The 50th anniversary of the world’s biggest secondary school cultural competition will be scaled back due to a lack of funding.
Polyfest, an annual performing arts festival held in south Auckland celebrating Polynesian culture, has become a beacon of cultural awareness for young Pacific children growing up in New Zealand.
Event chair and Macleans College school principal, Steven Hargreaves, said Ministry of Pacific People Shane Reti had promised additional funding but nothing has eventuated despite numerous calls to his office, and even to the Prime Minister.
“It’s disappointing and not the outcome we had hoped for,” Hargreaves said.
“ASB Polyfest has always been more than just a four-day long festival.
“ASB Polyfest has helped increase school attendance, provides educational benefits such as the awarding of NCEA credits, and gives students that ongoing focus throughout the first half of the school year which this festival has been able to achieve for 49 years”.
Other stakeholders have offered funding, including $75,000 from Auckland Council, $64,500 from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board’s, sponsors ASB and $60,000 committed by MPP negotiated prior to the start of the 2024 festival.
Hargreaves said to date, they had only 50% of the funding secured for the 50th anniversary.
“We’ve increased the fee for schools to enter, increased fees for stallholders, scaled back to five stages rather than six, scaled back the zero waste initiative that we had and our event directors having to work out of home instead of an office that we had.
“What we’re trying to do is make the event itself as good as possible, and we’re still working hard as we can to raise sponsorship money and get private funding, grant funding so we can ensure the event is good as possible.”
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti promised there would be a $5000 funding increase in 2025, bringing the government’s total contribution to $60,000.
In 2024, they gave $55,000 of funding.
Hargreaves said essential logistical costs such as parking and traffic management, portaloos, first aid, security, fencing, building stages and ensuring all health and safety measures are in place for a festival this size are non-negotiables.
“MPP promised to fund the ’24 and ’25 event with $55,000 and $60,000, and they have done that.
“What’s been a little hard to deal with, is that at this year’s event they promised to support us, they understood the 50th event next year was going to be a big event and that they’d look after us.”
He said the increase of $5000 from the previous year wasn’t the additional funding they were expecting.
“We understand roading, healthcare, education are all seeking extra funding and the economy is very tight, we’re grateful for the money we do get but we think Polyfest is an investment in youth.”
He said the festival has run at a loss for several years and they’ve relied on reserves which have now been used up, and sponsors to fill the gaps.
To donate to next year’s 50th celebrations and how to become a festival sponsor, visit www.asbpolyfest.co.nz for more information.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
