Open Spaces VI: Mithiin

Описание: by Open Spaces (Baguio City)*

Open Spaces VI: Mithiin is a performance art anthology featuring some of Baguio's performing artists. The performances, which feature all original compositions, were filmed on location in various parks and open spaces around Baguio. Aside from the performances, the anthology also takes its audience on a virtual tour of Baguio, sharing the historical and cultural significance of these sites in the process. Of the project, Karlo Altomonte shared the following:

"In 2011, I was asked by then Baguio City Councilor Richard Carino to spearhead the staging of a music festival that would serve as one of the fringe events of the annual Panagbenga, or the Baguio Flower Festival. In collaboration with members of the theater group, Open Space, we brainstormed for a rationale for the event as well as a theme. At the time, Baguio has been under attack from what renowned city planner Daniel Burnham called a century earlier as “energetic lumbermen” with their “misdirected initiatives.” Forests were being cleared for construction projects, concrete buildings were sprouting all over, parks were being fenced, proposals were being forwarded to put up gates at all entry points to Burnham Park and turn the Melvin Jones Grounds into a parking facility. Believing in the performing arts as a powerful tool to bring to the fore relevant issues, we decided on the title, Open Spaces, and to advocate the preservation, enhancement and protection of Baguio’s parks and other natural open spaces.

Open Spaces, with funding mainly coming from the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) through the office of Councilor Carino, was staged annually from 2011 to 2015 when the BFFFI stopped providing funds for the event.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the protocols put in place and enforced by both the national and local governments to mitigate the spread of the virus and keep communities safe have also severely affected the livelihood of Filipinos across all industries. In the art and culture sector of Baguio, the closure of performance spaces along with the ban on social gatherings have deprived local musicians, dancers, theater artists, etc. of a steady source of income. With initial funding from the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, I decided to revive Open Spaces this year, albeit restructured to be responsive to the current circumstances."

This film is made possible by creatives and supporters from the private sector in Baguio City, an exciting collaboration sustained by the solidarity among individuals and networks whose advocacies include saving the remaining open green spaces in a city experiencing rapid urban transformations. Baguio is a creative city and the conservation of its natural and cultural heritage has always been a multi-sectoral effort and should be part of every city's sustainable development goals. The Nayong Pilipino Foundation supports efforts like these.

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