NWU, Saguday, and NCCA mount online arts seminar
Northwestern University’s Saguday Performing Arts Group, under the Office of the Student Affairs, in partnership with the National Commision for Culture and the Arts, conducted a webinar series titled “NWU: Overcoming Boundaries, Keeping the Arts in the New Normal” on August 20, 27, and September 3, 2021 via Zoom.
The first episode of the webinar talked about the fundamentals of filmmaking with film director Vince Ricafrente. Direk Vince is a multimedia artist, a theater actor, production manager, writer, director, regional filmmaker and also a film instructor in Nueva Ecija and Camarines Norte. He concluded his talk with bright ideas on how to produce an award-winning film, and also gave tips for students who wanted to pursue a career in the film industry, “Itong pagkakataon na ito ay isa sa mga way ninyo para paano kayo nagsisimula sa paggawa ng inyong pelikula, para na rin ako ay makakatulong at mabigyan ng pagkakataon at tips or guideline para kayo ay makapag simula,” Direk Vince said.
The second episode of the webinar was entitled “Conservation of Indigenous People’s Culture,” with Dr. Edwin V. Antonio, Founder & CEO of Katutubo Exchange Philippines (KXPH), a volunteer cultural organization that promotes indigenous cultural heritage that organizes the annual Katutubo Exchange Program for indigenous youth of the country. He is also the head of the National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities Secretariat and is the assistant director of the Laoag Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Center in Laoag City. He discussed how we should love our culture and bring back our old Filipino culture; he also emphasized the importance, conservation, and protection of our indigenous culture for the future, and encouraged the younger generations to take preservation actions with regard to indigenous issues and our local culture. He also reminded students how rich our culture is: “Kahit na mapunta ka sa isang lugar, sa abroad man siguro, dala dala mo pa din yung identity mo as a Filipino. We will always be forever a Filipino,” he remarked.
“In times of crisis we need culture, to make us resilient and to give us hope and to remind us that we are not alone with the millions of people, either online or in the frontlines battling Covid 19 pandemic,” Prof. Liza Nicolas, NWU’s Executive Vice President, said in her message for the third day of the webinar series. “Culture and the arts have the power to unite and connect us. We have seen the powers of the arts bring people together, inspiring us to our emotions and sharing our deepest feelings and in these times, people are in need of engagement with one another through making music, listening, dance, poetry, painting and others.”
The third episode of the webinar focused on the basics of Chorale Singing with Mr. Mark Anthony Carpio, a faculty member of the Conducting and Choral Ensemble Department of the University of the Philippines, College of Music. In 2001, he was selected to succeed the founder of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Andrea O. Veneracion. In his assigned episode, he gave tips on how to improve voice and breathing practices, and gave online singing exercises and examples. He also added how Filipinos are fond of singing and joining contests. “We Filipinos are known for our extraordinary singing skills. After this session, you all would like to join a choir, don’t let anything stop you from doing music. Just do your music,” he said.
Students and faculty from different schools nationwide were able to join the webinar series. “Despite the pandemic, we find ways to make our arts programs exciting,” NWU Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jonathan Paguirigan said.
