Remix / Rimix – Negotiating Contemporary Arts and Custom works with artists and cultural producers in Vanuatu who are undertaking new creative actions and collaborative research exploring the overlaps of creative arts practice and traditional and ecological knowledge (TEK). More information about the project can be found at: https://scccp.net/project/remix/

Remix / Rimix aims to:

• Support new creative works and cultural actions by ni-Vanuatu artists and cultural producers.
• Support opportunities and platforms to promote, discuss and grow creative cultural practice that draw on traditional (kastom) knowledge, stories or styles.
• Better understand:
  • How creative re-use of traditional knowledge is being negotiated and managed by artists and cultural producers with kastom knowledge holders, communities and cultural organisations?
  • What roles practices of ‘rimix’ are having in contemporary cultural expression and creative industries?
  • How negotiations around the use of traditional knowledge are shaped by, or are shaping protocols and policy in relevant organisations, communities and systems?

Our approach is to:

• Support and promote new creative works and cultural actions that draw on traditional (kastom) knowledge, stories or styles.
• Research the practices and perceptions of artists and cultural knowledge holders through interviews, conversations and collaborative projects exploring ideas and practices of ‘rimix’.

We hope this research will contribute to better understanding for practitioners, cultural institutions, funding bodies, governments and the broader artistic community about creative arts and kastom in Vanuatu and elsewhere.