Pacific Heritage Arts Report 2009

Indigenous Peoples, Issues and Resources, July 2010, New Zealand

Pacific Heritage Arts Report 2009 

The Pacific heritage arts research project provides a broad overview of the health of heritage arts amongst the seven main Pacific communities in New Zealand. The communities are Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Cook Island, Niuean, Tuvaluan and Tokelauan.

The research was identified as a priority in Creative New Zealand’s Strategic Plan for 2007-2010 and will be used by the agency to develop a strategy supporting and strengthening Pacific communities to pass on their heritage arts practice.

Creative New Zealand defines heritage arts as those which reflect a particular customary practice or cultural tradition. The research project consists of two reports:

• Massey University’s Research Management Services gathered qualitative information on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to heritage arts. This work was undertaken through focus groups with Pacific communities, interviews with Pacific leaders and two case studies. An executive summary of this report is attached as Appendix 1.
• Creative New Zealand analysed the history of Pacific communities in New Zealand, the funding history of Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Committee and other sources of funding available to the committee. An executive summary of this report is attached as Appendix 2. 

The research found that while some artforms, such as performing arts, tivaevae and Samoan tatau, are thriving others, such as canoe building and aspects of weaving, are proving difficult to maintain.

A table identifying the strengths, weaknesses and challenges for each of the seven Pacific communities is included as section 2.

Creative New Zealand supports Pacific artists through funding made available by Arts Board and the Pacific Arts Committee. The funding of heritage arts has been the domain of the Pacific Arts Committee with the exception of the Festival of Pacific Arts which is supported by the Arts Council of Creative New Zealand. 

The Pacific Arts Committee for the period 2000-2007 allocated $2.68 million to pacific arts with heritage arts activities accounting for 22% of that total.

In comparison funding for other Pacific arts projects was:

• Pacific Arts Development: supporting the development of Pacific Islands artists across all artforms (44%)
• Pacific Arts Promotion: developing and supporting strategies for the effective marketing and promotion of Pacific Islands arts and artists (28%)
• Tangata Whenua Links: supporting projects that strengthen links between Pacific Island culture and tangata whenua, re-affirming common cultural values and artforms (6%)
While the Pacific Arts Committee has consistently supported a wide range of heritage arts activities it could be argued that there had been a greater weighting towards more contemporary arts practice because of the greater volume of applications received compared to heritage arts.

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