Dancing pompoms or dancing mannequins?

Imagine a shop window featuring mannequins that explode into a frenzy of kinetic movement and dance when you walk by.

Or picture a window with giant dancing pompoms that swirl and shimmy in a choreographed sequence of movement and light.

These are two of five fun ideas that could be used to transform unused shop windows in the city centre into fun attractions.

The ideas were short-listed by a review panel after the team behind Christchurch City Council’s Enliven Places Programme launched the ShoPOP initiative earlier this year.

The initiative is aimed at finding creative ideas for filling our city centre’s shop windows.

“Last week we asked people to vote on their favourite design idea in the student category. This week we’re asking the public to vote for their favourite designs in the open category,’’ says Council Head of Urban Regeneration, Design and Heritage Carolyn Ingles.

“We’ll deliver the two designs that win the most public support in our Facebook poll, as shown by the number of likes.’’

Voting for open designs will run from 17 – 24 May. The winning designs will be delivered from June, depending on their complexity.

The five designs in the open category the public can vote on are:

• Slow Motion: an interactive experience that combines colour and sound to create a playful experience.
• Chaotic Dancing Mannequins: mannequins that explode into a frenzy of kinetic movement and dance when you walk by.
• Augmented Reality Antarctic experience in Ōtautahi streets: an augmented reality interactive experience that places you in Antarctica.
• The Pompoms: giant dancing pompoms that swirl and shimmy in a choreographed sequence of movement and light.
• Until Works End: a series of surreal dioramas that re-imagine rebuild infrastructure.

Find out more about the ShoPOP initiative and how to vote.