Art exhibition “Island Summers” by Stephanie O’berg for Ten-Pacific Arts - the annual Pacific Arts Festival of Christchurch takes a retrospective look at 10 summers of Pacific Arts Festivals in the city. 
Opened on January 12 at Our City O-Tautahi the exhibition runs until Feb 10 and features Cook Islands traditional art of Tivaevae and ‘Whatchyasay?’- young emerging artist paintings and multimedia installations.
“The festival has been significant for Christchurch and Pacific Underground. Many Pasifika artists from all over came here to collaborate, create, perform and display with local artists and many of them first time visitors to this city.” says Pacific Underground’s Tanya Muagututi’a.
“Ten festivals is a good place to finish up. It’s a sad time for PU, but we’re very proud to have delivered an event like this. Stephanie’s exhibition, the photos, old reports - and there were many reports, remind me of the growth of an event, an industry and development of some of NZ’s most prominent artists. When I see those artists around the country, they ask after our team members or about the festival so I know that the impression left by the gig is a important and lasting one.” Says Tanya.
The Waitangi Day Family Day, on Feb 6, 10am at the North Quad in The Arts Centre- Te Kotahitanga Kapa Haka will once again open the last day as they have for the past 5 years. Bands such as Te Hae Whanau, Sista Loops, Lincoln Drive, K.T.O, Norman Vaele, Restoration, cultural performances and more will spread throughout for a day of the city's best Pasifika and Maori entertainment.
Siliga David Setoga and his Popo Hardwear T-shirt label, the most popular in Pacific t-shirts and straight out of South Auckland's Otara Markets will sell his merchandise at the Family Day for the first time.
"He’s wanted to come down for ages, and we’ve always wanted him to, so we invited him when we were at the Otara markets last year. He has done an amazing job, his
T-shirts are worn all over the country and the Pacific”
J Williams featuring Erekah in an all ages gig by Pacific Roots South will be held at night at 7pm with tickets only $10 at Real Groovy or $15 at the door. Group bookings can be made at Pacific Underground.
Ten years ago in 2000, Maria Godinet Watts of the defunct Community Employment Group and Christchurch City Council Maori Arts Advisor Rhonda Thompson approached Tanya Muagututi’a to consider staging a performing arts component for the Tattoo / Ta Moko and Tatau Symposium by Riki Manuel. The result was a steering committee formed to assist with the running of a one-day celebration at the Arts Centre called ‘Tasi - Pacific Arts’ (Tasi meaning one in Samoan). New graphic artist Brian Newport designed a logo called the ‘Tasi man’ that has been used for every festival since, and the event became an annual fixture for Pacific Underground after the overwhelming response for it to be continued. Tasi - Pacific Arts featured - Tribalincs, Jahmen, Sheelahroc, Emma Kesha, the Kiribati community, Charmed One, Verse 2, Pacific Underground’s own theatre comedy ‘Romeo and Tusi’ (staged for the last time) and special guests The Naked Samoans.
Results of a survey conducted by the Christchurch City Council in 2002 after the second festival called ‘Ua - Pacific Arts’ (Ua meaning two in the Tongan language), were strong enough for Christchurch City Council to provide seed funding and then continue their support for a further 5 years. Funds from Canterbury Community Trust continued from 2004 and Creative New Zealand, and in its earlier years funding from Community Employment Group, helped develop the event.
The 2003 festival Toru-Pacific Arts (three in Maori) opened with it’s own short film made by David Fane and Whare Pullan before the screening of Makerita Urale’s documentary ‘Savage Symbols’ on an outdoor screen in a park in Aranui, and the Family Day was overcrowded with teenaged girls who flocked to see a new group called Nesian Mystic.
In 2004 Fa - Pacific Arts (four in Samoan) the Naked Samoans performed their new show called “Naked Samoans Go Home” at the Theatre Royal. They returned to Auckland to continue production on their new show called ‘BroTown’. The festival commissioned Barbara Carpenter make a short film called Talula Talula, which has appeared in festivals around the country and on national television on Tangata Pasifika.
At Lima-Pacific Arts, (five in various island languages), a nighttime ‘Fia Fia’ concert became a popular event. A new bus tour had artists traveling in a bus to perform in five shopping malls to promote the festival and for the second time Melbourne based girl group Sunga returned for shows at the Family Day, the Bus Tour and at the Canterbury Museum.
At Ono-Pacific Arts (six in various island languages), emerging curator and artist Felolini Maria Ifopo held five art exhibitions. Traditional Samoan tattooist Peter Suluape Petelo tattooed Christchurch punters in Riki Manuel’s Toi Mana Maori Art Gallery for the second time, at Vitu - Pacific Arts (seven in Fijian) Dallas Tamaira of Fat Feddy’s Drop headlined at the Family Day for the first time as a solo artist, and legendary writer Albert Wendt was the headline artist.
Waru - Pacific Arts and Iva Pacific Arts festivals featured strong local performers and artists once again such as Swarm who included in their dance performance live graffiti artists painting Waru and Iva onstage at the Family Day, and emerging Niuean printmaker Cerisse Palalagi designed on tattoo lino cuts for people to wear at the Family Day.
The festival has featured artists such as-
Writers and poets Albert Wendt, Sarona Iosefa - Aiono, Tusiata Avia, Victor Rodger, Oscar Kightley and Simon Small, D Kamali, the Fika writers collective;
artists Fatu Feu’u, Michel Tuffery, master carver Johnny Penisula, master weaver Misa Emma Kesha, master carver Riki Manuel, master sculptor Filipe Tohi, Lonni Hutchinson, Stone Maka, Sheyne Tuffery, Jo Tito, Felolini Maria Ifopo, Cerisse Palalagi, Leafa Janice Wilson;
music groups and soloists - Nesian Mystik, Ardijah, Dallas Tamaira, Ladi 6, Da Feelstyle, Adeaze, Cydel and the Groovehouse, Mark Vanilau, Toni Huata, ‘Koile, Interislander Sound, Sista Waitoa, Te Huaki Puanaki Tribalincs, Sunga, Jahmen, Que, Verse Two, Sheelahroc, Unkle Styx, Ebone Fieldz, F.U.S.A, D’sendantz, Niu Seila;
performing arts - Siaosi Mulipola, Pacific Underground’s Romeo and Tusi, Rangi Mau’s Fantastic Voyage and Island Summer, The Naked Samoans, The Laughing Samoans, Sparkajive Entertainment, Te Kotahitanga Kapa Haka, Te Ahikaaroa Kapa Haka, Samoan Methodist Youth Group;
Film and video makers: - Makerita Urale, Shirley Horrocks, Lala Rolls, Whare Pullan, Barbara Carpenter, Sarah Hunter, DJ Mu
Source: Pacific Underground
