WHO WE ARE? WHAT WE DO? 

 

 

Black Canvas is an open collective of managers, educators, artists and leaders  nurturing multi-arts collaboration and promoting collaborative practices focusing on intersections of mental health, human rights and climate crisis. Based in the Philippines, it has partnered with arts festivals and institutions such as the PETA Theater Center for Imaginarium Festival, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde School of Design and Arts for Fringe Manila, University of the Philippines Vargas Museum for KARNABAL Festival, The Parc Foundation and The Cultural Center of the Philippines for Werk In Progress World Premiere.

 

Black Canvas has created original works such as “I, LABEL” (Sex, Gender, Labels), Aliw-Award Best Duo and Direction Finalist’ KYEMESTRY (Sex, Gender, Relationships, Experiments), “I VALYOU VERY MUCH” (The Pinoy Artista Factor) and WERK IN PROGRESS (Goals, Choices and Interconnectedness of our Human Experiences) featuring actors from all over Philippines. The collective manages Artist Training and Development (Actor's Workout, Spasyo, Bahaginan) and holds projects for its Outreach Program. It has also launched “Who Got Hugot” and "Under the Stars", a multi-arts party presenting performances of emerging and talented young artists from different fields.

 

Black Canvas, in partnership with Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development, has produced Batang Karapat-Dapat (a festival on children’s rights featuring a collaborative storytelling performance with Anino Shadowplay Collective, Daloy Dance Company and Anima Tierra). In partnership with Department of Education and Cultural Center of the Philippines, Black Canvas staged a devised meta-theater piece entitled Climate Changers for a Climate Action project featuring Filipino youth  learners. In 2019, it partnered with PARC Foundation, Pineapple Lab, Mental Health PH, Your Millennial Psychologist and Department of Education for its local and national tour of its well-received production Weight of Words (a devised solo performance on bullying and mental health). Weight of Words also became a finalist for Best Direction, Best Actor and Best Production for Philippine LEAF Awards. For 2021, Black Canvas launched SPASYO, a semi-curated virtual affinity safe space for women, queers, singles and couples around the country. The collective is currently focusing on intercultural, inter-sectoral, interdisciplinary work with special attention to ecological arts, living culture and physical, collaborative and post dramatic practices.

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