See the world on a shoestring

South Canterbury’s first international festival will be held at Mountainview High School on Sunday September 26, South Canterbury Anniversary Weekend.

It will provide, in a blaze of colour and ceremony, a multi-nation “tour” of the world that will involve cultural houses, food stalls, music and dance shows and all within a leisurely afternoon stroll.

Mountainview’s classrooms, auditorium and outside areas will be transformed to host displays and concerts with each room representing countries and cultures including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, India, Iran, Japan, Kiwiana, Maori, The Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Organiser Dr Robyn Carey, of Timaru, says that to step inside each will be to enter a new country and sample cultures and customs and food.

The school site offers rain or shine back-up, with indoor areas available for the festival which will keep guests warm and dry. If it is fine and sunny, a large outdoor stage will also complement the arena-type presentation of some of the festival’s colourful acts, plus there will be live transmission of the auditorium performances to a large screen in the school library.

Dr Carey said organisers had enjoyed “wonderful support” from the many different organisations on the planning committee including the Aoraki Multicultural Council, Aoraki Polytechnic, Pod Fusion, and the Mountainview Pavilion Trust.

Another feature of the festival will be performances by local and out-of-town artists.

Among big-name performers is the multi-album-selling funk rock reggae and R&B band Ardijah. The Auckland band, now offering their unique style “poly-fonk” a blending of Polynesian sounds such as Polynesian log drums and ukeleles with funk and R&B, offers a headline act for the festival, Dr Carey said.

Other highlights will include:

• Cultural games and sports including futsal, from Uruguay, a variant of soccer that is mainly played indoors;
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• Several Indian dance routines including Bollywood Hungama;
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• Boru Irish band;
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• A Thai dancing group;
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• The Timaru District Choir;
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• The Canterbury Japanese Choir;
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• The Jubilation a capella Gospel Choir – a 30-member choir from Auckland;
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• Te Aitarakihi - kapa haka, hangi and Maori House;
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• Latin dancers, tap and jazz dancers;
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• The South Canterbury Highland Pipe Band;
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• Knightstalenz, a medieval re-enactment group;
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• Storytelling in the library suitable for adults and children
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Dr Carey said that sites were still available for local businesses or groups to promote, educate and to sell products to the visitors at the festival. The contact was Felicity MacFarlane, email felicity.macfarlane@aoraki.ac.nz. To become involved in a cultural House contact Teressa May, email teressa@may.net.nz and for marketing opportunities contact Tricia Winter at wintert@mountainview.school.nz.

Further information could be obtained by going to www.scfestival.org.nz.

ENDS