The Vanuatu Cultural Centre is presenting an exhibition at the Espace Culturel in the French Embassy from July 16th through August 15th. The month-long exhibition, Kastom Ekonomi long 2007, is part of a national awareness campaign promoting the traditional economy that supports over 80% of the population of Vanuatu.
The exhibition has been designed to be visually stimulating with the bulk of the information on the traditional economy of Vanuatu told through vibrant full-colour photos and physical displays, including the highly valuable double circle pig’s tusk presented to Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to New Hebrides in 1974. The displayed text will be in Bislama, the national unifying language of Vanuatu, although French and English copies will be made available to the public.
As the traditional economy effects the lives of all ni-Vanuatu in a number of different ways, the exhibition will be focusing on four topic areas; Environment, Education, Health and Contemporary Arts. During environment week, 16-23 July, the display will feature information on Vanuatu’s coastal and inland resources, with special contributions from the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Quarantine, Trade and Cooperatives, the Chamber of Commerce, the Environment Unit, Live and Learn, Wan Smol Bag and others. Video shows and a canoe cutting demonstration in front of Alliance Franςaise will accompany the display.
During education week, 24-31 July, the display will feature video shows, vernacular displays, custom stories and several demonstrations on traditional arts from sand drawing to pandanas mat weaving. Health week, August 1-7, will feature informational displays on traditional medicine and healing, nutrition and non-communicable diseases in Vanuatu with demonstrations on local food preparation. The last week of the exhibition, 8-15 August, will showcase contemporary arts of Vanuatu with special showings from the Cultural Centre collection and demonstrations in various activities from local artists.
The traditional economy exhibition promises to be a fun and interesting activity for all people living in or just passing through Port Vila around the Independence celebrations. Offering a variety of information and objects on display, this exhibition, with full support from the French Embassy, is sure to have something for everyone. Over the four-week run it will provide citizens and visitors with fresh looks into the activities taking place within the traditional economy in 2007.
