Pacific Arts Festival Archive
The fifth Festival of Pacific Arts was held in Townsville from 14-27 August 1988, attracting more than 1700 participants from twenty-four countries and territories. With nine performance venues, the city was able to host a variety of events which included story-telling, chanting, poetry reading, a craft village, and film screenings. The festival also hosted a cultural forum, held over five mornings at JCU, which discussed issues such as economic development, land use, cultural maintenance, tourism and self-determination.
Held every four years, the festival brings together Pacific peoples from approximately thirty countries to share and exchange culture and, since the first festival was held in 1972, the number of participants has steadily increased to number in the thousands. The aim of the festival has been to “combat the erosion of traditional customary practices,” and emerged from the desire of Pacific leaders to foster friendship and deeper understanding between countries.
Reference: “The Festival of Pacific Arts,” Pacific Community Human Development Programme, 20 November 2008Archive Location: 160
Detailed Listing
PAF/FILE/1 1980-85 Third South Pacific Festival of the Arts.
Contents: Report on 3rd Festival held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 30 June to 12 July 1980. 1985 meeting records, correspondence, programmes, travel arrangements etc., regarding 4th Pacific Festival in Tahiti.
PAF/FILE/2 1984-85 Fourth Pacific Festival.
Contents: Correspondence, reports, meeting records etc. on 4th Festival and preparations for 5th Festival in Townsville.
PAF/FILE/3 1985 Townsville City Council Public Relations booklet on its delegation to the 4th Festival in Tahiti 1985.
PAF/FILE/4 1985 Proposal to the Department of Arts, Heritage and Environment for consultancy to Festival financial planning by Nicholas Clark and Associates.
PAF/FILE/5 1985 Townsville Coordinating Committee for the Festival - meeting records and correspondence.
PAF/FILE/6 1985-86 Interim Steering Committee for the Festival - meeting records, correspondence, programmes etc.
PAF/FILE/7 1986 Interim Steering Committee for the Festival - meting records, correspondence etc.
PAF/FILE/8 1986 Interim Steering Committee for the Festival - reports and correspondence.
PAF/FILE/9 1986 Interim Steering Committee for the Festival - reports and information papers.
PAF/FILE/10 1987 Fifth Pacific Arts Festival.
Contents: Correspondence, meeting records, media releases etc. regarding 5th Festival.
PAF/FILE/11 1986-87 Fifth Pacific Arts Festival.
Contents: Correspondence, meeting records, newsletters, financial records etc. regarding 5th Festival.
PAF/FILE/12 1987 6th and 7th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (21.9.87 to 14.12.87).
PAF/FILE/13 1987 6th and 7th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (December).
PAF/FILE/14 1988 draft set of accounts for the Festival (1 July 1987 - 31 January 1988).
PAF/FILE/15 1988 8th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (March).
PAF/FILE/16 1988 9th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (May)
PAF/FILE/17 1988 10th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (July).
PAF/FILE/18 1988 11th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (August).
PAF/FILE/19 1988 12th meeting records of the Festival Board of Directors (October).
PAF/FILE/20 Townsville Pacific Festival Publications -
Programmes: 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1983 and 1988.
Festival News: December 1987, February 1988, May 1988 and July/August 1988.
Miscellaneous leaflets.
PAF/FILE/21 The Companies Code and the Arts: A Practical Guide, Australia Council, November 1983.
(5thFestival of Pacific Arts videos are available at NQ and MAIN Collections: 700.799 FES)
