About the event
Pasifika Festival is one of the most significant cultural festivals in the Pacific region.
Festival Day (Saturday, 13 March) regularly attracts more than 200,000 people including over 1000 performers from Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Tangata Whenua (New Zealand Maori).
The festival celebrates the unique cultures and identities of the Pacific nations and New Zealand.
This year sees the start of an expansion to a multi-day event, with the inclusion of a number of new events.
Event highlights
Pasifika Festival presents Fakakaukau
(Pacific debate series)
Date: 8 - 10 March 2010
Time: 4.30pm - 7pm (debates start each evening at 5pm)
Venue: 8 - 9 March - Council Chambers, Auckland Town Hall
10 March - Goodman Fielder Room, Aotea Centre, The Edge
Entry: Free
Pasifika Festival presents Fakakaukau, the most thought-provoking and
challenging debate series in the South Pacific.
These three evening debates will see teams of academics, politicians,
artists, activists and others discussing different topics, including Pacific
and Maori identity and representation and the value of indigenous education.
Presented in association with Te Puni Kōkiri.
Pasifika Festival presents The Best of the Auditions
Date: 8 -11 March 2010
Time: 8.30pm until late
Venue: Galatos, 17 Galatos Street, Auckland Central
Entry: $10 (tickets from Ticketmaster
- booking and service charges may apply)
Catch the best of the Pacific's up and coming musicians in four, unique, late night shows.
Come along and help us discover the best thing since sliced taro!
Presented in association with New Zealand Major Events and Dawn Raid Entertainment.
Pasifika Festival presents Po; Beautiful Darkness
Date: Friday 12 March 2010
Time: 8pm
Venue: Aotea Centre, The Edge
Entry: $19 - $120 (tickets from The Edge)
Pasifika Festival presents Mika and the Auckland Philharmonia in Po;Beautiful Darkness on Friday, 12 March at the ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, The Edge.
Po; Beautiful Darkness is Mika's one-night only return to the stage in a spectacular new tribal pop opera performed with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and several international artists.
Other events
Pese Muamua
Date: Sunday 7 March 2010
Time: 5pm
Venue: Auckland Town Hall, The Edge
Entry: Free
'Mua mua mua' - let's begin, let's begin, let's begin, is the traditional Samoan call introducing a set of songs.
Pese Muamua, song number one, symbolises the beginning of all the 'songs' Auckland Choral will sing in 2010. Steven Rapana has captured the familiar, beautiful, traditional cadences of Samoan music in this arrangement.
The Edge
Heritage Pacific Arts Fono
Date: Friday 12 March 2010
Time: 10am - 4pm
Venue: Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall, The Edge
Entry: Free
Creative New Zealand hosts an open forum to discuss the health of heritage arts in Pacific communities in New Zealand and methods of assisting these.
Banana Boat Writers Maori & Pasifika Playwrights' Creative Clinics
Date: 8 - 9 March 2010
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Venue: Council Chambers, Auckland Town Hall, The Edge
Entry: The public is welcome to view this workshop process
Banana Boat Writers Group with the support of Playmarket and Auckland City Council Creative Communities will be holding workshops and labs as part of Pasifika Festival 2010.
Playmarket - Pasifika Playwrights >>
Polydancing in the City
Date: Wednesday 10 March 2010
Time: 12.15pm-1.15pm
Venue: Pioneer Hall, High Street, city centre
Entry: Free
So you think you can Hula?
Kick your shoes off, put on a lavalava and come and boogie Pacific Style!
A short fun hour-long introduction to Pacific dance that will leave you
wanting more and ready to jump up on the stages at Pasifika Festival!
See you there!
Pasifika Festival Kilikiti
Date: Saturday 13 March 2010
Time: 11am – 2pm
Venue: Western Springs Outer Sports Fields
Entry: Free
Played mainly by Polynesian athletes, NZ Kilikiti's modernised rules provide an exciting competitive environment.
Witness over an hour huge hitting, outfield catches, and action packed entertainment.
Scheduled games are Tauafiafi v MAS, The Niue Rock v Pukapuka Kilikiti and Eagles v Ma'ata Slingers.
La fine del mondo by Edith Amituanai
Photographic works from the ongoing series on the resettlement of the Lai family in West Auckland presented by Corban Estate Arts Centre.
Gahua Lima, "Creative Hands of Niue" exhibition
Presented by Okalana Niue Arts Group, Gahua Lima is a collaboration of Niuean artists showcasing contemporary and traditional work.
Opening - Saturday, 6 March, 10.30am at Avondale Community Centre
Exhibition - 8-12 March, 10am-5pm, Level 4, Aotea Centre, The Edge
The Edge
circular exhibition
Presented by Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust, circular features the works of 10 artists who transform traditional and everyday objects into sculptures, installations, photography, prints and paintings.
Artstation
Pasifika Piks - Auckland Photo Blog
Presented by the Auckland Festival of Photography this is a chance for you to send in your photos and be in to win!
Photos may be taken at public Pacific Island events or at home, school, sports games, family get togethers
- or anywhere at all in Auckland.
The winning photo will be selected by Oscar Kightley (bro'Town, Sione's
Wedding).
USO - presented by The Black Friars Theatre Company
10-13 March
2010
8pm daily (plus 1pm matinees on Thursday and Friday)
Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre
8 Alfred Street, Auckland
Adults $20, Student/ Concession $15, School groups (10+) $13 per person
Loyalty. Brotherhood. Betrayal. A song for South Auckland.
From the Company that brought you William Shakespeare's Othello Polynesia, Aristophanes' The Frogs and Being Brown.
Updated March 2010
| DATE: |
13 March 2010 |
| PLACE: |
Western Springs Park |
| AGES: |
All |
Get involved in Pasifika Festival 2010
Interested in being a stallholder, volunteer, or performing at Pasifika Festival in 2010?
GET INVOLVED IN THE FESTIVAL >>
Pasifika Festival Opening Night Concert
Date: Thursday 11 March
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Venue: Western Springs Park
Entry cost: Free
The Pasifika Festival Opening Night Concert features the best of the Pacific's stories, dances and songs about this year's themes
- the molokau (centipede) and the frangipani flower.
There will also be a special contribution from PIBAC, the city's Pacific Island Board, and performances from the international artists travelling to Auckland for Pasifika Festival.
Pasifika Festival Day
Date: Saturday 13 March
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: Western Springs Park and sports fields
Entry cost: Free
Pasifika Festivals' "festival day" is when Pacific communities from Auckland, New Zealand and overseas come together to celebrate their rich cultures through food, dance, music and arts.
On the day, you can experience the resonating sounds of the beating of tapa, see the flickering of the pandanus strips woven into a mat, smell the mouth-watering scents of the succulent crackling pig and fresh tropical taste watermelon and pineapple with ice cream. And that's just the beginning.
Pasifika Festival brings together our diverse Pacific nations,
celebrating their unity, and at the same time, their diversity.
Each Pacific nation is unique in terms of their history,
language, culture and traditions, and festival day gives you a taste
of each nation in its own "village", with traditional and
contemporary performing arts, music and crafts.
The villages also feature the best of Pacific cuisine, such as
raw fish, pineapple pies, fresh coconuts and much more to enjoy!
Sponsors
Pasifika Festival 2010 is proudly sponsored and supported by:
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