The man appointed to organise Wollongong's largest cultural festival has a red secret - he was once the red skivvy wearing performer in the Latin American version of Aussie group The Wiggles.Venezuelan-born Frank Madrid is responsible for making Viva La Gong one of the biggest cultural celebrations the city has seen and is drumming up interest from sponsors, performers, artists and spectators.A bubbly and energetic Mr Madrid said yesterday that when his agent rang him and suggested he audition for the role a number of years ago, he had no idea who The Wiggles were.Before long, he was the star in two seasons of a Disney spin-off of The Wiggles' successful Australian kids show, singing favourites like Hot Potato in Spanish.He said one of his funniest memories was when the Latin group were filming a scene where they drove the Big Red Car across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He recalled how a worried little girl had told her mum "they shrunk Murray", a reference to Mr Madrid's diminutive size.While Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog and the original Wiggles are unlikely to be part of Viva La Gong, plenty of other musicians, artists and circus performers will share the spotlight on multiple stages in MacCabe Park, on Saturday, November 6.Work is needed to lift Viva La Gong's profile, after Wollongong residents rated it the least important community service in Wollongong City Council's 2010 community survey. Only 40 per cent rated the festival as having "high importance" and almost one-third did not know enough about it.While the festival is still four months away, Mr Madrid said planning for a huge street parade and a diverse line-up of performers was well advanced.Expressions of interest will be called soon for artists, performers and those interested in joining the parade. There will also be lead-up events including an artists' week and workshops.This year's theme will be "Stories from land and sea"."It will include the history of migration and over 80 nationalities who have chosen Wollongong as a place to live," Mr Madrid said."Wollongong is on the coast and faces other cultures across the seas, so we will also have music from the other seas, like the Pacific islands, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean."The Illawarra Business Chamber, Illawarra Multicultural Services, the University of Wollongong, Tourism Wollongong and even sporting groups like the St George Illawarra Dragons have already been approached to get involved."The festival is a party, a celebration, a cultural experience," Mr Madrid said."It needs to be inclusive so the city feels this is their platform and their opportunity to share their stories."