2010 ASB Polyfest a record-breaking success

2010 ASB Polyfest a record-breaking success

This year’s ASB Polyfest was the largest in its 35 year history - with a record 65 schools, 210 cultural groups and 9,500 students taking part.

ASB Polyfest Event Director Tania Karauria says this year’s event was an outstanding success. “Festival-goers were blown away by the fact that the festival has now been staged for 35 years. This year’s event attracted a record level of participation and created huge pride for thousands of people,” she says. “There were many highlights this year, notably the strong educational focus and the inclusion of the My Culture and Me unit for primary and intermediate schools for the first time.”

My Culture and Me is a structured eight week learning unit for primary and intermediate school students. It involved a special powhiri in the ASB Village, a tour of the festival, including the stage and back stage areas, activities with various community groups, as well as special booklets full of questions and tasks. Work will continue towards integrating the festival with the national qualification framework.

ASB Polyfest attracted a record 90,000 spectators over four days. “There was a real buzz around the festival, with patrons thoroughly enjoying the entertainment on offer,” Karauria says.

ASB Chief Community Partnership Officer, Linley Wood, says the success of ASB Polyfest 2010 highlights the importance to New Zealanders of this multi-cultural event. “ASB is delighted to continue our support of this popular and successful festival – it gives a real feeling of community to see thousands of children as well as adults getting involved and showcasing the cultural diversity that is so much a part of New Zealand.”

Avondale College won the co-ed section on The University of Auckland Samoan stage for the ninth consecutive year. This was a special victory for Avondale’s tutor Helen Taunga, who has been with the group for each of their nine victories, initially as a performer and now as a dance tutor.

St Peters topped the boy’s schools on The University of Auckland Samoan stage, while McAuley High School was judged the top girl’s school.

Manukau schools again dominated several stages, with Tangaroa College taking out the top honours on the MIT Niue Stage for the second consecutive year, and Mangere College also notching up a second consecutive win on the Waka Pacific Cook Islands Stage.

History was made on the Hapai Te Hauora Maori Stage with the Nga Puna o Waiorea kapa haka group from Western Springs College taking out Division One honours for the first time. Defending champions Auckland Girls Grammar took out second place.

On the ACC Tongan Stage, honours were shared amongst the various Tongan traditional dance groups, with Auckland Girls Grammar picking up two categories, winning the Soke and Ma’ulu’ulu categories. Other schools to win two categories were Baradene College in the Tau’onlunga and Fahu’iula, while Sacred Heart College came through in first place in the Mako and Sika.

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