Thierry Moli-Toa and Nikiatu Kuautonga both traveled to Indonesia in early September 2006 to represent Vanuatu and participate in the 2006 Indonesian Art and Culture Scholarship Program. The scholarships offered by the Indonesian Government covered airfares, accommodation, expenses and tuition for the young men to attend the short-term program from September to November in some of the best art institutes in Indonesia.
The program aims to ‘promote cooperation in the areas of education and culture among member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia Community (EAC), Southwest Pacific Dialogue (SwPD) and Pacific Island Forum Countries’. Participants receive training in Indonesian language and the Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese traditions of dance, music, painting, ceramics, puppet making and carving.
Thierry Moli-Toa (25) from Ndui Ndui Village in West Ambae and Nikiatu Kuautonga (18) from Ipau Village in Futuna are both skilled artists who have demonstrated their skills in a number of art exhibitions held in Vanuatu. They are also gifted musicians who have a great interest in contemporary and traditional music and have represented Vanuatu in a number of local and regional arts festivals. Talented performers, you may often see them (Thierry – singing, or Nikiatu – dancing) in major hotels in Port Vila where they participate in shows to raise funds for charities and their communities. Thierry has also performed with popular national and international young artists such as ‘Vanessa Quai’, ‘Kros Rod’ and ‘Naio Band’.
Both young men greatly enjoyed the opportunity to represent their country and meet other Pacific Islands and Asian artists while developing their artistic skills and learning about Indonesian culture.
