1998 - Dick van Dykes on Bikes

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sketch of Dick van Dykes on Bikes by Peter J. Wilkin

A colleague had been impressed by the standard of previous parade groups by ethel yarwood enterprises, so for the 20th anniversary of Mardi Gras offered to sponsor the 1998 parade entry if we staged one for a community group. So armed with a budget of $5000 we approached Jane Becker of the Mardi Gras workshop who directed us to Claude Fabian of the HIV/AIDS advocacy group People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) who were looking for a designer for their parade entry. Sue-Ellen Cox engaged with PLWH/A, Sue Lister of Zulu Advertising and ethel yarwood enterprises staff to develop the basic idea of Dick van Dykes on Bikes into the full design concept (pdf format - 139kb). The group comprised of 20 PLWH/A members and 20 of ethel yarwood enterprises staff who built the props and participated in the parade. Sally Forth/mergers and takeovers deserves special mention for her vision as depicted above and for her efforts in the creation of the scenic for the roof tops of the float as does Valery Bader for her vocals on the jingle.

However it was not all happy campers during this interaction as anyone who has worked within a community group would attest. In so many instances the inner politics and clash of personalities hindered progress. Art with politics is a powerful medium, but realistically politics and art do not mix.