Monday 15 December 2025
Apia, Sāmoa –

Sāmoa Arts Fono aims to empower the local creative industry

Artists, creatives, business entrepreneurs, and policymakers across the Sāmoan archipelago will gather for a three-day event held next year between Upolu Island, Sāmoa (Wednesday 4th & Thursday 5th March, Sāmoan dateline) and Tutuila Island, American Sāmoa (Thursday 5th March, American Sāmoan dateline), to discuss how the local creative industries can leverage their strengths to address local and regional challenges.

First of its kind, the Sāmoa Arts Fono, organized by the Talanoa Arts Forum (TAF) will serve as a vital platform for fostering collaboration and tackling critical issues within the arts sector. Participants will include a diverse array of stakeholders, such as artists, musicians, writers, poets, choreographers, heritage artists, curators, producers, researchers, scholars, museum officers, art educators, business entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

This interdisciplinary gathering aims to address systemic challenges, including limited resources, cultural preservation, and sustainable practices. By uniting voices from various sectors, the Sāmoa Arts Fono will emphasize resilience and creativity as key to navigating the evolving arts landscape in the developing Pacific Island States.

The Sāmoa Arts Fono will feature both local and international guest speakers, enriching the dialogue and fostering connections within the Sāmoan archipelago and beyond. Speakers, among others, include Momoe Malietoa Von Reiche (Sāmoa); Ammon Fepulea’i (American Sāmoa); Frances Koya Vakauta (Fiji) and Reuben Friend (Aotearoa) to name a few. More speakers to be announced next year.

With a focus on collaboration, resilience, and sustainability, the Sāmoa Arts Fono underscores the arts' role in cultural, social, and economic development, as well as their importance in fostering identity, innovation, and community cohesion.

The Talanoa Arts Forum is led by Sāmoa-based practicing artists Tau’ili’ili Alpha Maiava and Yuki Kihara. Their respective art practices engage audiences in Sāmoa and internationally.

The Sāmoa Arts Fono is made possible through major funding from the Pacific Feminist Fund with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of New Zealand.

Additional information for media:

About Talanoa Arts Forum:

Led by Sāmoa-based practicing artists Tau’ili’ili Alpha Maiava and Yuki Kihara, Talanoa Arts Forum (TAF) is a Sāmoa-based curatorial agency setup to establish the infrastructure that support cultural and artistic exchange, between local and the international community in Sāmoa. Talanoa Arts Forum is a multidisciplinary cultural platform working with private and public entities to activate spaces for cultural production and promotion across all creative disciplines, spanning from heritage, visual arts, literature, film, fashion, dance, design, and music to name a few. Talanoa Arts Forum aims to enhance Moana Pacific's creative industries, knowledge economy, and leverage its soft power for an Indigenous-led advancement.

Website: www.talanoaartsforum.ws

Event details:

Sāmoa Arts Fono
Wednesday 4th & Thursday 5th March 2026 (Sāmoan dateline)
Upolu Island, Sāmoa

Thursday 5th March 2026 (American Sāmoan dateline)
Tutuila Island, American Sāmoa

Contact information:

Tau’ili’ili Alpha Maiava: alpha@talanoaartsforum.ws
Yuki Kihara: yuki@talanoaartsforum.ws

Image credit: ‘Men talk | Fa’asausauga a tamali’i’ (2023) by Lalovai Peseta. Courtesy of Lalovai Peseta, Manamea Art Studio and Talanoa Arts Forum, Sāmoa.

Press package: Uplift the press package here