RP Gears Up for Arts Fest

The Philippine International Arts Festival (PIAF) is set to wow the country yet again as it unveils “Ani ng Sining” on February 2011 in celebration of the National Arts Month. Now on its 20th year, the country’s biggest arts festival will gather thousands of artists all over the country to further promote the Filipino culture in the seven arts.

Preparations are already under way for the country’s biggest art festival with four grand openings slated to take place in the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Elaborate performances and exhibitions will be staged for the said openings in celebration of the Filipino arts.

With lectures, conferences, exhibitions and performances slated to tour nationwide, the PIAF is promising a meaningful and fruitful celebration on the month of hearts in the hopes of instilling the richness of Philippine tradition to our countrymen as well as to tap undiscovered talents. Joining the roster of local artists are international delegates invited to grace the festive celebration to forge deeper understanding and stronger cultural relationships through collaborative performances and outreach projects in different parts of the country.

The Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts will be staging multi-venue lectures and exhibits for the “archi[types/text] 2011” which will be highlighted by the environmentally-related Sand Constructions in Boracay. Also, exhibits that will tackle the morphology of Filipino Buildings, the Colonial Urbanism and Architecture during the American Period, fashion and architecture, architectural postcards and cinema houses will be staged. Architect Gerard Lico, Ph.D. vice head of the committee leads the nationwide exhibition tours and seminars. Respected architects from Southeast Asia will be joining the roster of local architects to tackle Sustainable Tropical Architecture.

The National Committee on Dance, led by Shirley Halili-Cruz, will be presenting Sayaw Pinoy as its contribution to the National Arts Month celebration. This has been part of the PIAF for the past eight years and the Sayaw Pinoy 2011 will be touring 21 key areas nationwide, with featured performances from Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei and Vietnam.

“Tanghal: 5th University Theater Festival” will be gathering university-based theaters and student artists nationwide. Undertaken by the National Committee on Dramatic Arts, led by Dr. Glecy Atienza with Ma. Lourdes Josefa Lopez, Tanghal will be having its opening at the University of St. La Salle, Colegio San Agustin and West Negros University in Bacolod. An added feature of this year’s celebration will be the Monodrama Festival with delegates from Lithuania, Japan, and Fujaira of UAE joining in. Also, a Cambodian Circus was invited to further hype up the theater flagship project.

Envisioned to gather 80 national and international writers, the Taboan Philippines International Writers Festival 2011 will be moving to Davao City, following its successful run in Cebu earlier this year. The best writers of the country will compose the national delegation while award-winning foreign writers from Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore will be joining the international delegation. Accordingly, the Taboan components will include panel discussions, lectures, outreach and school visitation programs, book fair, literary readings and performances and the Taboan Awards. The Taboan 2011 is undertaken by the Committee on Literary Arts headed by Arts Sub-Commissioner and PIAF Festival Director Ricardo de Ungria.

The Committee on Music, led by musician Joey Ayala, will be staging Organik Muzik 3 in Manila, Davao, Puerto Princesa and Cebu with the special participation of musicians from Vietnam and Indonesia. Organik Muzik 3 is aimed at “bringing a variety of cultural influences that are not readily accessible through the mass media to a broader and younger society” and will be featuring concert tours and workshops for local artists, students and educators.

With NAM 2010’s success following closely behind, this year’s CinemaRehiyon 3 of the Committee on Cinema will again be restaged with more regional films tapped to join the event. In addition, award-winning filmmakers from Indonesia are set to join the roster of the young and talented Filipino filmmakers in this CinemaRehiyon 3.

For the Committee on Visual Arts led by Egai Fernandez, Boracay remains to be a strategic location for the Philippine International Visual Arts Festival (PIVAF) with its successful launch for the past NAM celebration. The PIVAF11 will be expanding the NAM celebration by adding in more satellite venues, namely Isabela and Angono in Luzon, Cebu in Visayas and Davao in Mindanao. This year’s visual arts festival will be focusing on the traditional Philippine tattoo art practices, methods and designs with lectures on specialized topics such as the elaborate Pintados etchings, the delicate patterns of the Bontoc Igorot and the Kalinga and Ifugao people and the unique designs of the T’bolis in Mindanao. Guest artists from Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand will be participating in the PIVAF 2011.

