The symposium taking place in Rarotonga August 9-11, 2010 seeks to highlight issues surrounding the creation, dispersal, possession, repatriation, stewardship and interpretation of Pacific art in the 21st century. It is timed to follow immediately on the Maeva Nui or Cook Islands Constitution Celebrations ending August 7th. The major annual cultural event of the Cook Islands, Maeva Nui festivities include dance, chant, and choir competitions and demonstrations of traditional arts. People from around the Cook Islands converge on Rarotonga to compete in these events and PAA Symposium participants are urged to arrive some days earlier in order to participate in these celebrations.



The Symposium Program

Day 1- August 9, 2010

- 9am National marae: All participants are invited to gather outside the National Museum, Victoria Road, Tupapa for a turou or traditional welcome onto the grounds of the Marae Puna Korero; from there we will move to the National Auditorium for speeches of welcome from the Minister of Culture and the PAA President, followed by the Keynote Address.
- Morning tea: marquee outside National Auditorium; entertainment by dance group - registration and distribution of program folders
- Morning sessions at 3 venues (National Auditorium; USP seminar room 1; USP Seminar Room 2)
- Lunch: Demonstrations/performances
- Afternoon - Contemporary work by Pacific Islander artists
- 7pm: Cook Islands Art Exhibition - Opening and performances

Day 2 - August 10, 2010

- Morning tea: marquee outside National Auditorium
- Morning: Objects from Central and Eastern Polynesia
- Morning sessions: Artists' panel
- Lunch: Demonstrations/performances
- Afternoon: Objects and atua - contemporary viewpoints
- 7pm: BCA Opening - Contemporary Pacific Art

Day 3- August 11, 2010

- Morning tea: marquee outside National Auditorium
- Morning sessions: the emerging role of museum websites and other web entities
- Lunch: market vendors; nearby cafes (Beachcomber, etc)
- Afternoon: Open Session
- 7 pm: Conference Dinner Pacific Resort with beachside venue ; covered entertainment area; cocktails on beach; traditional umu/ buffet; Polynesian string band;
dance troupe and entertainers; buses to town for Friday night entertainment

Election of International Committee

Every four years elections are held for the officers of the International Executive Committee of the PAA International. During the symposium in Rarotonga, time will be scheduled for the 2010 election.

Venues

The main venue of the Symposium is the National Auditorium, located in a complex a few minutes walk from town. The complex includes the National Museum the National Library, the Cook Islands Library and Museum Society and the University of the South Pacific (USP) Cook Islands Centre. Two seminar rooms in the adjacent USP complex will also be used. Market vendors are to set up stalls on the grounds of the National Auditorium to provide a variety of cooked food and crafts for sale.

There will be exhibitions of Contemporary Pacific Art at the Beachcomber Gallery, Tautai New Zealand at the Art Studio, Nanette Lela'ulu and Contemporary Cook Islands at the National Museum, a photo exhibition at CILMS, and others. Demonstrations of tapa making, tivaivai, carving, basket and mat weaving will be held in covered areas outside the conference center. In addition, a number of local and island tours will be available to participants.

On arrival at the airport a program will be distributed with advice on how to get to the main venue for day 1.