#ArtsFestPH2014 is underway!
The only national arts festival is here, and 2014 is about offering something new, but also and more importantly, something relevant. This year, the projects and activities cut across various regions and provinces, with the goal of helping in the task of rehabilitation and rebuilding, at a time when it is needed most.
At the center of Archi[types/texts] 2014 will be a National Conference on Urban Studies: Urban Spaces, Societyand Culture on February 20 to 21 at the Far Eastern University. This major conference happens alongside various other activities including book launches and film screenings, as well as major exhibits such as Tropicalization of Modernism: The Architecture of Jose Maria V. Zaragoza at the University of Santo Tomas Museum, and A Pioneer and Modernist Iconoclast: The Architectural Legacy of Pablo S. Antonio at the Far Eastern University.
Cinema Rehiyon 2014 will be in Cagayan De Oro, screening films old and new, that will engage the audience in discussions about the environment and climate change, as well as about disaster risk management. Sayaw Pinoy 2014 is also traveling to Roxas City and Bohol, as well as holding dance performances in the various SM Malls in Manila, giving the stage to various regional dance groups.
Tanghal 2014 will use theater as a venue for healing and rehabilitation. Its Ginhawa Theater Caravan will be staged within communities in the aftermath of disaster, while Kasing Sining Kumbuyahanay will be a collaboration between young and experienced theater practitioners towards the creation of devised performances. On February 24 to 26, Likha Asya II: Kasing Sining Asya- UNESCO will also be held. This is a National Conference Workshop on Cultural Caregiving and Healing Through the Arts to Address Trauma of Disaster Survivors, presented in cooperation with UNESCO-ITI.
Taboan 2014, The Philippine Writers Festival will be happening in Subic Zambales on February 24 to 26, with National Artists for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, Virgilio Almario, and Cirilo Bautista. Taboan 2014 will focus on discussions about literature in a time of disaster and literature on the edge. Taal – Tunugan 2014 meanwhile will be a celebration of Philippine Musical and Vocal Forms in the Vernacular, happening in various regions from February 22 to 28.
Individual groups from various regions will be formed into ensembles towards learning our indigenous musical forms.
For 2014, Philippine Visual Art Xtreme will be traveling to Tacloban and other parts of the Visayas to conduct Art Therapy for Healing Workshops and interactive mural painting sessions. A dialogue with artists from the Leyte will be the basis for crafting resolutions for PVAX-Leyte 2014.
This year, over and above these activities from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ subcommittees, there will also be an Arts Fiesta that will gather together artists, artist groups, and creatives to engage in discussions, do public art, and sell their works under the Philippine Arts Festival banner for the first time. The Arts Fiesta is a free bazaar happening in Luneta on February 22 and in Intramuros on February 23.
Along with a new theme song by Gloc-9 entitled Sining Ng Pinoy, which he performs with Sarah Geronimo and Denice Barbacena, and a new #ArtsFestPH logo by Team
Manila, the Philippine Arts Festival is not only bigger this year, it is also a brand that stands for artistry and creativity that engages with nation, especially in its time of need.
For more information and complete schedules please visit PHArtsFestival on Facebook and www.artsfestival.ph. You may also contact artsfestph@gmail.com.Â
