With four weeks to go for the biggest production to be staged by the theatre arts students of UPNG, financial assistance still remains a hurdle.
Body Art Spectacle is a first-of-its-kind event to raise awareness on gender-based violence (GBV) but it is also a fundraising drive for Creative Arts Strand’s much-needed equipment and facilities. Specifically, the run down theatre, according to Ellen Mesibere.
Mesibere is the talent manager of the production. She is one of the many former students assisting with this project.
“So the production is a collaborative effort between current and former students from the strand. We wanted to do something like this for a while,” she said.
Mesibere explained that the production itself is a four-fold event: An assessment for the students; a marketing opportunity for the Creative Art strand; a fundraising drive for the school; and awareness on GBV.
The production is a 50-man cast with additional members for visual arts and music.
“The production will have people with experience in the area of art,” she added.
Mesibere said there has been support from Lamana Hotel, Theodist, Pacific Balance Fund, Melanesian Trustee Services Limited and Blue7Team.
“But funding is still a struggle. We don’t have enough money to begin with,” she added.
“We are hoping that we do get enough to cater for what we set out to do. And our expenditure basically for the night to cater for the 300 people for the event. We hope someone comes knocking.”