Ethnic communities’ celebration to be held late 2018

Following on the back of a successful funding application for a Waitangi Day event, Westland District Council has also successfully obtained a grant of $5000 to hold a multi-ethnic festival in late 2018.

Westland is home to approximately 8,300 people representing 56 nationalities. This cultural event and social cohesion project aims to share cultural knowledge and build inter-cultural relationships in a family-friendly way through food, music, dance and storytelling. The purpose is to create a culture of inclusiveness and improved understanding of the history and heritage of our region’s diverse ethnic groups.

A preliminary meeting with representatives of some of the largest cultural groups in the region was held in September and support for this event is strong. The project will be driven by Westland District Council with oversight from the Lions Club of Hokitika.

Representatives from Ngāti Waewae, Makaawhio, Westland Soroptimists and New Coasters have also pledged their desire to partner with Council to execute the event. Chief Executive, Simon Bastion, says:

“We believe that both migrants and lifelong West Coasters will benefit from this event. Positive outcomes include making new friends, trying new things, and having fun

“What we aim to achieve is an increased sense of belonging and participation for members of our ethnic communities.

“Our project will encourage interaction between different cultures in a fun and engaging way and is an opportunity to celebrate diverse experiences, histories, languages and identities and foster knowledge-sharing among both children and adults to break down barriers. It wasn’t that long ago that we could all have been considered migrants!”

The specifics of the event are still being worked through but many ideas have been brought to the table so far, including a powhiri at the local marae, a costume parade, international food market, Diwali celebration, an evening of international music and dance and a children’s story time event involving school children sharing myths and fairy tales from their native cultures.

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