The Manila Phase

June 15, 2008
6:00 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.
No.5 Sunnyside Drive Brgy. Kristong Hari Quezon City

All events for the WMH Manila phase will take place at the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) Center, Quezon City on June 15, 2008 from 6:00 PM to 9:30 P.M.

Aside from the four main WMH artists-in-residence, the local artists from KASIBULAN who will be participating at the event include: Cynthia Alexander (singer/painter), Brenda V. Fajardo (painter), Karen Flores (painter), Kleng De Loyola (performance artist), Dom-An Macagne (flute player/painter), Alma U. Quinto (soft sculptor), and Teta Tulay (visual artist who does shadow play).

The artist forum that night will consist of:

*a talk on the theme of woman as (mythical) hero by Filipina scholar Fe Mangahas;
*an open conversation with the WMH artists about the following:
(1) the mythical representations of women in the Ramayana;
(2) Filipina revolutionary heroes, like Gabriela Silang and Martial Law activist Maria Lorena, and;
(3) heroic women in everyday life

The focus of the forum discussion will be about the production of art for social change in public art and community spaces.

Legendary folk singer Cynthia Alexander will also perform.

Here, participating artists from KASIBULAN will be exhibiting their paintings, sculptures or visual expressions on the theme “Babaye-Babaylan-Baganihan” (Being Woman, Being Priestess, Being Hero). It will be open to the public from June 15 to July 5.

WMH Artist Forums (Visayas)

DUMAGUETE

Siliman University
June 20, 2008, 9:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

BACOLOD

Orange Gallery
June 27, 2008, 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

During the all-day artist forums, the WMH resident artists will discuss Woman As (Mythical) Hero and present their works during their individual artist talks to the public.

As part of the group forum, Arahmaiani will be giving a brief overview of her critical interpretations of Sita’s role in the Ramayana in relationship to the project theme and topics.

In their respective artist talks, Brenda Fajardo will present a presentation of her works over the years, while Angel Velasco Shaw will discuss her creative process as a Filipina American filmmaker, writer, cultural activist, and educator by screening excerpts from her documentaries Umbilical Cord and The Momentary Enemy (2008). Arahmaiani shall also present her latest work dealing with the problems of identity as a Muslim, which has been stigmatized by the West, or specifically Western media by screening her short film, “I Don’t Want to be Part of Your Legend” (2003). Kai Syng Tan will discuss her WMH exhibition piece, “The Rather Terrible Slaughter of the Tour Guide”, contextualizing it within her main body of work in terms of the notions of traveling and gestures/ actions/performance.

In addition, there will be scheduled and/or impromptu conversations with community members — artists, arts appreciators, youth, grassroots organizations, curators, and critics. In the forums and artist talks, an open dialogue with audience interaction shall follow.