The Taoga Niue Arts and Culture festival will be focusing on sustainability.
The festival will not only promote culture and its conservation but also the environment and climate change.
A hive of activities will take place starting from April 19th.
The Commercial centre will be the hub of where everything is happening,
Villages will also be involved in the events.
“One of the new activities that we’re excited about, we’re linking it up to climate change, to minimize your carbon footprints on these earth so that’s the to ulu niu and it’s going to start at Alofi south and basically it’s investing in planting a tree and it’s going to cost $20 per tree that you want to plant, $10 will go towards the actual village which is Alofi south and ten dollars will go towards the next festival. So we’re trying to put events into place that it’s not only for this festival but it also lays a foundation for a sustainable festival and to help with the next festival.
The other events that going out to some of the villages is the traditional umu which is going to be hosted by the village of Tuapa and there’s probably about two or three events that’s going to be out there, there’s the open mic night , that will be on the evening of the Tuesday of the festival and one of our eastern villages is the village of Liku so we’ve got quite a lot of prominent world renowned artist John Pule and so he’s doing his art exhibition out there but there’s also the Hikulagi sculpture park so they’re doing a competition in memory of Charles Jessop who sadly passed away a number of years back so that is going to be hosted by Tahiono arts.” said Ida Hekesi – Organizing committee member
Locals are being encouraged to support and participate in the festival.
“A lot of people are saying in the community what can we do as a community? How can we sort of participate? What I’m saying is the actual Taoga festival doesn’t belong to an individual or an organization or group or the government it actually belongs to the people of Niue so there are activities there that’s been running for the last ten years that you can participate in. One of the new ones this year that we’d like to introduce is the Takalo and the Ta me event and that’s going to be held at the Taoga auditorium , that’s a really good event and the other is the lologo tuai that’s going to be held up at the multipurpose hall at the Niue High school and there’s a range , there’s the Niue council of women that’s participating , they’ve got their own little programme , there’s the talatalai which is the men’s craft , they’ve got their activity at the Aliutu hall. Were also encouraging our younger generation so the Niue Primary school, the Niue High school to participate.” said Hekesi
The Taoga Niue Arts and Culture festival closes on Thursday April 25th.