CCP Presents Three–Day Performance Literature Festival

The Cultural Center of the Philippines, through the CCP Intertextual Division, will mount the Performatura 2017: Performance Literature Festival on March 31 to April 2 at its venues.

The festival features poetry readings, cultural performances, film showings, marathon readings, book fair, and interviews with renowned artists and writers from 9 am to 9 pm. Entrance to the festival is free, but the audiences are encouraged to donate a book as a price for admission. Each donation will go to the CCP’s partner libraries. Mr. Vim Nadera is the festival director. The event is open to the public.

Performatura 2017 is a performance literature festival celebrating the intersections of the written word and performance. The word Performatura is a mash up of the word performance and orature or oral literature. Orature is a term coined by Ugandan linguist Pio Zirimu who wanted to raise oral literature to the level of written literature.

The festival theme is “Sa Loob at Labas ng Bayan Kong Sawi” (Within and Without My Sorrowful Country), a direct quotation from Florante at Laura, the masterpiece of Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar. Balagtas’ spirit likewise animates Performatura as various artists give live to his body of work.

National Artist Virgilio Almario, a.k.a. Rio Alma, will speak on the opening ceremonies at 9:00 am on March 31 in the CCP Little Theater. Ms. Nora Aunor will give lucky fans and attendees an intimate look into her practice as an actress on the same day at the MKP Hall of the CCP Main Building at 2:00 pm.

National Artist F. Sionil Jose will grace the opening show April 1 at 9:00 am at the CCP Promenade. Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Panitikan Dr. Leoncio Deriada will talk on the practice of poetry on the same day. Mr. Ricky Lee will talk about his craft as a scriptwriter in a separate cafe session on April 2.

Filmmakers Sari Dalena, Giancarlo Abrahan, and Jim Libiran will talk about the art of writing and the art of making films during the Peliteratura segments. On April 2 at 7:00 am in the Balagtas Shrine in Pandacan, Manila, National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, CCP officials, and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino Director General Roberto Añonuevo will head a wreath-laying ceremony with some performances.

For details, check the CCP Intertextual Division Facebook page or contact Markus Aserit at ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com, 832-1125 loc. 1707, 551-5959 or 0919-3175708.