Cultural Development Consulting

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Building a Creative Economy in the Pacific

On 7 July, CDC’s Alasdair Foster will take part in a televised forum at the National Museum in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Staged by the Pacific Institute on Public Policy the panel is timed to coincide with the four-yearly Festival of Pacific Arts, which draws more than 3000 artists and cultural practitioners from 27 Pacific countries.

The panel will explore ways in which the many island nations of the Pacific can work together to develop a sustainable cultural economy; one that builds on the rich artistic traditions of the Pacific peoples while protecting their unspoilt natural environments.

Alasdair Foster has been invited to bring an international dimension to the discussions, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the cultural economies and development strategies of countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Aside from the centre-piece televised discussion, he will be meeting with Pacific-island and international-aid representatives to explore ways in which they can work together to build a sustainable cultural economy that works within the global context while insuring against the damaging cultural and ecological effects that can so often arise as concomitants of global commerce.

Please feel free to circulate the flier for the public forum.

Based in Vanuatu, the Pacific Institute of Public Policy is the leading independent think tank serving the wider Pacific-islands community. The Institute’s mission is to encourage informed policy debate in the Pacific. Their people-centred approach delivers an inclusive framework for public discourse with a view to improving information flows, stimulating policy discussion and drawing out practical solutions based on the synthesis of wide-ranging research.

Established in 1972, the Festival of Pacific Arts is recognized as a major international cultural event. It is the largest gathering in which Pacific peoples come together celebrate their appreciation of and respect for one another. The 27 participating Pacific island countries and territories include: American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Easter Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.