The Iumi Wan Festival is set to kick off on Tuesday, 9th September at the SINU Cultural Village.
This five-day event marks the second National Arts and Cultural Event for the country, coinciding with the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIFL) Meeting.
The inaugural event was held in 2023 alongside the Pacific Games.
Dennis Marita, Director of Culture at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), shared during a press conference at the National Art Gallery on Thursday, 4th September, that the festival serves as a platform for emerging artists, performers, and cultural groups.
It allows the ministry to identify new talent and offer opportunities for participation in regional festivals such as the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) and the Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFest).
The theme for this year’s Iumi Wan Fest is “United by Heritage, Bound by the Ocean.” Marita emphasized that the theme aligns with the PIFL meeting and the Wansolwara voyage, which features the Tepuke canoe from Duff Islands in Temotu Province.
“There’s a lot of connectivity to the ocean,” Marita said. “Much of the PIFL meeting’s symbolism, including its logo and the Tepuke itself, reflects this connection.
“We are ocean people—different islands connected by the sea—and that is the central focus of the Iumi Wan Fest,” Marita said.
“This festival extends beyond the Solomon Islands to the wider Pacific. Despite our diverse backgrounds, heritage, and histories, we share commonalities in how we are connected and how we arrived on these islands.
“The Tepuke symbolizes unity and serves as the vessel that brought us to our respective homes,” he added.
The festival will feature a special youth performance at the opening ceremony, highlighting the ocean theme.
The festival will be utilizing most of the cultural groups and performers within Honiara, representing the nine provinces.
In addition to performances, the festival will include exhibitions, talk shows, conferences, and discussions with the Talanoa Arts Forum—an interactive space for artists and musicians to share ideas, collaborate, and create new works.
An exhibition at the National Art Gallery will also be held, especially for the spouses of the PIF leaders, though it will be open to the public as well.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
