Plans for Seychelles' Creole Festival unveiled 

The launching of the Festival in 2022. (Seychelles Nation)

The Creative Seychelles Agency will host a Creole village during the 2023 Creole Festival from October 23 to 31 in Victoria, while the opening of the annual event will take place on Praslin, the second-largest island.

In a press conference on Tuesday, detailing activities to be held during the Creole month, the agency's executive director, Emmanuel D'Offay, outlined that the village is an interesting aspect that the organisers of the festival are bringing forth.

"It is a village that we want people to visit regularly during the Festival. There is quite a large space there and as such there will be Creole discos and shows, with an area for people to dance," said D'Offay.

The village will be located at the Music Stadium.

D'Offay shared that one of the plans of the agency for the 38th edition of "Festival Kreol" is to turn it into a popular activity. 

"We want to do away with some of the paid activities that are usually on the programme. We believe the Festival Kreol should be an activity where the mass of people can get the chance to participate," said D'Offay.

The annual "Festival Kreol" will start on October 7 with "Lansman Lasezon Kreol"- the Launch of the Creole Season - which is held every year at Beau Vallon, and then the official opening ceremony will take place on Praslin on October 27.

"This does not mean that there will not be activities on Mahe during that time. We are discussing with the people on Praslin to have activities during the whole of that weekend. The Festival will go on for about a month but the main activities will be concentrated between October 26 to October 31," said D'Offay.

The agency said that there will be activities held on La Digue, the third most populated island, as well.

Among activities on the programme be the customary "Moman Kreativite," musical shows, "Selebo," "Pti Finn," "Lafoli Lanmod," which is replacing "Fon Lanmal," "Bal Bobes" and "Bal Kreol," and there will be an exhibition of photographs and paintings under the theme "Viv An Kreol," among others.

"The aim of the exhibition is to provide artists and photographers the possibility to show how the people of Seychelles lead a Creole life," said D'Offay.

The agency also launched, for the first time this year, a short film competition under the same theme so as to provide cinematographers the chance to show how a Seychellois lives his or her Creolity.

"This year we are getting a lot of partners who want to work with us. One of them is the Guy Morel Institute that wants to hold a workshop under the theme "Nou Kiltir, Nou Valer, Nou Lidantite(Our Culture, Our Values, Our Identity)," said D'Offay.

With the Seychelles Institute of Art and Design (SIAD), the agency is working on a symposium where participants want to hold discussions on the contribution of art socially, individually, and economically. The reason behind the symposium is to get people to understand that art has value and makes a direct contribution to individuals.