The National Arts Month is annually celebrated as per Presidential Proclamation 683 in 1991 declaring February as the National Arts Month. Accordingly, it is known as “a time for nationalism and pride in being a Filipino” through carefully planned events for the preservation and enrichment of the Filipino expression in the seven arts.

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Getting Ready: Thousands of Artists Gather for the Biggest Arts Festival in the Philippines

The artsphere is gearing up for yet another festive and fruitful month as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) launches “Ani ng Sining,” the Philippine International Arts Festival (PIAF) in celebration of National Arts Month as per Presidential Proclamation No. 683 in 1991. It will be the womb for the hosting of the Asean Ministerial and Experts Meeting on Culture and Arts Festival.

Now on its 19th year, Arts Month will bring together thousands of artists from all over the country to cultivate love for the arts and preserve culture in line with the UNESCO observance of the International Year of the Rapprochement of Cultures. It promises to be grand on visuals and enriching in the mind as well. As arts goes to key cities nationwide the festival, which has gone international, aims to instill the richness of Philippine tradition to all Filipinos. The international component is undertaken in liaison with the IAO led by Deputy Executive Director and Philippine ITI Secretary General Malou Jacob.

In touring the seven different art forms, the festival aims to raise awareness and to discover artists whose talents are left untapped due to lack of venues.

According to NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, the Philippines, under the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, holds the honor of being dubbed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as the 1st Cultural Capital of Asean for 2010 and 2011. In 2007, the Philippines successfully hosted the heads of states summit in Cebu. Likewise, the Philippine International Theater Center, with the support from the Asean Director General and NCCA, organized the Regional Millennium Development Goals Performance and Media Arts workshop from Ancestral Roots to New Routes of Artistic Expression.

The NCCA chaired by Education Undersecretary Dr. Vilma Labrador has been bringing the “Ani ng Sining” celebrations to different agencies and institutions around the country since 2005 as an avenue for the application of culture as a force for education and a vehicle for social transformation.

The preparations for this month-long activity, which happens in February, are already underway with the committee heads lining up various seminars, workshops, exhibits, and performances.

Aptly themed “Ani ng Sining,” PIAF assembles the best of the best as well as the budding talents with the hope of nurturing arts and culture for future generations. The seasoned artists may learn new ideas from the youth of the digital age and may see arts in a different perspective. The youth, in turn, will learn from the experiences of their esteemed counterparts.

“Archi(Types/Text): Architecture in Philippine Life” of the Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts is set to hold touring exhibits of the Philippine architectural landscape as influenced by different colonial eras, photographs of Zamboanga by an American soldier, and a feature on famous architect and painter, Andres Luna de San Pedro. Architect Gerard Lico, Ph.D. vice head of the committee leads the nationwide exhibition tours and seminars.

The Committee on Dance led by Shirley Halili-Cruz pursues yet another dance concert tour to bring dance in all its diversity to all Filipinos. “Sayaw Pinoy 2010: Creating Venues of Creative Interaction through Dance” links mainstream and traditional dances and provides opportunity for the dance artists to exchange ideas and expertise.

Film enthusiasts will have to block off the dates for CineRehiyon 2 by the Committee on Cinema led by Dr. Miguel Rapatan, together with vice head Teddy Co. For this Arts Month, CineRehiyon goes yearlong to reach out to more filmmakers in different regions in the country. These efforts may help revitalize the film industry, both independent and mainstream. Recent recognitions in international film festivals are proof that Philippine cinema is alive and kicking. The committee will also hold dialogues and workshops with the aim of deepening the understanding of film in the country.

Taboan 2010: The 2nd Philippine Writers Festival of the Committee on Literary Arts headed by Arts Sub-Commissioner and PIAF Festival Director Ricardo de Ungria, is probably the busiest with a long lineup of talks and fora by renowned writers. Topics range from writing critical reviews to eco literature to historical writing. This year, the committee decides to recognize prolific writers from the Visayas region as well as interaction with writers from other countries.

