The Linang Arts and Culture Network Inc., in partnership with National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog, Inc. (Artist, Inc.) will bring Gapasan Habi ng Luzon, a national festival on contemporary arts at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna on Oct. 3 to 6, 2018.
The event consists of three components: Paragos, Palihan, and Habi ng Luzon; all with the same aim of showcasing Luzon’s contemporary arts rooted from the region’s cultural heritage and opening an avenue for collaborations on art and culture.
Paragos is a run of theater productions by Artist, Inc.; and for this year it will feature a play, entitled “Bagong Sigwa”, written by multi-awarded playwright, Bonifacio Ilagan. The said play was supposed to be staged through the direction of multifaceted director Prof. Leo Rimando, on September 22, 1972 but did push through when Martial Law was declared.
In Palihan, parallel workshop on applied art, mural making, film production and devised theater will be held. The workshop on applied art encompasses topics in pottery, jewelry making, fashion and interior design.
The Habi ng Luzon Exhibit will highlight three sub-components, namely (a) Tabi-Tabi Po, a site specific storytelling about local heritage; (b) Pinilakang Tabing, film showing that centers in women; and (c) Turo-Turo, a showcase of the actual cooking of selected Filipino delicacies highlighted with a fora on how food represents on culture and identity.
Meanwhile, Artist, Inc. will also bring Bagong Sigwa, to be premiered on Oct. 3 at the DL Umali Hall of UP Los Baños.
The show is a theater production offered by Artists, Inc. on its Paragos Performance Season.
Paragos, a Tagalog word which refers to wooden-sledge, is a season of performances by home-grown talents that features different theater productions of various genres along the theme Heritage-history, ecology and biodiversity, and the rights of women and children (HER).
As one of the featured production of its 23rd season, Bagong Sigwa brings to life on stage a theater performance entitled Welga! Welga! that was meant to be performed by a group dubbed Bagong Sigwa in UP Los Baños a day before Martial Law was declared on Sept 21, 1972.
It was one of those early plays depicting the plight, struggle and aspirations of the Filipino working class in 1970’s.
For its new version, three characters are initiating the re-mounting of the said play in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the First Quarter Storm. They discussed and discovered the influences of the content, theatre style and acting approach of the playwright Bonifacio Ilagan and director Leo Rimando.
The show will be under the direction of Mr. Edward Perez, a multi-awarded playwright of the Don Carlos Memorial Awards for Literature.