28 October 2004

New pacific talent invited to audition for Pasifika Festival

Up and coming pacific performers are invited to audition on 13 and 20 November for next year’s Pasifika Festival.

The auditions – called ‘Expressionz Pasifika’ – will be held in all categories including dance, culture, vocal soloists and groups, with a view to identifying suitable cultural acts for next year’s festival.

Pasifika Festival entertainment director, Thelo Meleisea, says the auditions help organisers to introduce festival audiences to a wider crop of new Pacific talent.

“The Pasifika Festival is a chance to provide up and coming Pacific talent with a major stage to launch their careers. We’ve done that in the past with Scribe and Brooke Fraser. I’ve no doubt next year’s festival will unleash more new stars onto the national stage,” says Mr Meleisea.

The judging panel for the auditions at this stage consists of Thelo Meleisea, Egil Kipste, (casting director for the major stage show Lion King in Australia), and Turanga Merito. Mr Merito is the new Simba in Lion King and was a soloist in the 2002 Christmas in the Park event. Other celebrity judges are still being confirmed.

Audition application forms can be downloaded from the Pasifika Festival website http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events/pasifika/ or by contacting Thelo Meleisea on (09) 353 9533. All contestants will be given a scheduled audition time on receipt of a correct application form.

Expressionz Pasifika - Audition 1: Saturday 13 November, 10am – 6pm, Jack Dickey Centre, 174 Green Lane West Road

Expressionz Pasifika - Audition 2: Saturday 20 November, 10am – 6pm, Grey Lynn Library Hall, 474 Great North Road

Next year’s Pasifika Festival will be the grand finale of a new week-long celebration of Pacific culture called ‘Celebrate Pasifika’. Celebrate Pasifika will include exhibitions and performances across film, theatre, arts and crafts.

The 2005 Pasifika Festival is being held at Western Springs on 11 and 12 March. It starts on Friday with a spectacular opening night concert at the stadium, sponsored by Air New Zealand, and concludes on Saturday with a full day of performances, entertainment and festivities at the Stadium and adjacent park.

ENDS

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