The Committee on Visual Arts led by Egai Fernandez goes to Boracay for the Philippine Visual Arts Festival (PIVAF). Sand sculpture is just one of the highlights of the festival, which also include printmaking, photography, and body painting competition. The festival is looking at opening more doors to new talents and exhibiting the works of seasoned and award-winning Filipino visual artists.

Musician Joey Ayala leads the Committee on Music in staging Organik Musik 2: Palay Bigas Kanin. Ayala and company are set to bring together traditional and contemporary music with Radioactive Sago Project and the likes of Cynthia Alexander. The committee hopes to invite 300 artists for performances and to participate in fora and talks.

Tanghal: 4th National University and College Theater by the Committee on Dramatic Arts headed by Dr. Glecy Cruz Atienza will recognize the efforts of school theater groups in nurturing theater arts among the youth. There will be theater performances, conferences, and interactions with invited international artists.

For more details and concerns, please contact Mr. Rene Napeñas, PIAF Media Director and Head of the NCCA-Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) at 09285081057/ 09275582656 and 527-5529, or Ms. Vanessa Marquez, PIAF Deputy Festival Manager, at 527-2209 or 09186380412. You could also call us at 527-2192 loc. 612-615 or email us at ncca.paio@gmail.com. Or visit the website at www.ncca.gov.ph.

Ani ng Sining 2010 opens in a simple but still festive mood

Go to the official web site of the Philippine International Arts Festival:
http://www.piaf-ncca.com

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NCCA Culture Writing Page Competition Opens

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will hold a Culture Page Writing Competition, in line with the 2010 Philippine International Arts Festival (PIAF) for the 19th National Arts Month (NAM) Ani ng Sining celebration in February. The competition hopes to encourage student journalists from high school and college to feature PIAF events in their respective school papers, in order to further raise awareness, and deepen the appreciation for Philippine culture and arts among students.
The Culture Page Writing Contest is open to all recognized school papers from any secondary and tertiary level school, college or university in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the NCR. Entries may be written in English and/or Filipino, and should have at least one backgrounder story on the NAM as per Presidential Proclamation No.683 in 1991, and the PIAF as NCCA’s flagship project for the NAM. The Culture Page may contain editorials, essays, features, poetry, cartooning, photography, or researches on Philippine culture, arts, tradition, and heritage.

The winning school papers from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the NCR for the tertiary level will receive the grand prize of thirty thousand pesos (P30,000), while winners for the secondary level will receive twenty thousand pesos (P20,000).

The deadline for submission of entries is on February 12, 2010, and the announcement and awarding of winners will be in March 2010 during NCCA’s Philippine arts and culture TV program, Sining Gising, aired every Sundays at 4 p.m. over at NBN 4. Winners will also be published in the NCCA’s official newsletter, Agung.

For details, please contact RENE NAPEÑAS, Head of the NCCA-Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) and PIAF Media Director at 527-5529 or at numbers 097-5582656 / 09285081057 or VANESSA MARQUEZ, PIAF Deputy Festival Manager at 527-2209 or 0918-6380412. You can also call us at 527-2192 (loc. 612-615) or email us at ncca.paio@gmail.com

For inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs and Information Division at (T) 527-5529, (F) 527-2191 local 612-615, or email at info@ncca.gov.ph.

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Philippine Arts Festival 2008 - Ani ng Sining

The Celebration
Began in 1991 through Presidential Proclamation No. 683, the National Arts Month activities are spearheaded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, or NCCA, which is the country's premier government institution for arts and culture.

The People
Every year, the NCCA works hand in hand with arts and culture organizations, local government units, educational institutions, business establishments, and individuals in holding various initiatives in the arts. Now on its sixteenth year, the National Arts Month celebration with the theme "Ani ng Sining" has evolved from a Manila-centered activity, to a truly national event with key activities in all three major island groups - Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. Involving hundreds of artists from the different disciplines of arts and reaching thousands of people from all walks of life. The National Arts Month is truly a festival of the Filipino people to involve their participation in "Celebrating a Bountiful Harvest in the Arts."

