Melanesian Arts festival meets begin today

Caption:   (centre seated) Dr Simet, and Liason officers from UPNG

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

PREPARATION to next year’s Melanesian Arts Festival have moved into the next stage with the hosting of two vitals meetings with the participating countries and groups to be conducted as of this morning, in Port Moresby.   

At a media conference held on Monday, Acting Executive Director of the National Cultural Commission, Dr Jacob Simet, announced the dates of the meets this week and the progress so far in the country’s preparation in hosting the fifth arts festival for the Melanesian region.

The first meeting will be of the Melanesian Arts and Cultural Council, which is a body established by the Melanesian Spear Group (MSG) - responsible for cultural matters within the Melanesian region- comprising of senior cultural officers within the MSG to be held today and tomorrow at the Holiday Inn Hotel.

Friday will see the meeting of the Ministerial Council comprising of minister of culture from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, PNG, and New Caledonia, the five members of the MSG, that specifically look after cultural issues.

Delegates will come from the five Melanesian Spear Group members - with the newest inclusion of Timor Leste also to participate in the festival.

Other groups to take part include groups from both the Torres Straight Islands and West Papua as well- a total of 14 delegates and five ministers to attend the meetings.

“What normally happens is that the cultural officials comprise the Melanesian Arts and Cultural Council where we will go through some decisions and resolutions and so forth- whereas on Friday the Ministers will consider our resolutions, our proposals.”

“This meeting is specifically held in the host country, which basically in a lot of ways reflects the hosting of the festival here so we have to hold the meetings here,” Dr Simet said.

He added that the meetings will also give the visiting delegates the opportunity to see some of the venues around the city, with plans to have some delegates visit one of the satellite venues in Milne Bay at Alotau.

Final year tourism and hospitality students have been engaged from the University of Papua New Guinea as liaison officers- the commission has also engaged drivers and police for close protection of the delegates.