Arts & Culture (05/08/24)

ARTitude Group of Artists opens exhibit

“CONNECTIONS” at ArtistSpace is a group exhibition by the ARTitude Group of Artists. It is an invitation to experience the artists’ worlds. It features 27 artists contributing a combined 54 artworks. The participating artists are: Annette Aguado, Angela Amor, Isabel Campa, Rene Canlas, Daisy Carlos, Kim Carlos, Kris Ian Carlos, Nida Cranbourne, Eva Millan Dantes, Lourdes Delgado, Rhea Jai Fernandez, Kathy Garrido, Mitz Garrido, Ysa Gernale, Maryrose Gisbert, Joanna Hirsch, Esther Leynes, Chiqui Lizada, Pit Montinola, Clara Mortesen, Marinette Garrido Ortigas, Arianna Quintal, Gigit Sales, Audrey Sin, Patricia Tan, Ottilia Taus, and Annabelle Wisniewski. “CONNECTIONS” is on view until May 21 at the ArtistSpace located at Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Ave. corner De La Rosa St., Greenbelt Park, Makati City.

Botanical printing workshop at Alliance Française

THE ALLIANCE Française de Manille, with Maison Métisse, Kanya, Artifaks, and DoST-PTRI will host Wild Blooms: A Botanical Printing Experience. The sustainable workshop provides a hands-on experience that combines the beauty of nature with the art of eco-printing. Participants are invited to create their own eco-printed apron. Following the workshop, Karla Delgado of Kai Farms will be there for a dialogue on botanicals, permaculture, and the importance of bees. With an entrance fee of P2,900 per person, the workshop takes place on May 11, 2:30 p.m., at the Alliance Française de Manille, 209 Nicanor Garcia, Makati City.

UP, Ateneo thesis collaboration to premiere this May

THE thesis production Walang Biro sa Banyuhay tackles the chaotic life of the Salangsang family. Its breadwinner, call center agent Grenda Salangsang, undergoes a metamorphosis, growing in size and becoming an insect. This adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is a thesis collaboration between UP Dulaang Laboratoryo and Ateneo Fine Arts, under the direction of Missy Maramara and Raflesia Bravo. It aims to create a new yet familiar world that touches on Filipino family culture yet remains true to the sense of isolation and alienation in the original work. The play has performances on May 11, at 7 p.m., and May 12, at 3 and 7 p.m., at Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan (THY), Pavilion III, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman. Admission is free.

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale goes to Clark

THE Big Bad Wolf Book Sale has hit Clark, Pampanga. Touted as the world’s biggest book sale, Big Bad Wolf Books is offering Kapampangans discounts of up to 95% off retail prices. For every five books bought, an extra one will be thrown in for free. Metrobank cardholders can enjoy an exclusive 0% installment promo for three months on purchases worth P3,000 and up. Returning customers also get a 10% discount on their next haul by showing their previous purchase receipt. The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Pampanga is until May 12 at the SMX Convention Center, Clark. Admission is free.

Ballet Manila brings to life three Lola Basyang stories

BALLET Manila’s newest production is Ang Tatlong Kwento ni Lola Basyang, which unearths old short stories by Severino Reyes, retold by Christine Bellen Ang and published by Anvil Publishing, and adapts them into ballet pieces. Playing the enduring character of Lola Basyang is Mitch Valdes, a performer who has been active in the theater and entertainment industry for over 50 years. The three stories are an engaging mix of romance, adventure and comedy, touching on such universal themes as loyalty and commitment to family, the power of humility, and of course, love conquering all. They are: “Ang Prinsipe ng mga Ibon,” “Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Maria,” and “Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin.” It will be staged at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City, on May 11 at 8 p.m. and on May 12 and 18 at 5 p.m. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.

12 receive Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awards

AFTER an intensive selection process and deliberations, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has announced the individuals and organizations that will receive the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining 2024 awards. They are Gener Caringal for dance, Joey Ayala for music, Lea Salonga for theater, Jose Lacaba, Jr. for literature, Mike De Leon and Mario O’Hara for film, Julie Lluch for visual arts, and Gino Gonzales for fashion. The Loboc Children’s Choir is also recognized for its performances promoting Boholano heritage. For cultural work, Marilyn Gamboa, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, and Nedy Tantoco will also be honored. The awardees will receive a citation, a medal, and a cash gift of P50,000 (for living awardees). The ceremony will be held on Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

Award-winning DLSU professor releases new book

THE DE LA SALLE University Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center, in cooperation with the Department of Literature, recently launched Weaving Basey: A Poet’s History of Home, the new book of literature professor and author Dinah Roma. Conceptualized following the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, the book is the poet’s narrative of home that tells of a journey of recovery, healing, and hope. It features a blend of memoir and local history, poems, as well as visuals and photos that aid in locating her hometown Basey in the physical world. The book received a grant from the National Book Development Board in 2015, and the manuscript was completed in 2018.

VLF19: Pintog to present more human stories

THIS year’s Virgin Labfest (VLF) will feature 12 new scripts promising narratives that deal with the complex layers of human experience. The festival is named for the works coming to full bloom and ready to burst (pintog) onstage. The chosen works are: Vengeance of the Gods by Hans Pieter Arao, Ningas by Lino Balmes, Love on the Brain by Rick Patriarca, Pagkapit sa Hangin by Joshua Lim So, Lipstick at Pulbura by Ara Jenika Vinzon, The Foxtrot by Chesie Galvez-Cariño, Sa Babaeng Lahat by Elise Santos, Ang Munting Liwanag sa Madilim na Sulok ng Serbeserya sa Maynila by Dustin Celestino, Si Hesus Na’a Sa U.S. by Neil Azcuna, Sentenaryo by Herlyn Alegre, The Divine Family by Dip Mariposque, and Identite by Jhudiel Clare Sosa. VLF 19: Pintog runs from June 12 to 30 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater), CCP Complex, Pasay City. For more details, check out the social media accounts of CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Writers’ Bloc.