ABSTRACT
This chapter explores recent regional cultural policy and program initiatives in Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs) through the work of the Human Development Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)1, the Council for Pacific Arts and Culture and a range of non-governmental, educational, intergovernmental and government partners. It reflects on the process to identify and structure the culture sector across diverse island states and territories between 2009 and 2014 with the support of a major European Union grant. In particular, we describe the regional cultural mapping, planning and policy process, evaluation of the Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA)2 and a program to enhance cultural industries in Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Samoa. While the outcomes of these programs are too early to evaluate, the chapter describes the initiatives and reflects on the complexity of this process in a regional context where funding for arts and culture is limited, national government support is insufficient and art and culture are seen predominantly as aspects of heritage, sociality, spirituality, tourism and entertainment. This is in contrast to the much larger funding available for mainstream development programs focused on governance, security, health, education and gender issues.
