Dr Evangelia Papoutsaki, executive editor of Unitec ePress, has co-edited a collection of essays on the key components of Island cultural studies, showcasing the work of her colleagues.
‘Island cultures and festivals’ – a creative ecosystem emerges from the jointly organised 15th International Small Island Cultures (ISIC) conference staged at the University of West Indies in Kingston in 2019.
Co-edited with Jamaican scholar and cultural activist Sonjah Stanley Niaah, the book contains selected articles that shine the spotlight on the rich cultural field of island music, art festivals and the creative ecosystem with which they find support.
Together with former Unitec Social Practice senior lecturer John Stansfield, Dr Papoutsaki wrote a chapter on Mapping Waiheke Island’s Festivalscape: Community Activism and Festival Reclamation.
“The island context, with its unique characteristic and the specific events nature of festivals, all contribute to shaping an island’s festivalscape,” Dr Papoutsaki says.
John Stansfield founded the Graduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management at Unitec and is widely recognised as a leader in the community development sector.
Dr Papoutsaki is also co-convenor of SICRI (Small Island Cultures Research Initiative), a group founded in 2004 by a group of international musicologists, linguists and anthropologists interested in the maintenance and development of small island cultures.
One of SICRI’s core principals has been to work with activists and local communities to create opportunities for local cultures to flourish and to be recognised internationally.
Since 2004, SICRI has held conferences in a series of iconic island locations, including Norfolk Island, Guernsey, Fernando de Noronha, Newfoundland and Okinawa. All these locations share strong senses of local identity and culture, have supported festivals and encouraged tourists to visit and participate in cultural events.
Island cultures and festivals – a creative ecosystem is published by the University of the West Indies Press and is available via customerservice@longleafservices.org
Congratulations Valia!