ACPEU GRANT 2025
Fijl Fashion Week Recelves ACP-EU Grant to Elevate Local Designers
In an exciting development for Fij's fashion industry, Fashion Week Limited has been awarded a grant of 69,000 Euros from the European Union, administered by the Pacific Community (SPC). This funding aims to strategically enhance the capabilities and capacities of emerging and established Fijian designers, positioning them for greater intemational recognition and commercial success.
The project, titled "Globalising Fijian Fashion Designers and Fiji Fashion Week," will provide 11 selected designers with extensive training over 15 weeks underthe mentorship of globally renowned fashion educators Lucy Jones and Paul Rider from London. Their expertise will offer designers the opportunity to refine their skills, develop creative and innovative collections, and gain insights into the global fashion landscape.
Fashion educator Lucy Jones Rider, who recently arrived in Fiji to lead the first phase of this transformative program, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “I'm delighted to be here delivering the first part of a special fashion pregramme designed to elevate the visibility of Fiji Fashion and our 11 chosen designers. The creative and dynamic programme will give them the opportunity to develop their idea of fashion, and how it will synergise, with the global fashion market."
Fiji Fashion Week's Managing Director, Ellen Whippy-Knight, also emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, "We are enormously grateful to the European Union for granting us the opportunity to continue to develop our local Fiji fashion designers' talents by providing the funds to deliver a special Fashion education programme. This will be conducted by two experienced fashion educators from London, UK, who will train and elevate the designers in dynamic workshops and propel them onto the global stage.
Our fashion designers will be mentored over the next 12 weeks to produce a creative and innovative collection worthy of international acclaim. We thank the gracious support of the EU in recognizing this need in Fiji, where there is still no provision for the study of fashion design at any level."
Participant and designer Ledya Raurewa shared their excitement about the program, saying, 'We were assigned the circular shape by our amazing Lecturer @lucyjonesider and tasked with constructing a silhouette from it. It was an exciting challenge, and I was glad to work alongside the talented @kamathemaker. While we each worked separately with our assigned shapes, our final outcomes tured out to be an incredible reflection of our unique creative journeys."
The selected designers will not only participate in Fiji Fashion Week 18 but will also gain exposure at the Global Indigenous Fashion Show, intern at Kookai in Australia, and take part in Australian Fashion Week.
These opportunities will provide invaluable international experience and networking possibilities with key Industry stakeholders.
The Ambassador of the European Union to the Pacific, Ms. Barbara Plinkert said, *The European Union strongly promotes cultural diversity and identity. We cecognise that diversity can be expressed through several creative means, including fashion design. By awarding these grants to Fijian designers we also support the local creative and cultural industry that has a strong potential not only to strengthen cultural identity in the Pacific but also to generate income and create jobs".
With this grant, Fiji Fashion Week continues to push boundarles, supporting and shaping the next generation of Fijian designers to compete on an international level. This initiative marks a major step forward in fostering Fijl's creative industries and ensuring the global recognition of its fashion talent.
ACPEU GRANT 2024
Source: https://www.spc.int/updates/news/media-release/2024/04/grants-for-pacific-cultural-and-creative-industries
“We cannot protect what we don’t understand.” As traditional navigator Kaiafa Ledua delivered these remarks at a press conference on 16 April 2024, he and 11 other cultural and creative project representatives left a lasting impression with their culturally enriching presentations on what each project represented.
Hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC), the press conference announced the 12 recipients of the ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) Enhancing Capacity for the sustainability of the Cultural and Creative Industries in the Pacific (CCIP) project grant scheme. This now brings the total number of grants awarded by the ACP-EU CCIP Project to 20, with one grant being awarded in the first round of the scheme and seven in the second round.
