Festival of Pacific Arts a success – a ‘wrap up’

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Report & Pix By: Ethel Namuri

Papua New Guinea’s participation at the 9th Festival of Pacific Arts was a great success. The full 10 days event witnessed an incredible gathering of many cultures and Pacific peoples joining together to celebrate our unique heritage and traditions. PNG’s strong 120 delegation were a big hit everywhere they were stationed.

Our very unique and originality in the performing arts category as well as other categories was what captured the attention of tourists, the media, delegates from other countries and the local audience. The PNG booth at the festival village where individual artists were stationed to display and exhibit their work drew crowds from day one of the event. Individual artists displayed and exhibited bilums, bows and arrows, carvings from the Sepik, Trobriand Islands, East New Britain etc. paintings, books, caps, t’shirts, meri blouse, Ialibu baskets, necklaces and other body ornaments. These items eventually went for sale during the event and every item was a sell-out.
Most of the activities of the program schedule booklet produced by the host country went on as scheduled beginning with the canoe ceremony (on a Thursday) and the opening ceremony in the evening.

A Palua Dancer at the Festival

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The East New Britain group represented Papua New Guinea at the canoe arrival ceremony on Day one which took place early hours of the morning. As early as 4:00am, the group was driven outside the capital, Koror to participate at the seven hours ceremony which took place at the National Navigation and Canoeing village, just at the foot of the Japan-Palau Friendship bridge.

A participant, Abraham Victor paddled the PNG canoe ashore. Abraham paddled among fellow pacific islanders from the 27 island nations and territories. Several thousands of spectators from Polynesia, Micronesia to Melanesia including tourists and the media all cheered as the canoes came ashore. Each country was welcomed by sister States on shore, PNG’s sister State at the event was the State of Aimeliik. Each State was responsible for providing basic services like transportation, liaising officers attending to delegates etc. for each country.


Simbu Girl who joined the PNG delegates to Palau

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On that same day before the official opening in the evening, Culture and Tourism Minister David Basua met with the PNG delegation and urged them to be good ambassadors of the country. Mr Basua urged the participants to show off their culture among fellow pacific islanders with pride, having in mind that they are representing the five million people back in the country.

Executive Director of the National Cultural Commission, Dr. Jacob Simet also shared the same sentiments. Meanwhile, the Central group led the PNG delegation at the opening ceremony which happened that same afternoon. Five participants from Simbu, including a handful from East New Britain province backed the Central group at the opening ceremony which took place at the National Track and Field oval in the capital, Koror. The Tolai group sung a beautiful chorus in kuanua as our country dignitaries presented State Gifts to the Government of the Republic of Palau.

On day two, performances kicked off in different venues and the festival village was opened for countries to set up their booths. Festival Symposium began on this day as well with the opening Topic on Legal Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture.


Tahitian ladies at the Festival

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The Central Province group were the first to give their number at the Asahi Field. Their performances kept the audiences’ eyes glued on their beautiful costumes and their dance movements according to the kundu beats. Central Province Group Leader Tabu Vaira announced on stage that this was only one of the many dance performances from Papua New Guinea with a diverse culture from the coast to the highlands of the country. With
more than 800 different languages, their performance was only one of the many.

The other activity on the second day was a fashion show held at the Ngaraemayong Cultural Centre in which PNG did not participate in. Performances continued on the third day, this time the Simbu group from the Highlands region performed at Asahi Field. People adorned the beautiful head-dresses, body paints and ornaments. The audience including the media all rushed to take photographs with the group after the performances. Cover pictures of the local newspapers carried those of the Simbu group.
The Simbu group also were invited by local business houses to perform at various venues without the knowledge of the officials from the National Cultural Commission. Although officials feared the worst from country delegates, all performing venues were trouble free.

The evening of the third day kicked off with Theatre Performances, PNG did not take part in this category. The Festival Village was bustling with activities since Day one as people went from booth to booth looking at the display of different arts and crafts, tattoo artists, unique souvenir items or simply buying food and drinks. Others were just relaxing under the shades while listening to the island rhythms by popular Pacific artists belting it out at the Jam House while daring ones were dancing under the open sky.



The PNG delegation with Vanuatu friends

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An Ecumenical Service for everyone including all the delegations was held on a Sunday at the Asahi Field in the evening. Otherwise, all different denominations were invited by the local churches to attend their respective usual Sunday service.

The Fifth day of the festival (Monday July 26th), all the stages and activity venues were all open for the scheduled activities right through to the last day. Asahi stage was the venue for dance performances and band concerts from the different countries excluding PNG. Our PNG music artists did not make it on the trip.

