Patrick Victor appointed as Honorary Cultural Ambassador |09 August 2019

Mr Victor is welcomed at State House by President Faure

Following backlash in the National Assembly and the removal of the motion to appoint artist Patrick Victor as Ambassador at large in Wednesday’s sitting of the assembly, President Danny Faure yesterday appointed Mr Victor as an Honorary Cultural Ambassador in a brief ceremony at State House.

Mr Victor was presented with his Instrument of Appointment by President Faure who commended him on his achievements as a musician and artist at national, regional and international level.

The appointment was made in accordance with executive powers conferred on the President by Articles 66 and 62 of the Constitution.

This appointment is not the same as the appointment of ambassadors to represent Seychelles abroad, for which there are different procedures. In his capacity as Honorary Cultural Ambassador, Mr Victor's function will be to promote the Seychellois culture locally, regionally and internationally.

Mr Victor's appointment takes effect immediately.

During yesterday morning's meeting with Mr Victor, President Faure congratulated him for the enormous contribution that he had made to Seychellois music and culture, and wished him the very best in his new role. He also took the opportunity to discuss various ongoing cultural projects that Mr Victor has been spearheading, particularly in sensitising and educating school children on Seychelles' history and culture, with a focus on our traditional music.

Speaking to the media after his appointment, Mr Victor remarked that he will continue to work towards promoting the Seychellois culture and arts, as he has been doing for the past years.

“I have been promoting my country culturally for many years now regionally and internationally and this boost of energy will naturally enhance my activities, give more emphasis on what I have been doing so I intend to use this appointment to encourage other cultural groups, artistic groups to collaborate more with what the government is trying to do but also with other creative individuals in the region. Let’s face the future with more confidence,” Mr Victor said.

He noted that there are many Seychellois who work actively to keep alive the traditional art forms including through traditional music and dance and who also make notable contributions to the local cultural landscape, stating that he hopes the appointment will act as a motivation both for him and such individuals.

“There are a lot of cultural movements that are springing up which indicates that there are opportunities for them to participate and contribute culturally and our citizens are taking the initiative themselves to prevent our culture from being eroded and there is no better people to defend it other than our citizens,” Mr Victor said.

“As you know, I am active in the region and I have always thought that Indian Ocean states, while they are much bigger and larger than us, we can learn from them. It is important that we continue to establish links and cooperate with others in the region as we have a lot to learn and there is a lot happening in the region in terms of arts and culture. There are many opportunities for collaboration. Just last weekend, there was a large musical event in Mauritius and Jean-Marc Volcy and I were there to represent Seychelles, among others from Mayotte, Madagascar and Reunion,” Mr Victor stated.

Mr Victor affirms that he will continue to strive to promote Seychellois culture.