Behind every major community event and festival is a creative director with the driving force and creative passion needed to bring big ideas to life.
They are often the unsung heroes of major community events, making sure that everything runs smoothly and keeping the wheels turning.
Sybil Edwards is the Creative Director of the Myer City of Hobart Christmas Pageant and is managing a star-studded line-up this year that includes Bluey, Jack the Jumper and Santa.
It's Sybil's eighth year at the helm of Hobart's favourite Christmas pageant, which will bring together 50 floats, more than 1500 participants and over 200 volunteers and staff for a two hour extravaganza.
Sybil's expertise, enthusiasm, warm smile and passion for our annual festive is part of what makes the pageant such a special, community event for the people who work with her behind the scenes.
Island home
Originally a Hobart girl, now hailing from Sydney, Sybil first started working on the pageant as a way of returning home every summer to spend time with friends and family.
Her events background is impressive, and includes the Taste of Tasmania Festival, Dark Mofo's Winter Feast, a number of Sydney Harbour events, film festivals, tall ship voyages, New Years Eve events, 21 gun salutes and smoking ceremonies at Darling Harbour and Barangaroo.
But it is the Hobart Christmas pageant that keeps drawing Sybil back to her island home.
"No matter where I travel or how long I'm away Hobart always feel like home to me, especially at Christmas time," says Sybil.
"During this magical time of year Hobart takes on a Christmas spirit rivalling any city I've visited.
"And now Hobart and Tasmania have such a broad cultural diversity the festive season has taken on many cultural facets reflective of our community.
"Hobart's Christmas pageant has been running more than 40 years and spans multiple generations. It's always been a keenly awaited Hobart tradition, a celebration and coming together of our community.
Some of the groups have been part of the pageant for more than 30 years, others are about to experience the pageant for their first time.
"It's more than just a Christmas parade, it is about our community and the festive season's message of love and goodwill to all," says Sybil.
Worth the effort
Bringing together 50 community groups and turning them into a vibrant, visual parade that allows everyone's individual creativity to shine while all marching in the same direction is no mean feat.
And to make it happen are an impossible number of meetings and briefings to manage, road closures and safety and technical details to sort out.
But on the day, when crowds of more than 25 000 people line four city blocks to watch with hearts in mouth Hobart's Christmas pageant, the long hard work pays off.
Creative inspiration
There is a lot of effort that goes into each pageant entry and many entrants spend hours hand making costumes, most on an incredibly frugal budget, with the support of a talented community artist, Naomi Marantelli, at the pageant creative workshops.
"We work with and nurture each of the pageant groups, to help them develop their ideas and displays, so the end result is a dynamic, fun, family friendly day out," Sybil says.
"Several groups start planning at the end of the pageant for the following year. Most go above and beyond with their costumes and props. Some groups rehearse their marching and dancing moves weekly and schools come together to build and design their sculptural props and elements."
Surprises and delights
This year's pageant promises a number of genuine surprises and delights and will include beautiful multicultural and flamboyant dance groups, polished marching bands and great displays from the scouts and school groups.
"I believe Hobart is in for a surprise this year with everything from giant koalas, Olafs on bikes to bird masks and beyond," says Sybil.
"I can't wait to see the giant, mischievous Terrapin puppets, special guest Bluey and a few real-life cousins from the Australian Cattle Dogs club. There will also be a whole lot of Elvis, not one, but a whole car-load of mini Elvises," she says.
See you at the parade!
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