by Jolene Toves

Guam - Gearing up for the Festival of the Pacific Arts and ensuring everything goes on without a hitch takes a lot of planning and a manual - a regional handicrafts manual. At the 2016 FESTPAC, 22 different countries will be gathering on island to share their indigenous handicrafts made from materials of plant and animal origin.

However, some of the items are restricted by importing countries due to the nature of the materials used. Helping to coordinate the events is FESTPAC secretariat Letila Mitchell from Gilbert and Samuels Company in Fiji. She said, "Cultural producers trying to trade cultural products have issues with bio-security so when they are taking their woven products or products with clam shells into other countries there are a lot of restrictions and permits a lot of clearance costs that they encounter."

Oftentimes this is a hindrance to trade within the region. To get rid of the confusion on what these artists can travel with and bring into our island the manual identifies the laws and regulations for trade ensuring the safe movement of handicrafts within the Pacific Region. Mitchell is on island taking on this enormous task, and said, "It just makes the process easier for everyone so everyone can focus on entertaining and perform at the festival rather than these sorts of issues that sort of hinder and damper a lot of the spirit at the festival."

This will be the first time a manual of this magnitude which takes into account retailers, producers, and stakeholders who move and trade the indigenous products within the region.

Simultaneously, Mitchell is here on island to help establish Guam's first chapter of the Pacific Artists Alliance, a networking organization which is aimed at connecting artists and cultural producers within the region so that information and skills can continue to be shared even after the FESTPAC. Local artists interested in networking can visit www.pacificartsalliance.com.