Pasifika Festival in the Bay brings sounds of the Pacific to Katikati College

Pasifika Festival in the Bay has been held since 2015.

The vibrant colours, rhythmic beats and cultural traditions of the Pacific Islands are coming to Katikati with the return of the Pasifika Festival in the Bay in November.

The festival embraces the unique cultures of the Pacific Islands through dance and food, with a focus on the younger generation.

This year’s festival celebrates a decade of success with 35 performing groups from schools around the Bay of Plenty set to perform at Katikati College.

Groups will showcase their traditional costumes as they represent nations from throughout the Pacific, including Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji and more.

Alongside the performing groups, 35 stalls with traditional cuisine will make the expected 8000 attendees feel as if they’re in the Pacific, with dishes such as chop suey and pani popo available.

Some children have performed at all the festivals.

This is a passion project by a group of Tauranga Moana Pasifika teachers who wanted to improve Pasifika achievement within schools. Their answer was to give their students a platform to showcase their cultures visually.

Melanie Cottingham, one of the original teacher organisers, says the festival is inclusive, and the vibe is like one big happy family reunion.

“Some children have performed at all of the festivals since 2015, and watching how they grow in confidence and pride is so wonderful and powerful.”

“As researchers, we know that when Pacific students’ identities, languages, and cultures are visible and validated in school and classroom settings, they achieve greater education outcomes because they can be who they are at home, in the classroom.”

The local Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund (TWBCEF) has supported Pasifika Festival in the Bay with a $23,000 grant this year. The fund is a partnership between local funders Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.