Truth, identity and a sense of 'Pacificness'

In what is considered to be the Pacific’s largest regional cultural gathering, the Festival of Pacific Arts brings together delegations from twenty-seven countries to showcase a variety of cultural practices. First held in Suva in 1972, the Festival has since been staged every four years in one of the participating countries on a rotational basis. From its inception, the Festival was intended as a way of protecting traditional indigenous culture and its expressive forms against the perceived threat of globalisation. At the centre of its rationale lie a number of conundrums: questions about tradition, authenticity and identity. At the 10th Festival held in Pago Pago in 2008,the Fiji delegation brought a play that challenged the Festival's ideological underpinnings.