Ahead of Independence Day, a weekend of art and culture at BGC Loves Local

Two buildings in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) stand out from the rest of this central business district’s skyscrapers not only because of their out-of-the-box architecture, but also because they house and nourish the area’s minds (The Mind Museum), and soul (BGC Arts Center in the developing culture and art district).

The latter, at just seven months old, is located along the 26th Street and is composed of a performing arts theater, a central plaza, and an amphitheater where various mediums and forms of art can be performed by up-and-coming local artists.

The Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. recently previewed to select media members performances that are part of the Ultimate Indie Weekend happening on Independence Day weekend at the BGC Arts Center.

“BGC Loves Local”, the second edition of the BGC Arts Festival, is happening on June 10-11, 2017: a mixture of plays (My Name is Asher Lev by Twin Bill Productions, Naameng Ak Gamin! by  Dulaang Elyu), dance performances (Philippine Street Dance Community), children’s theater and adaptations (Cinderella by Kids Act), improv (Indi’Sarswela by Spit and Mapaglarong Isip at Salita by Third World Improv), and art exhibits and installation (Totem by Venus Mar).

Two performances highlight the first day of the festival: the Ilokano one-act tale Naameng Ak Gami (Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall) is a fantasy love story that talks about why Ilocanos are stingy (kuripot) and why being stingy is actually a good thing; and My Name is Asher Lev (Globe Auditorium), which follows the journey of a young Jewish painter torn between faith and art.

Note-worthy performances on June 11 include Passages by Dance Artists in Flight and Independent by Stages Sessions, both happening at the Globe Auditorium, and Biyahe by Yugto Theater and Word of Mouth by Hulma Collab over at the Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall.

Checking at the prices online, the Philippine Opera Company’s Harana, A Cultural Journey is the only one with ticket prices above P1,000 (P1,800 for Zone 1, P1,500 for Zone 2, P1,200 for Zone 3, and P1,000 for Zone 4), so watching a performance or two would not make a very serious dent to anyone’s wallet. It would be nice though is there was a watch-all-you-can pass that gives buyers access to all shows for a reasonable price.

More schedule information can be found on the BGC Arts Center Facebook page, while tickets for the shows can be bought on www.ticketworld.com.ph. — BM, GMA News