Pacific Virtual Museum Pilot Project
Together with the Australian Government and National Library of Australia we are working with colleagues from across the Pacific to develop a shared online place that enables Pacific peoples to connect with their cultural heritage from around the world.
Yokwe, Halo, Maeva, Halo wantok, Hafa adai, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Alii, Bonjour, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Tālofa, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Mālō nī, Mogethin, Tēnākoutou katoa, Ulufale mai, Kia orāna.
Single access point to digitised Pacific cultural heritage launched
We are proud to announce the launch of digitalpasifik.org.
This is the key part of the pilot project, that is designed to make it easy for people of the Pacific to see and access their cultural heritage and history.
Explore, discover and view thousands of items held in museums, libraries, galleries, and collections around the world. Celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific. Have a look and follow us!
digitalpasifik.orgIntroducing digitalpasifik.org to the world
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/vv5fSguATqQTranscript
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Bored schoolboy walking towards home, wearing earphones, texting and scrolling through social media on phone.
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Pacific drums.
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On his phone he is scrolling though images from Tonga. He stops and looks at an image titled Men playing a game of Lafo and advert for the digitalpasifik website.
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Pacific drums.
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The boy puts his phone away and walks into his house.
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Grandmother talking to her grandaughter while the are looking at a photo album of black and white photos. The boy joins them.
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The boy becomes engaged in what the pair are looking at. He then remembers the digitalpasfiik.org photo he saw on his phone. He pulls out his phone and shows his grandmother and sister the digitalpasifik.org website. They start scrolling through the site on the phone.
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The girl pulls out a Chromebook and brings up digitalpasifik.org. They have close look at the website and start to search. They focus on photo of the game Lafo. Grandma explains how game works.
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They clear the room so that they can have a try at the game. The girl gets a mat and the boy finds some checkers.
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They set up the mat and checkers on the floor. Grandma explains how the game works. They start playing and are enjoying their new game.
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Mum and Dad arrive home to find them laughing and engaged in playing Lafo. The girl greets Mum and Dad. She excitedly explains how they found digital.pasifik.org, holding up the laptop, and what they're doing.
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As Mum and Dad are looking at digitalpasifik.org the site comes to life with Mum and Dad immersed in the world of photos, videos and resources that are available through the different collections.
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Mum and Dad have now joined in the Lafo game with Grandma and the girl.
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The boy takes a photo of the family enjoying playing Lafo and posts it on social media with the words "Great time with my Family #digitalpasifik".
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Making Pasifik cultural heritage visible and accessible
Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand, National Library of Australia.
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Contact us
If you have any questions about the project get in touch and follow us on social media.
Tim Kong, Programme Manager — tim.kong@dia.govt.nz
Taputukura Raea, Engagement Lead — taputukura.raea@dia.govt.nz
Twitter — @digitalpasifik
Facebook — @digitalpasifik
About the pilot program
The ‘Pacific Virtual Museum’ Pilot Program will produce an online portal that provides an easy single access point to digitised Pacific cultural heritage items held in different museum, gallery and library collections around the world.
The Pilot Program is an Australian Government initiative managed by the Office of the Pacific in Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It will be implemented by Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, the National Library of New Zealand, in collaboration with the National Library of Australia.
Connecting diverse and dispersed people
The Pacific ‘Virtual Museum’ will connect a diverse and dispersed people with their distributed treasures and cultural materials in a way that does not currently exist.
Pacific cultural heritage is rich and diverse — often little understood by those outside the region. The Pacific Virtual Museum offers one way of celebrating Pacific cultural diversity and recording culture for future generations of Pacific peoples.
This pilot phase, through to February 2022, will test the concept and focus on providing access to digitised Pacific heritage photographs. The program will be looking to partner with organisations to contribute to the Pacific Virtual Museum.
Award-winning technology with a co-design approach
Beneath the surface, the Pacific Virtual Museum Pilot Program online portal will be powered by the Library’s award-winning Digital New Zealand platform and technology.
Importantly the project will take a co-design approach with Pacific educators, researchers, culture and heritage professionals, and contributors of Pacific content to help make sure the pilot meets their needs and is usable.