NBDB holds Book Nook Conference at Iloilo
THE National Book Development Board’s (NBDB) Book Nook Conference, an annual gathering of reading space advocates, educators, storytellers, and artists, is taking place from Aug. 20 to 22 in Iloilo City. Billed as “Sug-álaw: A Grand Encounter of Stories, Cultures, and Communities,” this year’s conference is designed to act on the nation’s urgent reading crisis through collaboration and culture production. It is geared towards students of partner campuses in the city.
Art workshops at Y Space
THE Y Space at the Yuchengco Museum will hold back-to-back workshops this week, both led by visual artist Benedicto Modesto. On Aug. 22, he will teach digital painting that merges classic painting techniques with digital tools, while on Aug. 23, he will talk about becoming a multidisciplinary artist. Each workshop is priced at P1,350. Slots can be reserved via yuchengcomuseum.org.
Exploding Galaxies releases 4th issue of e.g.
THE 4th issue of the journal e.g. by independent press Exploding Galaxies has crossed the mediums of page and film. It features Sarge Lacuesta’s process of transforming his short story “An Errand” into a feature-length film, which was part of last year’s Cinemalaya film festival. It explores the changes in the story, including the addition of a new character. The Weather Bureau is the issue’s featured artist.
Choral festival gathers 35 choirs
THE 6th Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival in Manila will be held in the halls of Areté and other venues within the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City from Aug. 20 to 24. It will convene 35 choirs from the Philippines and around the world as part of a biennial tribute to National Artist for Music Andrea O. Veneracion, the legendary founder of the world-renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers. Presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the festival keeps its opening and closing ceremonies open and free to the public while tickets for the competition proper are priced at P500. The grand Festival Finale Concert featuring the Philippine Madrigal Singers will be held on Aug. 24, 3 p.m., at the Hyundai Hall, with orchestra seats at P2,000 and balcony seats at P1,500.
Side Show: The Musical extended by one day
DUE to insistent public demand, The Sandbox Collective has announced the final extension of Side Show: The Musical on Aug. 24 with two shows at 3 and 7:30 p.m. The afternoon show cast will feature Krystal Kane, Molly Langley, CJ Navato, Tim Pavino, and Joshua Cabiladas, while the evening show will feature Tanya Manalang, Marynor Madamesila, Reb Atadero, Vien King, and Marvin Ong. Tickets to the final extension are now available online through ticket2me.net/sandboxsideshow. It runs at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater, Circuit Makati.
Flower-focused exhibit at Avellana Art Gallery
THE exhibition IN BLOOM: Flowers of the Archipelago is a quiet homage to the richness of Philippine flora, rendered through the delicate and studied strokes of Gizzele Delos Santos-Eustaquio. Her exhibit, running for the entirety of August, brings together a series of botanical images from the book Flowers of the Philippines: A Selection of Botanical Illustrations by Dr. Domingo A. Madulid, published by Gentry Press. It is held for the benefit of the Gentry Press Foundation, whose mission is to provide scholarships. Avellana Art Gallery is located on F.B. Harrison St., Pasay City.
Applications for Virgin Labfest writing fellowship
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), through its Artist Training Division, is calling for applications for the Virgin Labfest (VLF) Writing Fellowship Program in the Visayas for the 4th year. In partnership with The Performance Laboratory, Inc., selected fellows will take part in lectures, discussions, and workshops on playwriting and script critiquing. Recordings of selected past VLF plays will also be accessible to them. On Nov. 15, the fellowship will culminate in a staged reading of the Fellows’ works. Fellowship applications are being accepted until Aug. 30. Full program details are available on the CCP Arts Education Programs Facebook Page.
Kenneth Montegrande pays tribute to Sansó
IN A HEARTFELT homage, artist Kenneth Montegrande mirrors two of Juvenal Sansó’s most beloved themes — flowers and seascapes — in his latest exhibition. The proceeds of the exhibit, titled Lines of Legacy: Kenneth Montegrande in Tribute to Sansó, will benefit Fundacion Sansó’s Fine Arts Students Scholarships and Grants Program. The exhibit runs until Sept. 1. Fundacion Sansó is located at 32 V. Cruz St., Brgy. Sta. Lucia, San Juan City.
TGA opens auditions for A Chorus Line
THEATRE GROUP ASIA (TGA) is opening auditions for its production next year of A Chorus Line, directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner and Broadway choreographer Karla Puno Garcia. The iconic 1975 Broadway hit will be staged in the Philippines with an all-Filipino cast. Auditions will be held across Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, and Davao starting Sept. 6, with in-person auditions prioritized. An online submission option is also available for those unable to attend on-site. Full details and registration links can be found on TGA’s social media pages.
