THE fourth Melanesian Arts Festival (MAF) is now scheduled to take place in New Caledonia in September.
Rima Ravuisiro of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat in a statement said the festival will run for two weeks from 12th to 24th September.
The festival will see cultural and art representatives from five of the Melanesian countries namely Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and host country New Caledonia participating.
The MAF was created by the MSG in 1995 to promote traditional and contemporary arts from the whole of Melanesia.
The idea of promoting the MAF was first mooted at MSG leaders summit of 14 March 1988 in Port Vila.
The decision to hold the first festival was then agreed by MSG leaders at their bi-annual Summit in Savusavu Fiji in May 1997.
Solomon Islands was the first host of the festival in 1998.
Fiji hosted the last festival in 2006 in Suva where Solomon Island also attended.
And for the first time New Caledonia is hosting the event.
The festival theme is "Our Identity Lies Ahead of Us" a quote by famous Kanak political leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou.
During the festival, significant emphasis will be placed on a dynamic approach of the Melanesia group, where the cultural diversity and the modernity of the region will be strongly highlighted.
Regional integration and human experience, through exchange and encounters, will be the organiser's focus during the thirteen day event.
The MSG Secretariat had been working with the organisers in New Caledonia to assist member countries to prepare.
The opening ceremony will be in Kone.
Following the opening, the festival will travel across the New Caledonia territory, through a system of four traveling 'pirogues" to bear the spirit of the festival in each of the nine (9) municipalities in New Caledonia.
Ultimately, every delegation will have an opportunity to meet people in their home places, and discover many different aspects of New Caledonian culture as well as share their culture with the people of New Caledonia.
The festival will comprise of live performances which included contemporary dancing, theatre, opera, traditional dancing, music concerts, traditional instruments, singing and choirs, music concerts and contemporary electric bands.
There will be visual arts exhibition, photos, books, movies and video screening., handcrafts, cooking, sailing/canoeing, traditional games, hands on practical demonstration.
A workshop on copyright, language and identity, politics and custom will also be organised.
The event is part of celebrating the unique cultures in the region.
The closing ceremony will be held on Citizen day in Noumea on Friday 24th September.
By MOFFAT MAMU
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