MACFest event outline now online
Quoting the Solomon Star newspaper � 28 April 2018
�The program for the upcoming 6th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFest) is now available online to get a glimpse of what the festival will be like.
�The National Organising Committee (NOC) has released the program and is encouraging the public to view the main festival programme online.
�The programme with information on participating countries can be viewed on the Official Festival website at http://macfest2018.com/ .
�According to the programme, performing arts dominates the event which will engage the bulk of participation and audience interest.
�This is the main component of the festival featuring much of the festival highlights and engaging about 80% of participants. Activities under this category range from dance to music and theatre, the organisers said.
�Sixty percent of activities under this category will be traditional dances, showcasing the vast cultural diversity in Melanesia.�
�Thirty percent is in various music forms such as circular, contemporary and ethno music. The remaining ten percent consist of drama performances including creative and modern dance styles.
�There will also be an interactive space provided through Jam House where musicians from participating countries can interact and share with one another.
�The second category is Traditional and Contemporary Arts which contains the biggest number of activities relating to both traditional and contemporary art respectively.
�Eighty percent of what is going to be exhibited is in traditional art form, whilst the remaining twenty percent in contemporary forms.
�Traditional and Contemporary Arts range from Sculpturing & Carving, Body Ornaments & Jewelry, Weaving, Pottery, Traditional Currencies, Tattooing, Fire-Walking, Canoeing & Navigational Art, Culinary Arts, Traditional Healing and Traditional Games.
�The third category is Visual Arts which include paintings on canvas, graphics, children�s� art, Architecture, Photography and Fashion.
�Much of the visual arts exhibitions will be showcased at the National Arts Gallery in Honiara and the Crafts Market Centre.
�Photography will be located at the Solomon Islands National University, whilst the Fashion shows at the Multi-Purpose Hall.
�The fourth category is Literary Arts will gather writers, publishers, Poets, story tellers (oratory), historians, theatre and film producers from Melanesia converging together in a week long festivity to exhibit, showcase and share their experiences with one another and their audiences.
�Most of the Literary Activities will held at the National Museum Auditorium, whilst Film and Oratory to be held at the Solomon Islands National University, Kukum Campus Lecture Theatre.
�The fifth category involves Workshops, Symposiums and Forums. There will be a �Melanesian Symposium� to be held during the festival.
�The topic is �New Horizons � Exploring the Economics of Culture and the Potentials of the Creative Industries in Melanesia�.
�Other workshops and symposiums to be held during the festival include Ethno-�Music Workshop, Culture & Education, Cultural Industries, ICHCAP-Pacific Young ICH Practitioners Meeting.
�Chair of the Programmes and Events Sub-Committee, Dennis Marita said the Melanesian Arts & Cultural Festival has always been a show of strength and pride as a people with humongous wealth of cultural diversity and resources.
�The Festival will just be another extravaganza of cultural diversity at its best which will comprise of several categories and each of these with different genres,� Mr Marita said.
�The event will run from July 1- 10 in Honiara and will coincide with the country�s 40th Independence Anniversary celebrations.�
Copyright:� Solomon Star
