Seychelles is eagerly waiting to welcome the second edition of the Arts Festival 2012 on August 30.

The National Arts Council, now under the auspice of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, has promised a week-long activity featuring Seychelles music, literature, dance, visual arts, fashion, 2&3D graphic design, theatre, photography, and film.
In 2001, Seychelles hosted the first edition of the Arts Festival. Jimmy Savy, the newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Council, announced his intention to re-introduce the Arts Festival, and he has been working with all the different representative bodies to ensure the 2012 festival is truly representative of what Seychelles is and what the Seychelles has in the world of arts. Mr. Savy said that the 2012 edition of the Arts Festival will showcase Seychelles creative industry.

“Reviving the Arts Festival comes at an opportune time when the creative industry is becoming an increasingly important component of the culture department. The Arts Festival will give Seychelles’ pool of artists its required credibility. The time has come for the Arts Festival to make its great breakthrough to arts development in the country.”

The Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange, said: “This Arts Festival will help bring our creative industry together, after years of being absent from the country’s calendar of events. We are happy today to see its return. Through the National Arts Council, we shall continue to work to unlock cultural opportunities for everyone who feels they have a part to play.”

The National Arts Council said that it has tailored a week-long program for the festival’s second edition. Instead of hosting annual back-to-back arts festivals, 2013 will see the launching of the Arts Award, and the third edition of the Arts Festival will instead be held in 2014.