'Brave New Works' at CCP
MANILA, Philippines - A series of festivals billed as “Brave New Works 09” features groundbreaking performances, exhibitions and screenings at the Cultural Center of the Philippines from June to July. The events are part of CCP’s 40th anniversary celebration.
The festivals, which exemplify the CCP mandate of encouraging and showcasing original Filipino works, usher in a deluge of provocative new works from poets, playwrights, choreographers, composers, visual artists and independent filmmakers. Six festivals converge to showcase productions in poetry-in-performance, modern theater, contemporary dance, new symphonic music, painting, sculpture, installation, multimedia and digital feature film.
Oral tradition, protest poetry, and lesbian-gay-bisexual-transvestite (LGBT) works top bill the “WordJam! Spoken Word Festival” to be held on June 10, June 24, and July 1 at 6 p.m. at the Barbariba Grill & Bar in Trellis 2, CCP Complex.
A storytelling session for children, which will be held today at 8 a.m. at the CCP Main Theater Lobby, also forms part of the festival. Admission is free.
“WordJam!” is undertaken by the CCP Literary Arts Division.
The Virgin Labfest, a festival of new plays (untried, untested, unpublished and unstaged) by emerging and well-known playwrights, directors and actors, will be held from June 23 to July 5. The event is a joint venture of CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino and the Writers’ Bloc, Inc. with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Now in its fifth year, the festival has earned a solid reputation for its exciting and provocative lineup of one-act plays from playwrights both young and old.
Filipino and international dance artists meet at the Wifibody Independent Contemporary Dance Festival 4 from June 25 to July 5. Presented by the World Dance Alliance-Philippines, Choreographers’ Network, CCP, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Wifibody features a choreographers’ competition, galas, dance on film, workshops, and other activities that encourage new talent and experimentation.
The Thirteen Artists Awards, a triennial program of the CCP, nurtures and promotes artistic excellence by recognizing progressive and innovative art. The 13 young artists will be formally honored on July 9 simultaneous with the opening of their group exhibition.
The awardees are Buen Calubayan, Christina Dy, Don Djerassi Dalmacio, Patty Eustaquio, Kawayan de Guia, Winner Jumalon, Raquel de Loyola, Raya Martin, Iggy Rodriguez, Don Salubayba, Jaypee Samson, Pamela Yan, and MM Yu. They were unanimously chosen by jurors Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez, Lao Lianben and Mark Justiniani.
The exhibit will be curated by Wire Tuazon. Louie Cordero will design the trophy.
“Musik Underkonstruktion: Hearing the Future Symphonic” slated on July 15 features new symphonic works. It is a co-production with the Metro Manila Community Orchestra (MMCO).
Now in its fifth year, the 2009 Cinemalaya independent film festival and competition titled “Cinemalaya Cinco” will unveil 20 new digital films from July 17 to 26 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Some 25 new independent films will also be premiered during the festival.
For inquiries, call the CCP Performing Arts Department at 832-1125 loc. 1602-1607.
