Cultural diversity on show at PolyFest

Tola Adelowo performs with her African group from Waitakere College. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Drum beats, glittering costumes and music from around the world kicked off this year's annual PolyFest.

The world's biggest Maori and Pacific Island cultural performance festival of its kind, the event has this year attracted a record 210 groups from 63 high schools throughout the Auckland region.

For the first time, the Auckland Secondary Schools festival has included African groups on its increasingly popular Diversity Stage, where the event opened yesterday.

Waitakere College student Tola Adelowo, 16, was among the first to take the stage at the Manukau Sports Bowl in Manukau City.

The Diversity Stage - which features Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Sri Lankan, Malaysian and many other ethnic groups - has grown from 44 groups when the stage was introduced in 2006, to 54 cultural groups, expanding the stage to two days of performance.

Event director Tania Karauria says the festival has brought youngsters and communities of all different backgrounds together, to celebrate their unique cultures through song and dance.

"The 2010 ASB PolyFest marks 35 years of positive influence that the festival has had on the lives of our communities, our young people and our nation as a whole," she said.

Despite financial pressures and tragedies that had hit several communities throughout the years, "our youth have shown the way", Ms Karauria said.

Thousands of high school students performing on the Niuean, Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Maori stages will perform today, tomorrow and the final day on Saturday.

Dozens of students will compete in speech competitions in Pacific languages featured on each Pacific stage.

Through traditional song and dance, students will perform to the theme Kia tu Rangatiratanga - "It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves" - a quote from the late Sir Edmund Hillary.

Up to 90,000 spectators are expected to visit the festival.

Food stalls will be selling a wide range of cuisine.

POLYFEST

When: Today until Saturday.
Where: Manukau Sports Bowl, Te Irirangi Drive, Manukau City.
Cost: $4 (5 years and under, free).
Tip: Don't forget a water bottle, hat and sunscreen.