Culture Minister encourages participants to highlight Arts and Culture with pride

THE Minister for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Choylin Douglas had encouraged Solomon Islands delegation to the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) to raise the profile of our country’s arts and culture with pride.

Mrs Douglas is the leading the Solomon Islands delegation to the festival which started on June 6 in Honolulu, Hawaii on the theme “Regenerating Oceania”.

The first-ever female Minister for Arts and Culture attended the Pacific Ministers for Culture summit and other sideline meetings and also witnessed the official festival opening ceremony Thursday last week.

“I am very proud of our participation this year regardless of the difficulties and challenges faced by our Government. Please don’t let us down during this event. Keep raising our flag high as cultural ambassadors of our country,” she told the delegation at a meeting on Sunday.

Mrs Douglas visited the delegation on Sunday where she was briefed and assured by the Director of Culture, Dennis Marita and other representatives of the delegation’s excitement and determination to showcase our arts and culture to the outside world.

“The Government has spent lots of money to get us over here in Hawaii and now it is our responsibility to take charge and showcase our arts, culture and heritage to our pacific family and the outside world,” Musician and producer Ronnie Riti.

The Minister pledged to work hard on driving any outstanding issues regarding the arts and culture industry at the highest political level, noting that culture is and industry that is vital for our tourism sector.

Source: GCU Press