Sun shines on Pacific arts festival

By TUO CHINULA

Despite its name, the Cook Islands twin-hulled voyaging canoe Te Au O Tonga (Southern Mists) brought the sun with it when it sailed into Noumea for the eighth festival of Pacific arts.

The opening ceremony may have been rained out but the rest of the festival has showcased New Caledonia at its tropical best.

Around 2500 artists from 24 countries in the Pacific are attending the festival, which is organised by the Council of Pacific Arts and has been hosted in a different country every four years since 1972. The councilhas 28 member countries throughout Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.

The New Zealand delegation, 140 Maori and Pacific artists, have brought a programme which included carving, tattooing, weaving, kapa haka, theatre, literature, fashion design and music.

A twin-hulled waka, Te Aurere, sailed from Northland.

At the village, the hub of the festival, each country has a thatched house, made of bamboo and flax, to display its arts and crafts and demonstrate different techniques. It's a hive of activity as spectators rush from one attraction to another. Other festival events are street theatre, film shows, debates, a contemporary art exhibition and a multi-ethnic fringe festival.

The overall theme is "Words of yesterday, words of today, words of tomorrow - Pacific cultures on the move together."

Elizabeth Ellis, chair of Te Waka Toi (the Maori arts board of Creative New Zealand), says that for Maori there is no distinction between the traditional and contemporary arts.

"For us, it is all an extension which is about the vibrant and dynamic living arts of our people," she explains. "We want people to see our culture as one that reflects who we are as people."

For the New Zealanders, the welcome at the airport from Kanak chiefs, the indigenous Melanesians of New Caledonia, was especially significant.

"It's a privilege to be invited and we feel really welcome because the chiefs gave us permission to enter their land," Ellis says.

As the host country, the challenge for New Caledonia is to assert its identity as a Pacific country. Having lived in the shadow of France for so long, it is now trying to build a profile for itself in the region.

Sixteen years ago, it missed out on hosting the event because of violent political demonstrations. Kanak writer Dewe Gorode remembers the upheaval of 1984 but says the country's political scene has changed drastically: "As militants in 1984, we're [Kanaks] the ones who caused the boycott. But now we're engaged in a period of political transition and our claims have been partially satisfied."

As the country acquires greater autonomy, the festival provides an opportunity to strengthen its regional relations.