Pacific artists from around the world are travelling to Hawai'i for the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific peoples.

A group of New Zealand artists will join thousands of other Pacific creatives for the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts in Hawai’i.

“FestPAC is basically our indigenous Pacific Olympics in arts," says Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts manager Ali Foa’i, who is also co-leading the Pacific delegation to Honolulu next month.

Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, co-leader and Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts enterprise manager Kawika Aipa says this event has been a long time in the making.

“This year we're bringing 85 artists from 42 iwi, 15 regions, six island nations showcasing 11 art forms. It'll be about 2,000 artists from 28 Pacific countries coming and descending into Hawai'i.

“The last FestPAC was held in 2016 in Guam, it was supposed to be held in 2020, but unfortunately COVID did its thing.”

Foa’i, an actor and writer, attended FestPAC in 2008 in American Samoa and 2012 in the Solomon Islands. He says this year’s group will bring a mix of old and new art forms.

“In terms of our Pacific art, it's amazing to see all our traditional vaka, our weaving, but it's also really fascinating to see the art that we create here in Aotearoa from our Pacific people. So we're really lucky to be able to take out some of our top contemporary Pacific arts offering to Hawai'i in a couple of weeks.”

The delegation includes acclaimed poet Dr. Karlo Mila, visual artist Palenakeke Brown and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, the winning group from Te Matatini. Other artists include Niuean banjo musician Annafinau Tukuitonga, hip hop artist Connor ‘Ooshcon’ Masseurs and Tokelauan visual artist Jack Kirifi.

Samoan choreographer and 2024 New Year’s Honours recipient Tupe Lualua is preparing her own contribution for the festival, and is looking forward sharing ideas and inspiration with other artists.

“In Hawai'i, I think my most important role is to listen, respond truthfully and be helpful - this may include dancing with dancers, listening to writers, singing with musicians and sharing story.”

Lualua remembers watching videos of senior Whitireia Performing arts students who attended FestPAC in 2000.

“They collaborated with one of our graduate choreographers Ioane Leota and created a work specifically for that festival on location.

“It was one of the most moving and inspirational works I had ever seen and they were making it in response to the environment they were in and using what they had around them in Noumea … I have been dreaming about this festival for some time.”

Pacific solidarity

The Pacific region has been a growing subject of geopolitical attention, and Foa’i says the festival will also bring together leaders and big-thinkers.

“We are heading over with the support of the Kiingitanga, who will be over there to discuss with various other Pacific leaders.

“This really is the gathering of our Pacific leaders, including our rangatira from Aotearoa, so it should be interesting as it’s politically quite active at the moment.”

For Aipa, it’s a point of pride to be bringing an entire delegation from across the country.

“For me as a Hawai’ian, this is a global platform for Pacific Islands whānau, our ohana, to come together, share our experiences, and assert our identities, while fostering solidarity with one another, especially with what’s going on in the world.

“Because our islands may be separated by an ocean, we are also connected by that ocean and our Pacific Island nations can lean on one another in times of celebration, in times of grief, and that we are more knowledgeable about one another and we can connect again as our ancestors have been doing for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years.”

FestPac runs from the 6th to 16th of June in Honolulu.