Since 1966, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has dedicated itself to promoting the best of Filipino arts and culture. It is here that Filipinos witness performances and artworks from notable local artists.
For more than five decades, the CCP tapped into various platforms for the arts to raise awareness about its discipline. In today’s world, where people are transitioning to a digital lifestyle, the CCP adopted new methods to entice digitally-inclined individuals to promote Filipino art or hone their skills.
This 2022, the CCP Board of Trustees, with Maria Margarita Moran-Floirendo as the chairperson, developed two initiatives to train the spotlight on Filipino culture and creativity in the digital space.
Moises Benedict Carandang, a Presidential Appointee to the Board of Trustees of the CCP, presented these two initiatives during the 2022 CCP Institutional Press Conference.
He shared that the CCP plans to release a 10-minute short film revolving around the favorite Filipino anthology Mga Kwento Ni Lola Basyang, a compilation of short stories written by Severino Reyes that highlight the significance of Filipino values.
Aside from paying homage to the anthology, the short film will also boast a Filipino art style. Although the concept of art is still in development, Carandang explained that just like how people think of Disney when it comes to Western art or anime when it comes to Japanese art, the art style for Mga Kwento Ni Lola Basyang uses intricate patterns and colorful palettes.
The 10-minute animated film will expose the younger generation to a staple in Filipino culture while catering to their appreciation for modern technology.
Meanwhile, while digital art is becoming a widely known and accepted art medium, the CCP also has an initiative that offers grants for animation, comics, and computer games to inspire digital artists to pursue their dreams and share their talent with their fellow Filipinos.
Winners can win up to P1.5 million for computer games, P2 million for animation, and P330,000 for comics from these grants. However, the submission periods already ended last April 26 and May 5.
Digital initiatives aren’t the only projects the CCP is keeping busy with. Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival returns for another year to champion regional films and delight film enthusiasts across the country.
Compared to the past two years, when the festival limited itself to showing only short films, the CCP’s Vice President and Artistic Director Chris B. Millado said Cinemalaya accepted longer feature films to premiere this August.
By September, during CCP’s anniversary, the public can expect the production of CCP Gala: Musikal!
Other festivals from the CCP include Virgin Labfest 2022 and the National Music Competition for Young Artists.
Despite the pandemic, the CCP overcame its threat by transitioning to an online space and leveraging the power of digital art in meeting its goal of promoting and preserving Filipino arts and culture. As the CCP reopens its doors to the public once again, its Board of Trustees is making sure that they continue to raise interest in local arts and culture while honing the talents of emerging artists.
Photo by Teddy Pelaez