Culture

This is the first sponsorship launch towards the festival and is the third time BSP has assisted. The presentation today had BSP hand-over a cheque of K30, 000 to assist with the festival.

Corporate Sponsorship Manager, Amelia Minoppu, stated that BSP is pleased to join another year round since 2021.

“As you all know culture and tradition plays a big role in our communities and in the Pacific and the values of the communities we operate in. It’s through events like the Hiri Moale festival that our brand identifies the people that we work with,” she stated.

These cultural advocates have shown the world and their home country that culture is indeed the natty part of what makes Papua New Guinea great.

In representing the cultural community, inspiring artists of their own genre spoke briefly of their cultural journey and their deep appreciation for their art form and the recognition it is being accorded.

Musician, producer and songwriter, AK47 formally known as Allen Kedea, spoke at the launch of the National Cultural Policy on Friday, 10^th June.

With over 800 languages, CEO of the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Eric Uvovo, said this places PNG in a much better position.

Speaking at the Momase regional consultation workshop, CEO of the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Eric Uvovo, said the newly-developed National Cultural Policy 2022-2032 comes at a time when cultures are undergoing changes due to technological advancements.

The policy will ensure the preservation of PNG’s culture while generating much-needed revenue at the same time.

The third Toktok Bilong Strongim Nesen focused on PNG’s cultural history, which can be traced back 60,000 years.

The Development Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference, Marie Mondu, spoke of how migration, civilisation and mixed marriages water down PNG’s traditional practices.

A professional multimedia artist, Tandoa earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Queensland University of Technology through the Australia Awards Scholarship Program.

In the classroom and online she finds ways to make traditional culture relevant to new audiences.  By incorporating dance, music, and arts from the country’s diverse provinces into the curriculum, she is ensuring the next generation will value their heritage.

It will be held at Odlins Plaza on the waterfront and feature performances by traditional and contemporary Pacific artists.

There will also be traditional pacific food, including a Pacific Island Cook-Off and a range of family-friendly activities.

The festival will be MCed by Tofiga Fepulea'i a former member of the comedy duo the Laughing Samoans.

The Wellington council says it is an opportunity for all Pacific people to celebrate and share their knowledge, values and beliefs.

The Wellington Pasifika Festival runs from 12 noon until 6pm.

“We need to hear more about our different cultures and it’s good if these people could also write their own folklores,” says Sir Michael Somare.

Sir Michael says such events allow the people of a particular place to narrow down and portray on what they believe in.

But Sir Michael adds that more should be done.

He states the shows are telling a story…but folklores must also be written to capture these beliefs and traditions.

East Sepik Provincial Day was held at the Murray Barracks, recording the biggest crowd of the day.

The venue was packed and many more still making their way in by midday.

The public even joined in on adorning a few traditional attire and body paints and danced along with traditional singsing groups who took the arena.

A recent study found that more than 2 billion adults and children globally are overweight or obese and suffer health problems because of that -- but this is nothing new.

In recent times, these activities have also been aimed at preserving culture and transferring local knowledge from the older to younger generations.

One such event was the recent gathering of the Women Weavers of Milne Bay early this month.

This saw women from around the province gather in Alotau for a two-day show and tell event.

It was specifically for sharing knowledge on cultural practices, particularly the art of weaving.