South Seas Arts

Festival May Be

A Reality Soon

From John Carter in Suva The first combined display of the performing arts and Island cultures of the peoples of the South Pacific—along the lines of the arts festivals now held in such cities as Edinburgh, Adel aide and Perth—may be held in Suva in the next two or three years.

THE idea of such a festival was put forward last year by Mr. Ken Bain, chairman of the newly-formed Fiji Arts Council, who is Secretary for Social Services in the Fiji Ad ministration.

Mr. Bain thought that an exhibition of Polynesian, Melanesian and Micro nesian art could be as attractive as the enormously successful South Pacific Games, the first of which was staged in Suva in 1963.

Mr. Bain put his idea to Fiji’s Governor, Sir Derek Jakeway, who immediately saw its possibilities, and who took it up at a meeting of the South Pacific Commission in Noumea last October.

The Commission also thought that a South Pacific Arts Festival would be a good idea, and asked its Secretary-General, Mr. W. D. For syth, to ascertain the extent of interest in such a plan throughout the South Pacific.

Organising Council

At the same time, Mr. Forsyth was asked to find out whether the territories would be willing to par ticipate in an exhibition of handi crafts in Noumea to coincide with the Second South Pacific Games in December. The idea of this exhi bition was suggested by Mrs. O. T.

Henrion, of Tahiti, at the Sixth South Pacific Conference in Lae last July.

Since the October meeting of the SPC, Mr. Bain has suggested to it that a central organising council should be set up for the Arts Festival along the lines of the South Pacific Games Council.

As it has been suggested that the first festival should be held in Fiji, Mr. Bain thinks that the council should be based in Fiji and that

regional meetings should be held early in 1967 to consider the tentative programme and organisation methods.

“A likely target date for the festival,” Mr. Bain told me, “would seem to be during the first half of 1968.

“Then there would be a great possibility of co-operation between ourselves, the Auckland Festival Society, the Pan-Pacific Festival at Christchurch and the Adelaide and Perth festivals, all of which are being held in March or April, 1968.

“The Auckland Festival Society has already written to the Fiji Arts Council expressing considerable in terest in the proposal and suggesting some reciprocal arrangements.”

Mr. Bain believes it may be pos sible to co-ordinate the dates for the South Pacific Arts Festival with those of festivals in Australia and New Zealand.

“A great opportunity would arise for adding overseas artists to the festival and of sending groups from Pacific territories taking part in the festival in Fiji to the festivals in Australia and New Zealand,” he told me.

Where could a South Pacific Arts Festival be held in Suva?

Mr. Bain suggested the new audi torium in the Suva Civic Centre, which is expected to be completed by the first half of 1968.

Mr. Bain says: “The success of the South Pacific Games has already shown what can be done to bring the South Pacific peoples closer to gether.

“The Games must now be regarded as a permanent part of Pacific life and there seems no reason why the South Pacific Festival could not in crease the goodwill which the Games have already created.”