Roadblocks And Bridges In The Development Of Art And Culture In The Pacific

A three-part webinar series themed ‘ResiliArt Weaving Oceania webinars’ which kicked off last week is having its final webinar discussion on Wednesday 30 March focussing on education and training in the arts sector. The webinar series gathers creative and cultural industries (CCI) stakeholders in Oceania with a focus on Fiji, Palau, Tonga and Vanuatu, in response to the global ResiliArt movement post-COVID.

ResiliArt was initiated by UNESCO at the time the COVID-19 pandemic first began. The movement brings together cultural professionals worldwide and sheds light on the current state of creative industries through virtual discussions. These discussions aim to mobilize a concerted global effort to support artists and ensure access to culture for all.

Oceania’s final ResiliArt session will feature artists, cultural workers and representatives of supporting agencies speaking to their work to support training and education in arts and culture, including through the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) project that has supported technical skills and product development and marketing in the creative and cultural industries in Oceania.

Panellists for this session include: 1) Mr. Taka Tevi - Niu Squad, and MPTF Project trainer, Tonga ; 2) Ms. Elizabeth Edwards - Fiji Arts Council ; 3) Mr. Samuel Adelbai - Visual Artist and MPTF project trainer, Palau; 4) Dr Frances Koya Vaka’uta - Team Leader, Culture for Development, Human Rights and Social Development Division, Pacific Community and 5) Ms. Glynis Miller - Trade Commissioner, Pacific Trade Invest, New Zealand.

Experts in their field, the panellists will share what knowledge and skills areas in the arts and culture sector need to be better supported and what they see as barriers currently to the ongoing development of the Culture and Creative Industries (CCIs) in Oceania.

The three webinar series discussions will contribute to an outcomes’ based report on Oceanian artists’ assessment to be shared at Mondiacult 2022 and beyond with a view to increasing global, regional and national interest and investment in the CCIs of the Pacific region.

The ResiliArt Oceania Weaving webinars is coordinated by Torque Atelier, in partnership with UNESCO Office for Pacific States, in the framework of the Joint UN project entitled “Inclusive Economic Recovery through Sustainable Enterprises in the Informal Economies of Fiji, Palau, Tonga and Vanuatu”, funded by the UN Secretary General’s Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) for COVID-19 recovery. The discussion hopes to expand on support mechanisms within the cultural and creative industries as a part of these informal economies.

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