Council of Pacific Arts meets in A. Samoa

NOUMEA, New Caledonia—The 21st meeting of the Council of Pacific Arts, which oversees preparations for the Festival of Pacific Arts, is being held in Pago Pago, American Samoa, from March 31 to April 2, 2008.

The meeting has been organized jointly by SPC’s Human Development Programme and the Government of American Samoa and is the final opportunity for representatives of Pacific countries and territories to discuss preparations for the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts. The Festival is being held in American Samoa from July 20 to August 2, 2008, and is expected to attract over 2000 participants and thousands of visitors.

Delegates will be given the chance to visit festival venues and facilities including accommodation. They will also discuss the exhibition of various art forms and logistical issues such as visa and quarantine regulations, catering and transport.

Another important item on the meeting agenda is a presentation on intellectual property rights by Wend Wendland and Terri Janke from the Geneva-based World International Property Organization. Their presentation will focus on the protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions and Traditional Knowledge, particularly in relation to arts festivals.

Another important issue is the future role of the Council of Pacific Arts. Delegates will also discuss current national and regional strategies for the advancement of culture.

Dr Elise Huffer, Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s adviser for culture, says the meeting is particularly important as it is the first time the Council has met in nearly four years.

‘In addition to giving countries the opportunity to review preparations for the upcoming Festival of Pacific Arts, this meeting will play an instrumental role in assessing the present status of culture in the region and in setting its future agenda,” Huffer says.

For more information on the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts visit the official website at http://pacartsas.com/

The Council of Pacific Arts comprises the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories that are members of SPC, with the addition of Hawaii, Easter Island and Norfolk Island, and the founding members, Australia and New Zealand.

Last August, the Executive Board of the Council of Pacific Arts, which reports to the full Council, met at SPC headquarters in Noumea for an initial round of discussions regarding festival preparations.

The Festival of Pacific Arts was first held in 1972. It is a two-week event held every four years that attracts around 2000 participants from 25 Pacific Island countries and territories as well as Australia and New Zealand. The festival showcases traditional and contemporary arts, including music, dance, theatre and film, literature, culinary arts, navigation and canoeing, and traditional healing arts. It plays an important role in the rediscovery and strengthening of traditional skills and knowledge and the evolution of Pacific Island identities. The festival also promotes unity by facilitating inter-regional communication.

The theme for the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts is “Su’iga’ula a le Atuvasa: Threading the Oceania ‘Ula”. The ‘ula or necklace is an adornment representative of a celebration or festive occasion. [B][I](SPC)[/I][/B]