I am delighted to have been involved with the 2021 Moonah Taste of the World Festival attending the many events today in and around the Moonah Arts Centre – one of Tasmania’s longest running and most popular Festival events.
The Moonah Taste of the World Festival is a celebration of Tasmania’s rich cultural diversity with funding support from the Tasmanian Government.
Our island is home to people born in 177 different countries who speak 159 identified languages.
Our Government’s vision is for a harmonious, inclusive and respectful Multicultural Island where Tasmanians of all cultures, languages and faiths have an equal opportunity and responsibility to belong, contribute, achieve and succeed.
This year’s festival provides an important opportunity for Tasmania’s culturally diverse community to showcase the richness of their cultures through story-telling, dance, film, food, creative arts, music and wine-making.
Today is Harmony Day and so the Festival provides the broader community with an opportunity to meet new people, experience a different culture, build new relationships and have a lot of fun at the same time.
This year the Festival is being run across a number of venues to ensure compliance with COVID-19 safe event requirements.
I congratulate each of the communities represented who have contributed to this Festival – whether as a stall holder, organiser, volunteer, or performer their efforts have been enormous in making the Festival a success.