19 April 2012 – Joondalup, Western Australia – Proudly organised by the ECU Student Guild and the United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD), the 2012 International Food and Culture Festival, held today, was a huge success with an attendance estimated between 800-1000 people.
Located at Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup Campus, the festival showcased foods from Macedonia, Italy, Israel, Turkey, India and many more.
This year’s festival was an expansion of the 2011 Macedonian Food Festival, also hosted at Edith Cowan University. With the success of this event, the festival grew into what is now known as the International Food Festival.
Various acts graced the festival including traditional Macedonian dancers, a didgeridoo player, belly dancing, a Spanish guitarist and Italian piano accordion players to name a few. Many dignitaries took time out of their busy schedule to see Mayor of the City of Joondalup, Troy Pickard, officially open the festival. Other distinguished guests included Professor Ron Oliver (Pro-Vice-Chancellor ECU), Tony Krsticevic MLA, Andrea Mitchell MLA, Michael Mischin MLC, John Hyde MLA, diplomats from Estonia, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Macedonia, among other countries.
Mayor Troy Pickard stated “Last year the event was the Macedonian Food Festival and it was so successful that other cultural groups knocked on the Macedonian community’s door and said we want to be part of the celebration of culture and multiculturalism.” He then went on to congratulate the Macedonian community, through the work of the United Macedonian Diaspora, on the festival’s success.
Dame Krcoski, Board Member and Perth/WA Regional Representative of the United Macedonian Diaspora, thanked the Edith Cowan University for their innovation and respect for multiculturalism: “Australia is home to one of the largest Macedonian ethnic population living outside the borders of the Republic of Macedonia, numbering 300,000. With a significant population of 20,000 in Perth, it is great that ECU is leading the way in promoting cultural diversity in Western Australia, which thus far has not been seen in other universities around Australia.”
For further information please contact Robert Pasquale at rpasquale@umdiaspora.org
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