Download Calendar of Events

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Ani ng Sining: Yaman ng Lahi Launch @ NCCA & Intramuros Administration

Ani ng Sining:
Yaman ng Lahi Launch at the NCCA and Intramuros Administration

An event organized for the media, LGUs, schools and other agencies, on February 1, 2007 at the NCCA and Intramuros Administration. The program will formally open Ani ng Sining at NCCA, as its convener and will have two components; a parade of bands and convergence of people at Plaza San Ignacio. An opening ritual will be held at the NCCA followed by an interactive activity in the afternoon.

Ani ng Sining: Yaman ng Lahi Philippine Arts Festival 2007 Launchings at Three Ceremonial Centers:

Ani ng Sining : Yaman ng Lahi Philippine Arts Festival 2007 will be launched simultaneously in 3 major sites in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao on Saturday, February 3, 2007. Chosen as ceremonial centers are Malolos, Bulacan for Luzon, Cebu City for Visayas and Cagayan De Oro for Mindanao. The Cultural Center of the Philippines will launch Ani ng Sining at the NCR in their own program "PASINAYA"on February 4, Sunday, whole day.

Ani ng Sining Events in NCR :

Pistahan sa mga Lungsod ng NCR

Art events will be showcased in the following cities within NCR ; Caloocan City, Marikina City, Teatro (Valenzuela City), Pasig City, Muntinlupa City and Las Piñas City.

Ugnayan sa Intramuros

This event will feature talents of different performing groups of the six (6) schools/colleges within Intramuros namely; Lyceum, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Manila High School, Mapua Institute, Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila, and Colegio de Sta. Rosa. Creative and relevant performances will provide the students opportunity to interact.

Ani ng Sining at NCCA

Special events will be held at the NCCA lobby or auditorium every Monday and Friday for the month of February 2007. This will be done in partnership with different cultural agencies and Intramuros Administration. The event will include exhibitions, film showings, dance, and music performances.

Ani ng Sining sa Gusaling Pamahalaan ng Bansa

NCCA will implement activities in support of the National Arts Month in different government offices, bringing people in government closer the best of Filipino art and providing opportunities for the general public to access these performances and exhibits at the Malacañang, House of Representatives, Senate and Supreme Court.

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Philippine Arts Festival - Ani ng Sining, Yaman ng Lahi

Philippine Arts Festival
Ani ng Sining, Yaman ng Lahi
By Felipe de Leon, Jr.

The arts provide the most lucid mirrors of who we are as a people, capturing the widest diversity and most profound depths of the Filipino creative spirit. Excellence in the arts is a powerful magnet around which national unity may evolve.

Promoting a Filipino perspective in the arts, then, is the basis for Ani ng Sining: Yaman ng Lahi, Philippine Arts Festival 2007. This perspective builds on our strengths as a people, works for the good of the nation as a whole, and promotes pride, commitment, and excellence.

Pride in being Filipino leads to commitment to the nation, and commitment to the nation always brings about excellence or great achievement. The deepest meaning of pride in being Filipino is pride in our cultural identity, whether it is identity shared across the country such as our high relational tendency or that of a cultural community, e.g., Tboli ikat weaving or San Fernando giant Christmas lanterns.
It is finally our cultural identity that will harness national competitiveness, eonomic or otherwise, in the global arena; our cultural identity that will anchor national development.

In traditional Filipino (and Asian cultures), an integral philosophy of life ensures that the deepest strivings of the human spirit are given expression. People from all walks of life are expected to engage in artistic creation and performance. A farmer may at the same time be an expert puppeteer, a medicine man the best epic chanter, and a barber an outstanding lute performer.

Ani ng Sining: Yaman ng Lahi invites all of us to renew our ties with art and in so doing, enrich, celebrate and honor our proud heritage and identity.

Taken from http://www.ncca.gov.ph/paf/index.html

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