The Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies (MBC) is a research centre on Pacific Studies within the University of Canterbury. It was founded in 1988 from a bequest of Professor John Macmillan Brown.
Their mission statement is:To promote and advance scholarship and understanding of the Pacific region, including Aotearoa New Zealand, its people, societies and cultures; histories; arts; politics; environment and resources; developments and future.
Governance and staff The founding director was Leasiolagi Dr Malama Meleisea.
In 2023 Steven Ratuva is the director of the centre and Christina Laalaai-Tausa is the Research Manager. The University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor appoints an advisory board. In 2023 people named on the board are Paul Millar, Natalie Baird, Tara Ross, Jane Buckingham, Yvonne Crichton-Hill, Pascale Hatcher and Matthew Scobie.
Activities
Publishing The centre publishes research including the online open access journal Pacific Dynamics. Macmillan Brown Press has published a number of books.
The Macmillan Brown Pacific Artist in Residence Programme The Macmillan Brown Pacific Artist in Residence Programme is an annual three-month residency that has been going since 1996. It is supported by New Zealand's central arts funding body Creative New Zealand, and 'aims to promote Pacific artistic innovation'.
In 2022 the residency was valued at NZ$18,000 and had a focus on 'environmental protection, climate crisis response and community sustainability'. In 2023 it was valued at NZ$25,000. The 2016 recipient was Christchurch born Ioane Ioane where he created Samoan canoe's. In 2027 the residency went to artist-curator Ema Tavola. +Recipients of the Macmillan Brown Pacific Artist in Residence ProgrammeYearNameAdditional informationRef1996Fatu Feu’uIn the inaugural residency Feu'u created the exhibition So'otaga ole Pasifika: Pacific Connections.1997Michel Tuffery1998John Pule1999Andy Lelei2000Lonnie Hutchinson2001Filipe Tohi2002Lurlene Christiansen and Emma Kesha2003Erolia Ifopo and Siaosi MulipolaIn 2003 the Centre broadened to also include performing arts. Ifopo and Mulipola both were part of the company Pacific Underground. 2004Dave Fane2005Tusiata Avia2006Sheyne Tuffery2007Johnny PenisulaPenisula is an Invercargill-based Samoan artist. In the residency he created the artwork Le folauga me le afe o Tausaga: The voyage to the next Millennium2008John Ioane2009Kulimoeanga 'Stone' Maka2010Tanya Muagututi'a2011Fatu Feu'uFatu Feu’u did a second residency to mark the 15th anniversary of the residence programme. 2012Victor Rodger2013No information2014No information2015No information2016Ioane Ioane2017Ema Tavola2018Tanu Gago2019Tuāfale Tanoa’iAlso known as Linda T, Tanoa’i participates in and documents stories from Māori, Pacific and LGBTQI+ communities.2020Nina Oberg Humphries2021Luisa Tora2022Jahra Arieta
References