6 October 2005

Pacifica turns 10

Waitakere's Pacifica Living Arts Festival is turning 10 and this year's festival, held on November 3-5 at the Corban Estate Art Centre promises to be the best yet.

Many entries have already been received for Waitakere City's 10th Pacifica Living Arts Festival, running from Thursday 3rd through to Saturday 5th November 2005 at the Corban Estate Arts Centre (off Mt Lebanon Drive), Great North Road, Henderson.

The festival team and West Auckland Primary Multi-Cultural Festival co-ordinators will deliver the performing arts component, with over 20 Waitakere schools show-casing their cultural items on stage over three days.

With interest mounting quickly, this Living Festival - now in its tenth year - is now a permanent fixture amongst other events in Waitakere City. It blends the richness of the Pacific's diverse cultures with the indigenous Polynesian Maori culture and those of other ethnic communities through the schools. True to its name, this "Living" Festival exemplifies why Waitakere has become a thriving cultural hub of Auckland.

In recognition of the increasing significance of the Festival and the potential that it has to contribute to the artistic landscape of Waitakere as well as to the economic well-being and cultural identity of Pacific peoples, the Waitakere City Council has boosted its funds and other support for the Festival. Creative Communities NZ and others are also maintaining their support.

Pacific people are already contributing significantly to arts and cultural development in the city. The Pacifica Living Arts Festival will continue to showcase the arts and cultures of the different Pacific communities. The aim is to strengthen our city's many cultures and to improve understanding and relationships between them. It is also intended to be a platform from where different cultures and artists can develop their cultural heritage and artistic talents as financial assets for themselves and their communities.

This is a golden opportunity for community groups, art groups, schools and individuals to participate as exhibitors to either sell their artistic/cultural products or to display artistic work or other items.

The festival will offer music, food, a market-type atmosphere, traditional dancing, performances, drumming, workshops and an exhibition of visual arts and crafts from each Pacific ethnic group represented in Waitakere i.e. Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Fiji, Tahitian and Maori of Aotearoa.

Without doubt, this will be the most exciting, informative, educational and provocative Pacifica Festival to date with a much wider array of things to see, hear and experience.

Interested people should apply now for their space registration form by calling Mary Ama on (09) 836 8000

Ext 8557 or faxing (09) 836 8087 (E-mail: mary.ama@waitakere.govt.nz)

ENDS

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