The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, Pacific Arts Festival, or FestPAC is a traveling festival hosted every four years, in the same year as the
Summer Olympics, by a different country in
Oceania (
map). It was conceived by the
Pacific Community (former "Secretariat of the Pacific Community")[1] as a means to stem erosion of traditional cultural practices by sharing and exchanging culture at each festival. The major theme of the festival is traditional song and dance. The 2008 Festival of Pacific Arts was hosted by
American Samoa from 20 July to 2 August 2008; it was the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts.[2][3]
Organisation
The Pacific Cultural Council (former "Pacific Arts Council" or "Council of Pacific Arts," originally "South Pacific Arts Festival Council")[4] selects the host country and recognizes that each participating country desires the opportunity to showcase its unique indigenous culture by hosting the festival. Host selection is based on principles of equity and preference is given to countries which have not yet hosted. The festival host country pays participants' costs of local travel, accommodation, meals, and other forms of hospitality. Entry to all artistic events is free to the public thereby maximizing cultural outreach and inclusion.
By its vastness, the
Pacific Ocean inhibits social and cultural interchange between the inhabitants of its mostly
island countries. The festival, not a competition but a cultural exchange, reunites people and reinforces regional identity and mutual appreciation of Pacific-wide culture. Participating countries select artist-delegates to represent the nation at this crossroads of cultures, considered a great honour.
Doreen Kuper was the Chair of the Festival of Pacific Arts that was held in
Honiara in 2012.[7][8][9][10] The festival attracted an audience of 200,000 people, with 3,000 performers from twenty-four countries taking part.[11] During her time as Chair, Kuper led calls for the
repatriation of art and artefacts to the Solomon Islands from non-Pacific countries.[12]
“What We Own, What We Have, What We Share, United Voices of the PACIFIC” ~ “Håfa Iyo-ta, Håfa Guinahå-ta, Håfa Ta Påtte, Dinanña’ Sunidu Siha Giya PASIFIKU”
^
abUnattributed (1 May 2007).
"2008 Festival of the Pacific Arts". Office of Insular Affairs, United States Department of the Interior. Archived from
the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
^Unattributed (26 July 2008).
"Festival of Pacific Arts changes name". Islands Business. Islands Business International. Archived from
the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 2008-08-10. This mis-titled article describes adoption of name change, not by the Festival of Pacific Arts, but by its overseeing body, from "Council of Pacific Arts" to "Pacific Cultural Council."
^"4th Festival of Pacific Arts". Festivals of Pacific Arts. Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Archived from
the original on February 23, 2005. Retrieved 2008-08-10. Mentions the festival location and date had to be changed due to 1984 political instability in New Caledonia which was originally planned to host.
^Moulin, Jane Freeman (Fall 2005).
"Oltobed a Malt (Nurture, regenerate, celebrate)". The Contemporary Pacific. 17 (2). University of Hawaiʻi Press: 512–6.
doi:
10.1353/cp.2005.0065. Retrieved 2008-08-09. Although access to the full article is restricted through Project MUSE, the free synopsis is useful.