SICRI Background & Mission

SICRI was established in 2004 to facilitate communication and collaboration between researchers and cultural practitioners working with small island communities.

SICRI’s principal aim is to research and assist the maintenance and development of the language, literature, music, dance, folkloric and media cultures of small island communities. It aims to identify potential research partners and appropriate strategies and funding sources to benefit small island cultures and those researching them.

Key to SICRI’s activities is the principle that external researchers should develop their projects in consultation with island communities and should reciprocate such co-operation with appropriate assistance and facilitation of local cultural initiatives.

SICRI operates with reference to broader concepts of cultural heritage [see UNESCO, 2003: What is Cultural Heritage and Types of Cultural Heritage]; consideration of island communities as (simultaneously) isolated and connected; and is concerned to address the impacts and potentials offered by tourism.

SCU Island Cultures Research Projects

SICRI is hosted by the Division of Research, Southern Cross University (Australia) – www.scu.edu.au. The Division also supports the publication of the biannual online refereed publication Shima: The Internation Journal of Research into Island Cultures – www.shimajournal.org

SICRI News 2012:

ISIC 8 – June 6-9, 2012

The Centre for Cape Breton Studies, along with the Department of History & Culture and the School of Arts & Social Science at Cape Breton University, are pleased to present a call for papers on the theme of Traveling in Time: Islands of the Past, Islands of the Future, an international conference organized in collaboration with the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI).

Details available here:

Send proposals to henry.johnson [at] otago.ac.nz – maximum 300 words, including title, keywords and institutional affiliation.