Wan Smolbag at 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture

VANUATU'S famous theatre group Wan Smol Bag (WSB) has two representatives, actor Danny Marcel, and scriptwriterJo Dorras  speaking at the 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture t in Melbourne Australia this week.

The Australia Council for the Arts are the official sponsor for Wan Smolbag’s visit to Australia.

The Manager of WSB Michael Taurakoto said that Wan Smolbag has been asked to speak in a keynote session about the work it has done on HIV and STI prevention and how the work Wan Smolbag has done over the past 20 years has diversified and grown.“It is a great honour to be asked to speak at such a prestigious international event,'' he saaid.

"The invitation came after a well known Australian singer and composer, Robyn Archer came to Vanuatu in 2010 and followed Wan Smolbag to the island of Pele, North Efate, watched a scene from Love Patrol being filmed and met with the actors.

"A documentary was made about this visit and screened on ABC in Australia, Vanuatu and the rest of the Pacific.

"And Robyn felt Wan Smolbag would have a lot to say about the way they work and how the theatre work has led into engaging youth in the peri-urban settlements so she invited representatives from the group to the Summit as key note speakers.”

The World Summit is jointly hosted by the Australia Council for the Arts and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA).

The 5th World Summit will focus on the role of innovative government policy in facilitating intersections between the arts and other sectors for the benefit of the broader community, including health and well‐being, education, environmental action, business, international aid, social inclusion and new technologies.

Apart from speaking at the Summit the representatives from Wan Smolbag expected to hear from internationally renowned speakers, and will be involved in sessions and discussions presented by world experts in the arts and other public sectors.
They will meet with leaders of arts and culture agencies from more 80 countries and exchange information about policies and programs.