AS PART of its 46th founding anniversary, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will hold “Performatura 2015, Performing Literatures” on Nov. 6-8 at its various venues. The event is open to the public.
“Performatura,” coined by multi-awarded poet Vim Nadera, combines the terms “performance” and “oratura.” “Oratura” was derived from another term, “orature,” coined by Pio Zirimu, a linguist from the Republic of Uganda, who wanted to put oral literature at par with the written word.
Nadera is the festival director of “Performatura” which forms part of the literary programs of the CCP spearheaded by its Intertextual Division.
Herminio S. Beltran, CCP Intertextual Division chief, said that the primary goal of the three-day event is to define “intertextuality” through the pocket events.
“One of the many definitions of intertextuality is the relationship of the literary text to other texts, and the relationship of writers and readers where the readers or the audience members in this case take primacy,” Beltran said.
Daily Workshops
The three-day event will feature daily workshops on the balagtasan, speech choir and ventriloquism.
There will also be daily Park Poetry performances in the early evenings that will feature poems on love, gender and protest by Gemino Abad, José “Pete” Lacaba and Joey Ayala, respectively, among many other performances.
In addition to the “Hudhud”and the “Darangen” epics, “Performatura” will also feature the “Sugidanon” epic from Panay Island in the form of animation by Liby Limoso.
The University of the Philippines Press will also launch the sequels to Alicia Magos’ studies on “Tikum Kadlum” and “Amburukay,” which will be performed by Federico “Tuohan” Caballero and Teresita “Abyaran” Caballero-Castor. The epics will also be the focal point of the Oral Literatures Art Exhibit.
Foreign artists
The festival will be graced by dance artist Chelsea Ainsworth from New York; baritone Anthony Brown from Pennsylvania; and spoken-word poet Arianna Pozzuoli from Canada.
“The three international artists have all done work in the Philippines previously,” Nadera said. “The participation of our foreign guest artists is in the spirit of intertextuality. We are promoting a global conversation and understanding between and among the text, the text makers [artists], and the audience that unite us as a people.”
Ainsworth, a graduate dancer from Juilliard School, will teach and facilitate a creative-performance workshop on Nov. 6, 9 -11 a.m., at Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining (MKP Hall).
She will perform during the formal opening rite, which starts at 2 p.m. on the same day at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater).
On Nov. 8, Brown will present his tribute piece called “I Go on Singing: Paul Robeson’s Life in His Words and Songs” at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (Experimental Theater), 5:30-7 p.m. Filipino actor Bodjie Pascua is the narrator.
Brown was previously an artist in residence and sociology professor at Hesston College in Kansas.
On the same day, Pozzuoli will conduct a Poetry Slam Workshop for Educators under the Literature Workshop series at Bulwagang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining (MKP Hall), 9-11 a.m. Right after, she will start off the Feature Performances at Tanghalang Huseng Batute, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
To gain entrance to the pocket events, register at www.performatura.com. For more information, call the CCP Intertextual Division at 8321125 locals 1706 and 1707.
