DILI, 14 october 2022 (TATOLI) – The Office of the President of the Republic, in collaboration with the Secretary of State for Art and Culture (SEAC) will organize the 8th national cultural festival in Atauro Island to motivate people to join cultural activities, encourage the creation of arts and promote tourism.
Director-General of the Secretary of State for Arts and Culture, Manuel Smith said SEAC has allocated US$20,000 for the realization of the festival.
A series of cultural activities would be organized during the four-day festival, including competitions of Traditional Koremetan and Timorese Pop Music, Drawing, Culinary, and Gastronomy. In addition, traditional and contemporary Timorese dance would be performed by Timorese dancers from Dili and other municipalities.
Twenty-two contestants from each municipality and the RAEOA would be invited to participate in the festival competition.
“In collaboration with the Office of the President, we will hold the 2022 national cultural festival in Atauro, which will take place from 21 to 24 november. SEAC is responsible for transporting our contestants from the Municipalities to Atauro Island,” Smith told reporters in a press conference held at SEAC’s office, in Dili, today.
Smith said the National Cultural Festival is celebrated on october 14 every year to promote the richness of Timor-Leste’s cultural diversity, by mobilizing various artists and cultural professionals of the country.
“The National Cultural Festival is also celebrated to pay tribute to Francisco Borja da Costa, the Timorese poet, and writer of Timor-Leste’s national anthem ‘Pátria’,” he said.
In addition, the celebration of the day was important to value the role and contribution of culture to sustainable development, peace, and social cohesion.
Smith pledged that SEAC will continue to support Timorese cultural groups to conserve, preserve and promote Timorese cultures, and protect the nation’s cultural heritage: “The government is committed to providing incentive support to help Timorese cultural groups thrive.
He revealed that SEAC has been preserving 240 traditional sacred houses across the country.
“Next year, SEAC’s main program will focus primarily on Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage in urgent need of safeguarding. It aims to safeguard tangible and intangible cultural heritage whose viability is at risk despite the best efforts of the community(s) or State Party(ies),” Smith said.
Smith concluded that to better conserve Timor-Leste’s cultural and natural heritage, the country ratified three of UNESCO’s conventions – the 1972 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
