2015 Pacific Games organisers announce opening and closing ceremonies producers

The Organising Committee for the 2015 Pacific Games have announced that Makoda Productions Limited as producers for the Games' opening and closing ceremonies.

Makoda is a Papua New Guinean company that specialises in the production of creative services including music, video, television and theatrical and cultural events.

Announcing the appointment Games Organising Committee Chairperson Emma Waiwai says that Makoda’s team provides a group of talent that will ensure the delivery of opening and closing ceremonies that will reflect the richness of PNG and the Pacific, and will appeal to a greater audience outside of PNG through the television broadcast.

Waiwai stated “we are delighted to have Makoda come on board. 

"As an internationally recognised company with very talented Papua New Guineans who specialise in various aspects of the creative arts industry, we expect the opening and closing ceremonies to be the biggest sporting spectacle and look forward to working with Makoda to ensure these important events are memorable, setting a benchmark for the Pacific Games.

“The 2015 Pacific Games will be on a scale never before seen in the country and these two important ceremonies of the Games looks set to capture the hearts of all Papua New Guineans and the region, who will be watching the Games live on television.

“The opening and closing ceremonies are expected to be a captivating blend of traditional, contemporary and international flavours.”

Makoda’s core team includes Tania Nugent a television producer who has produced shows that have been televised around the world. The team’s Co-Artistic director Arileke Ingram
has vast experience in traditional Pacific music and co-founded the Wantok Music Foundation, a leading music label in the region.

Makoda has engaged two of the biggest names in international cultural events to lead the core team, Executive Producer Merryn Hughes and Co-Artistic Director Nigel Jamieson.

Hughes, an award winning Executive Producer, has worked on six international opening and closing Olympic and sporting ceremonies including the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, and the Opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011, while Jamieson, one of Australia’s most sought after theatre directors, was the Artistic Director for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the Manchester and Melbourne Commonwealth Games. He has a particular interest in working with indigenous cultures and co-directed the historic Yeperenye Federation Festival featuring 2000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait performers form 40 language groups.

The Makoda team has already been searching the country for talent for inclusion into the ceremonies. 

Makoda were selected through a competitive process through which nine firms provided their expressions of interest and was chosen from a shortlist of four.

The 2015 Pacific Games opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Port Moresby on the 4th and 18th July 2015. 

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