APTC local, regional and international students participated in the first Vanuatu Cultural night held at the Nambanga Restaurant Hall on Tuesday 19th August.  

This started with a sausage sizzle then the evening burst into colour, song and dance with performances from our students from Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Kiribati.  In the true spirit of a cultural night, there was also a very Pacific Island rendition of Waltzing Matilda performed by our own APTC staff.  Vanuatu students shared some of Vanuatu’s finest traditional kai kai (foods) which included lap lap, tuluk, and kumala. 

With 88 international, regional and local students studying in full time programs at APTC Vanuatu, the cultural night provided a great opportunity for students and staff to get to know each other a little better and share their culture and customs. It also builds greater understanding and long term friendships.     

The students will perform their dances again next week at the Vanuatu Institute of Technology to share their custom and culture with the VIT students. 

APTC Vanuatu Campus Manager, Kathryn Gray acknowledged the significance of a cultural night for students at the Vanuatu campus. “We have a diverse range of students from across the Pacific who are studying at APTC in Vanuatu. Cultural events like this allow students to learn from each other and increases tolerance and appreciation for each other’s cultures. It also gives the students a sense of belonging away from their own communities and families and gives them an opportunity to share with our Australian staff as well”.