Cultural festival celebrates diverse community

Media Release 

2 December 2019

Cultural festival celebrates diverse community

UCOL Manawatū was buzzing with sights, sounds, and tastes from around the world as it hosted its Flavour of Cultures festival on 29 November.  

Now in its third year, Flavour of Cultures celebrates the diverse cultural makeup of the UCOL and Manawatū communities with performances, food, and activities.

Performers from UCOL and the wider Manawatū community entertained the crowd with a variety of musical and dance acts.

Popular Brazilian drum group Samba ao Vento opened the show with the energy they’ve come to be known for, while Flavour of Cultures veterans Shree Dance Academy kept the party going with their Bollywood dance act.

As the evening went on, the crowd was treated to kapa haka, African dance, bagpiping Native American flute music, and acoustic and hip hop acts. 

Tasting tables and stalls allowed people to sample food from around the world and find out more about different cultures in the Manawatū. 

In the kids’ zone, children could get temporary moko and henna, make poi, and colour in flags.

Manawatū’s prominent food truck scene was well represented, with so Dos Locos Taco, Kai Kart, Scoop Truck on site.

UCOL General Manager Business Development Gillian Lawn says Flavour of Cultures celebrates diversity but also gives UCOL’s international students a taste of home.

“We embrace diversity at UCOL, and the 150-plus cultures on our campus help make us who we are. It’s always a pleasure to open our doors to the community so we can share and learn about each other’s cultures. “

“Flavour of Cultures is also a great opportunity to give our international students a feeling of home. It can be difficult for anyone to be away from their home country, so we are glad to host an event where many of our international students can enjoy food and performances that remind them of home.“ 

ENDS

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