The following have been selected as recipients of the grant scheme’s third round:
Small Grants
(5,000-12,000 Euro)
Ministry of ITaukei Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts, FijiWati Fong Chew, Fiji
Medium Grants
(12,000 – 70,000 Euro)
Fashion Week Pte Ltd, FijiFiji Rotuman AssociationVaka Taumako Project Solomon IslandsPouarii Tanner, Cook IslandsTiapapata Centre Inc., SamoaRoll’em Productions Inc., PalauCook Islands Pacific Pearl Merchants Ltd
Large Grants
(70,001 – 180,000 Euro)
iTaukei Trust Fund Board, FijiTribalVoice PNG Inc., Papua New GuineaDrum Productions Cook Islands
Miles Young, Director of SPC’s Human Rights and Social Development(HRSD) Division, acknowledged the continued support from the European Union (EU) as the “Only dedicated source of funding support for cultural and creative industries in the Pacific region”.
“There have been many lessons learnt about the kind of targeted support that is needed in the region to raise awareness and capacity for grant writing, project implementation and grant management, as well as financial management. These are lessons that will inform future projects of this nature with support from our friends, like the European Union and others,” said Mr Young.
The protection and promotion of positive expressions of culture, he added, was a key part of SPC’s work as SPC recognised the contributions of these industries to sustainable development in the Pacific.
The ACP-EU CCIP project was designed to increase the contributions of the culture and creative sectors to economic revenue, commercial engagement, and recognition in national economies. The project also provides financial support, technical advice, mentoring, and capacity-building schemes to artists and cultural producers from across the Pacific region.
Pedro Velasquez, Head of Section Civil Society, Gender, Human Rights and Health at the delegation of the European Union for the Pacific, acknowledged the importance of culture in development.
“Culture is an engine for social and economic development and a resource for peaceful inter-community relations. It facilitates social inclusion and freedom of expression, creates and reinforces identity, and also provides civil empowerment. Something, we tend to forget is that culture provides economic growth. It provides job opportunities. Actually, in the world, 48 million jobs are created in the cultural and creative sectors. The cultural and creative sector creates more jobs than agriculture and forestry together,” he said.
Dr Frances Vaka’uta, Team Leader Culture for Development at SPC’s HRSD Division said while there had been a lot of interest in the grant scheme, many applicants did not meet the eligibility requirements, and others did not submit complete or feasible project proposals.
“The cultural and creative industries have been recognised for some time now as the fastest growing industries globally, contributing multi-million dollar returns in the developed world. Many countries are still working to address some of the gaps and challenges that have been identified since the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pacific cultural and creative industries remain under-developed due to a general lack of resources, qualified personnel, infrastructure, consistent and sustainable funding, and the lack of higher education opportunities for the arts and culture,” she said.
So far, the total commitment to the twenty projects funded under the ACP-EU CCIP grant scheme is valued at approximately 1.4 million Euros, spread across six of the 15 ACP Pacific countries. The selected projects under round three of the grant scheme align with national development priorities and the Pacific Regional Culture Strategy.
The ACP-EU Programme (Pacific) is funded by the European Union and the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and is implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology.
A Heartfelt Thank You from Ellen Whippy Knight, Managing Director of Fiji Fashion Week.
On behalf of Fiji Fashion Week, I am deeply honored and immensely grateful to extend our heartfelt thanks to the European Union for the generous ACP Grant we received earlier this year. This grant has been a beacon of support and an incredible boost for the work we do in promoting the arts, fostering capacity building, and advancing education within our vibrant fashion community.
The ACP Grant has played a pivotal role in funding our Fashion Workshops, which are the cornerstone of skill development and creativity for our designers, artisans, and fashion enthusiasts. These workshops have empowered our local talents, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-evolving industry.
Moreover, this grant has enabled us to bring in esteemed fashion professionals from overseas. These experts have shared their wealth of experience and insights, significantly upskilling our local stakeholders. The exchange of ideas and techniques has not only enriched our fashion community but has also paved the way for future collaborations and innovations.
As we look ahead to Fiji Fashion Week 2024, the support from the ACP Grant is instrumental in ensuring its success. The grant has allowed us to organize and plan this premier event, which showcases the best of Fijian fashion to the world. It is a platform where creativity meets culture, and where our local designers can shine on an international stage.
Once again, we extend our deepest gratitude to the European Union for their unwavering support and belief in our vision. Together, we are fostering a thriving fashion ecosystem in Fiji, nurturing talent, and celebrating the rich tapestry of our cultural heritage.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ellen Whippy Knight
Managing Director
Fiji Fashion Week
