Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership 40th anniversary celebrations include the 8th One Wave Festival and our 22nd Pacific Networking Conference

Victoria, B.C. – August 11, 2015 --- Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) is celebrating its 40th anniversary as the only Canadian not-for-profit working in partnership with the peoples of the Pacific. From September 22-26th, PPP is marking this milestone with its 8th annual One Wave Festival and 22nd Pacific Networking Conference, which will bring Indigenous elders and community
leaders, artists, and changemakers from the North and South Pacific together to Victoria. Held in partnership with Coast Salish peoples, the theme of this event is “Rising Tides: Our Lands, Our Waters, Our Peoples.” The event will also showcase the creative results of PPP’s Pacific Voices XChange youth arts program, with performances by emerging Indigenous artists of the region.


Highlights open to the public include:

Sept 23 Art Speaks With the Land and Water: An Indigenous artists’ panel
In partnership with First Peoples’ Cultural Council and held at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (by donation)

Sept 24 Rising Tides: A Night of Pacific Films – in partnership with MediaNet at Victoria Event Centre. Featuring a curated collection of Pacific Films and special guests (by donation)

Sept 25 Sharing the Harvest: A Community Honouring Feast – in partnership with the Songhees
Nation & Songhees Wellness Centre. Featuring: Pacific foods, dance, music & Pacific Voices X-Change Showcase (tickets available soon)

Sept 26 Free Pacific Arts and Culture Festival in Centennial Square (12:00-6:00)
Featuring live music by Warless (Vancouver), No Rey (Seattle), Ta’Kaiya Blaney
(Vancouver); & Anneda Loup with Coast Salish artist Francis Dick (Victoria), as well as performances by the Esquimalt Singers & Dancers, the Sampaguita Filipino Dancers, Lilia’s Polynesian Dance Company, and Whistling Kettle Improv. Plus walking puppets, facepainting, arts station, kids’ activities, vendors, NGOs, and food trucks.


One Wave Festival is PPP’s inspired action to celebrate and honor connections to the Pacific while building Pacific identity and community. One Wave engages individuals to create one movement among all peoples to address issues affecting communities of the Pacific. In Centennial Square, walking puppets from Puppets for Peace, a market of local artisans, and interactive arts installations will be highlights.


“PPP recognizes the need for social discourse around these issues through creative means,” said April Ingham, director of PPP. “Our mission is to engage, educate, and activate.”

Updates can be found at the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership and One Wave Festival Facebook pages. Full event schedule, Conference registration and tickets will be available at www.pacificpeoplespartnership.org For media inquiries or information on partnership and volunteer opportunities, contact Kat Zimmer at 250-381-4131 or email info@pacificpeoplespartnership.org.

PPP is Canada’s only NGO devoted to working in solidarity with peoples of the South Pacific. For 40 years PPP has worked with Indigenous and civil society partners across the Small Island Developing States of the South Pacific (Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia) and First Nations across Canada on rights-based sustainable development initiatives that enable communities to harness their own creativity to address poverty, environmental changes, and cultural expression. PPP has been recognized and supported by environmentalists such as David Suzuki, and continues to work in partnership with many other individuals and organizations.