Visiting Arts Project gets underway in Fiji
Visiting Arts project helps local artists prepare to showcase their work at the Visiting Arts Producers' event in Edinburgh in 2016
High Commissioner introduces Yvette Vaughan Jones
Yvette Vaughan Jones, Chief Executive of the Visiting Arts project is in Fiji this week to work with local artists preparing to showcase their work at the Visiting Arts Producers’ event at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2016 where they will gain exposure, connections and expand their reach. She is being assisted in this project by Letila Mitchell of Pacific Arts Alliance.
The Visiting Arts project is being funded by the European Union as part of their ACP+Culture programme. The project will run for three years and provide support for creative businesses in the Pacific to become more sustainable through developing their international markets. Since 2011 the EU has committed over 8.3 million Euros to reinforce cultural industries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The projects help to conserve cultural heritage and also highlight the richness and diversity of cultures as well as create jobs for thousands of people and have spill-over effects in other economic sectors such as tourism.
Yvette’s visit also coincided with the visit of the Director for British Council in Wellington, Ingrid Leary. The British Council which recently signed an MOU with the Secretariat of the Pacific Communities and is keen to engage with Pacific Island nations to explore opportunities to work together in the arts, culture, livelihoods and civil sectors of communities.
High Commissioner Roderick Drummond last night hosted a reception for the Visiting Arts Project which provided an opportunity to bring potential interested parties from the arts and culture, heritage, tourism and economic development fields to learn more about the project. Read the High Commissioner’s speech