenmarket Square – with a beer tent and DJ nogal. Entrance is free-gratis-mahala and after you have watched the Stormers pummel the Bulls you can walk up a block and watch Africa's greatest carnival. The game starts at 7pm, the Carnival kicks off at 8.30pm. Perfecto.

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A day in the life of a wardrobe creative

Cape Town Carnival’s über talented creative designer Noel Hiebner seldom has time to get excited but he’s over the moon about the latest developments regarding next year’s costumes:

Says Noel:
I had the most outstanding meeting yesterday with pattern maker and grader Marianna Franck who also works with community based people – CMTs, cutters and general factory and creates jobs within the community. We went through the running order of the parade and the ten community pods. Excitement just oozed from both of us … it was as if I saw the storyboards for the first time!

Following that I met with two fabulous gals from the film industry Cathy Shields and Zelda Minnaar who arrived at our offices unannounced – they really got the creative juices flowing, coming up with some great concepts as well as practical ideas about where to get stuff cheaper.

After they left the office was far too small for me to control my excitement – nothing life changing – but certainly an easing of stress about the creative direction of the carnival – a giant leap forward.

Yours in Carnival

Noel, Creative in seventh Heaven !!!!

Good Gracious: Giant glitter balls

The latest news coming out of the Cape Town Carnival Creative World is a plan to hang giant glitter balls high above Long Street for the night of the carnival. Still subject to confirmation and planning approval, the glitter balls (the biggest in Africa we believe, at nearly 2.5m diameter) will be strung across the street with lights shining on them from all angles. Long St will be at its funkiest ever – so don your dancing shoes and get ready for Cape Town's coolest outdoor disco.