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Suva (Fiji) – The ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) has announced the winning grantees of the “Enhancing Capacity for the sustainability of the Cultural and Creative Industries in the Pacific Project” grant scheme at a press conference on 11 January 2023 at the Pacific Community’s (SPC) campus in Nabua, Fiji.
H.E Sujiro Seam, the Ambassador of the European Union for the Pacific, Miles Young, Director of SPC’s Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) Division, grant recipients and media were amongst the audience at the event.
The announcement follows Expressions of Interest submitted for the second round of the grant scheme in August 2022. The following have been selected as grant recipients:
Small grants:
- Motiv8 Productions Fiji, supporting the Rotuma Project.
- Tabs Investment Fiji, producing ukuleles from mahogany offcuts.
Medium grants:
- Film Fiji, focussing on a Producers Accelerator Programme.
- Film Fiji, focussing on Script Development Programme.
- iTaukei Trust Fund Fiji, working with cultural and creative producers on Rotuma Island on skills transfer and income generating activities.
- PNG Highlands Adventure, establishing a training programme for cultural producers and creative practitioners.
Large grants:
- Save Papua New Guinea (PNG), revitalising bilas, using peer education, digital literacy training and Information and Communication technology innovations to empower youth in traditional arts and cultural resilience throughout rural and remote areas of PNG.
Funding allocations for the grant categories are as follows:
- Small Grant: 5,000-12,000 Euro.
- Medium Grant: 12,001 – 70,000 Euro.
- Large Grant: 70,001 – 180,000 Euro.
Miles Young, Director of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) Division, said, “The protection and promotion of positive expressions of culture is a key part of SPC’s work and we know that the cultural and creative industries make important contributions to sustainable development in the Pacific and enhance our lives in many ways. We are excited about the different and inspiring initiatives to be funded and are confident they will help reinvigorate this critical sector of our economies as they recover from the adverse impacts of COVID-19.”
Mr Young said although to date grant recipients were from Fiji and Papua New Guinea only, SPC will be working hard to encourage and support applicants from other parts of the Pacific under the next round of funding.
The ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) “Enhancing the Capacity for the Sustainability of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Pacific” grant scheme seeks to increase the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to economic development, and enhance recognition of its role in national economies in the Pacific.
His Excellency Sujiro Seam, the Ambassador of the European Union for the Pacific, said: “With its 27 Member States, the European Union is a strong promoter of cultural diversity and recognises that it contributes to forging the identity of the Pacific. Cultural and creative industries suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU is proud to support the grant recipients announced today. These grants will enable these organisations to increase the contribution of creative and cultural industries to generate income, create jobs and promote the art and identity of the Pacific”.
The ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) grant scheme has been deemed “very timely” given that culture and heritage budgets in the Pacific were greatly reduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; with some budgets being reduced from 30 to 60 per cent.
Ramiro Tenorio, Chief Executive Officer of Film Fiji said, “Through the grant we are receiving we will support 20 scriptwriters and 40 producers in Fiji. We hope we are planting seeds for a new batch of storytellers and while this may be a 14-month project, we can expect to see long-term benefits from it.”
Nash Fong, Project Manager for Tabs Investment, a small grant recipient, said the grant would assist them in achieving two outputs. “One of our outputs is to upcycle mahogany offcuts into ukuleles and we also plan to create an e-commerce platform to access international trade,” he said.
The ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) is funded by the European Union and the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and is implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology.
Media contact(s):
Samantha Rina, Communications, Visibility and Engagement Officer, Human Rights and Social Development Division, Pacific Community (SPC) | [email protected]
For general media enquiries: [email protected] or +679 337 9250 (Suva) or +687 26 20 00 (Noumea)
About Us:
The Pacific Community has been supporting sustainable development in the Pacific, through science, knowledge and innovation since 1947. It is the principal intergovernmental organisation in the region, owned and governed by its 27 member countries and territories. www.spc.int