Ngaramayong stage was used for dance performances as well as Theatre performances. The Palau Community Centre (PCC) stage was used for dance performances from morning right through to the evening. The Palau National Museum amphitheatre was the venue for poetry, vocal and instrument recitals from morning right through to the evening.

The venue for culinary arts which was behind the Civic Centre buildings was also bustling with chefs from the different country delegations preparing samples of their best island cuisine. The Tolai group represented PNG in this category preparing the famous local delicacy of coconut creamed vegetables with chicken, aibika and other ingredients to sweetened the dish, cooked in a pot of hot stones which is commonly known as ‘aigir’. People were licking their fingers when tasting the ‘aigir’. They were going from booth to booth tasting the sample dishes from the different countries. The Palau High Gym was the venue for the Traditional Healing Arts, PNG did not take part in this category. The Btaches building was venue to screening of Pacific movies.

Gearing up for the canoe festival;

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The Mask Culture (Tubuan Society) from East New Britain was screened when PNG was scheduled to screen their film on that day.
Koror Assembly Hall was venue to the Festival symposium which was held from Day one right through to Day 10.

However, on the issue of Security on accommodation venues as well as performance stages and the Festival Village was very tight. Traffic on the road was also taken control of by the Palau Police. There was no report of any serious injury or theft.

The hospitality provided by the host country for the visiting delegates was to perfection. Meals and accommodation was provided for by the host country. The private sector together with the Government of the Republic of Palau were in it together. The country as a whole was well prepared to play host to about 10,000 visitors to the event.

For example; in meal arrangements; breakfast was prepared at the cafeteria venues while dinner was catered for by vendors (restaurants etc.). Delegation members from participating countries were happy with the $6 meal coupons provided by the Festival Organising Committee daily as it gave them an opportunity to select the food they wanted to eat from any restaurant, shops, booth etc. in town. Local vendors were also happy with the arrangement as they were getting a lot of business from the delegation members.

In using the meal coupons, each delegate was expected to fill in their names, country and the local vendor that offered the service. The local vendors were to present the number of coupons presented by delegates to the Festival Organising Committee in order to collect their cheques after the event.

PNG ladies at the Festival

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Meanwhile, the only hiccup for the PNG delegation was on confirmed reports that a contiguous influenza had swept across the Festival of Arts village. Participants from pacific island countries including Papua New Guinea were affected by this influenza. Several participants from PNG including four officials from the National Cultural Commission were down with the virus. Participants affected were mainly from the Simbu dancing group, one from the Central group

However, two PNG doctors that traveled together with the delegation (Dr. Richard Tumun and Dr. Cynthia Kuanch) did their best to get these people out of bed. Those affected were experiencing headaches, flu and general pains to their body. Medical doctors in Koror ruled out dengue fever as the possible cause and said the case was not deadly.
On the last day of the Festival, the closing ceremony was very brief. All delegations gathered at the Palau Community Centre and witnessed a spectacular performance from the host country. They also witnessed the official lowering and handing-over of the Festival Flag to the next host country American Samoa.

The American Samoa won the bid to host the next South Pacific Festival of Arts in its capital, Pago Pago in 2008. American Samoa was chosen among the Polynesian countries to host the event after Palau.

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On the same note, Melanesian country, Solomon Islands is expected to host the next festival in 2012 after American Samoa. Secretary for the American Samoa Arts Council, Regina Meredith said American Samoa will be happy to host the event. Ms Meredith said they will be working in the next fours years to produce positive results come 2008. Ms Meredith praised the organizing committee of Palau in getting the whole Palauan

community involve in hosting such a big event within the Pacific region. She said the festival in Pago-Pago will be no different to the one in Palau. Pacific island countries will involve in similar activities such as performing arts, display of arts and crafts, culinary arts and navigation among others. American Samoa is a Polynesian country with a population of 70, 000 people. It has a land mass of 72 square kilometers and much of its economy is sustained by the income from its fisheries sector.

Meanwhile, the Melanesian Arts Festival Council has endorsed Fiji to host the next Melanesian Arts Festival. The council in a meeting in Palau endorsed Fiji to host the event in 2006. Melanesian countries such as Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea including the host Fiji are expected to participate in this festival.

The National Cultural Commission will give a notice to the public on when bids on Interest to Participate are open for all Performing Arts Groups, individual artists etc. from the Provincial Governments.


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[Mum]

A terrific presentation Nuis Meri; Congratulations.

I'm now going to plan to be at the next one with the family in Fiji in 2006. It sounds like an absolute smorgasboard of Art and Culture.

Thankyou.

[blade_runner]

I just had this grin from ear to ear , reading this article ...... I am always proud of Papua New Guineas who go overseas to promote our culture which, in most places is losing it's value and diversity .......

Job well done !

[PiNkZ]

nice work aunty ethel!!
luv u lotz
oxoxox
c.s