27 countries, 2500 participants expected

Tione Chinula
The countdown to the region’s largest traditional and contemporary cultural event, the Festival of Pacific Arts, has begun.

At a meeting last month, the Executive Board of the Council of Pacific Arts, the body that oversees the festival, was given a progress report on the preparations in American Samoa, which will host the next festival in mid-2008.

The board met at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) headquarters in Noumea.

Simona Lauti, Executive Director of the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts, said American Samoa was expecting over 2500 participants at the festival, which will be held from July 20 to August 2, 2008.

The festival is organised every four years and brings together artists from 27 Pacific Islands countries and territories.

Lauti said the event is important for preserving Pacific Islands cultures and traditions and is an excellent opportunity for different societies to learn from each other. 

It also generates positive economic spin-offs for the host country, particularly the tourism industry, Lauti said.

“This will put American Samoa on the map. It will expose us to the wider Pacific region and the world.”

However, the host country has a significant financial responsibility as it bears all the festival costs. Participation is free and visiting artists do not pay for accommodation, meals or transfers. In addition to hospitality, technical equipment such as lighting and sound gear incurs substantial costs.

The festival keeps getting bigger and as it grows, the financial burden on the host country increases too. The American Samoa organising committee is expecting a contribution from the government and has also approached corporate sponsors.

“The financial side is always a problem with any event of this size,” said Lauti. “We’re targeting corporations that have an interest in the festival and will benefit from it, such as airlines, shipping companies and hotels.”

The organising committee is also counting on the assistance of around 200 volunteers.

Tialuga Seloti, vice-chairperson of the Council of Pacific Arts, said the festival fosters a strong spirit of sharing, which deepens participants’ understanding of their own culture and those of others.

“It is particularly enriching for younger generations. Our young people will have an opportunity to not only observe what others show but also compare it with what we have,” said Seloti, who is from American Samoa.

“Hopefully, by the end of the festival, each young person in American Samoa will have something of our culture implanted in their hearts.”

In addition to artistic demonstrations, the festival is also a time for discussion and reflection. Symposiums and workshops allow participants to debate issues affecting the Pacific region such as the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of culture.

The official website of the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts is www.festival-pacific-arts.org

SPC facilitates the work of the Council of Pacific Arts and offers support to the festival organisers. This includes documenting the festival and providing translation and interpretation services.

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Festival Theme

The theme for the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts, ‘Su’iga’ula a le Atuvasa’ (Weaving the Oceania Ula), reflects the spirit of sharing and festivity that unites people at the festival.

The ula is a garland or wreath worn when people gather to celebrate an event, whether a festival or family celebration, or to welcome guests.

It is a symbol found throughout the Pacific. Floral garlands are the most common but various other materials are also used including shells, seeds or even shark teeth. The ula that features in the logo is traditionally worn by American Samoan chiefs for special occasions.

The festival logo features a double-hulled voyaging canoe encircled by an ula. The canoe’s three passengers represent the three geographic regions of the Pacific: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. The person at the helm represents American Samoa, steering them safely to the festival. The canoe sets sail at dusk and arrives at dawn. The starlit sky behind the canoe symbolises traditional navigation techniques using the stars. As day breaks, gogo (pronounced ngo-ngo) birds in front of the canoe lead the visitors towards the shore where they will be greeted with ulas.

• Tione Chinula is SPC’s Human Development Programme Advocacy and Communications Officer. She can be contacted on 00687 262 000 ext 157 or via email at tionec@spc.int For more information on SPC’s Human Development Programme visit its website at www.spc.int/hdp