Monday 19 January 2026
Apia, Sāmoa –

Sāmoa Arts Fono aims to empower the local creative industry

First of its kind, artists, creatives, researchers, business entrepreneurs, and policymakers across the Sāmoan archipelago and the Moana Pacific will gather for a three-day fono held on 4/5/6 March this year. Presented across Upolu Island, Sāmoa, the fono will discuss how the local creative industries can leverage their strengths to address local and regional challenges.

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 local and regional 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 to name a few.

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 artist and Reverend Pelenato Liufau (Sāmoa); arts manager Ammon Fepulea’i (American Sāmoa); regional arts policy analyst Frances Koya Vakauta (Fiji) and artist and curator Reuben Friend (Aotearoa) to name a few. More speakers to be announced soon.

The Talanoa Arts Forum is led by Sāmoa-based practicing artists & curators/producers Tau’ili’ili Alpha Maiava and Yuki Kihara. Their respective art practices have engaged audiences in Sāmoa and internationally over the past two decades.

The Sāmoa Arts Fono is made possible by the Pacific Feminist Fund and the New Zealand High Commission, Apia.

For more information visit www.talanoaartsforum.ws

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