10th Festival of Pacific Arts | History
Preserving the Pacific's cultural heritage
The Festival of Pacific Arts has been held every four years since 1972. It is recognised as the premier event and instrument for regional relations and the preservation of the Pacific's cultural heritage.
The original intention of the Festival of Pacific Arts, as identified by Pacific leaders in the 1960s, was to prevent further erosion of Pacific Cultures. These concerns were expressed at the South Pacific Conference, a body that is now the governing arm of the South Pacific Commission, based in Noumea, New Caledonia. It was intended that the festival would be the catalyst to draw international attention to the rich and diverse cultural heritages of the Pacific, and the need to nurture them.
Twenty-seven Pacific Island countries and territories participate in the festival. They are American Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Belau (Palau), Cook Islands, Easter Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Kanaky ( New Caledonia) , Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.
2008 festival theme
Su'iga'ula a le Atuvasa:Threading the Oceanic Ula
In making an ula (necklace) of the Pacific, we anticipate and await the arrival of our Pacific brothers, our relatives, and our friends from afar for the celebration of the upcoming momentous occasion - the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts.
The essence of the journey is portrayed by three travellers to represent Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. We envision them setting sail at dusk, navigating by the stars (defined on the left side), and as they get closer, the new dawn begins with the gogo (pronounced ngo-ngo) birds hovering over the ocean, leading them to our shores. The steersman is a Samoan tending to our visitors, to the Malaga, making sure that their journey is safe.
We look forward to greeting them with our ulas, a symbol that defines the nature of our welcome, and the warm and loving expectation of the coming celebration.
