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Historic ASEAN cultural gathering at the CCP
Leading artists and craftspersons from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have assembled in a historic gathering at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) since May 21 for the unprecedented regional collaboration on creative economy and cultural intellectual property rights issues.
All 10 members of the ASEAN are represented in the Manila meeting where 23 artists and craftspersons from the fields of performing arts, furniture-making, bamboo-weaving, sculpture, loom-weaving, beading, traditional Chinese hand puppetry, classical dance, art and design, traditional performance and costume and accessory design, and lacquer-making, have been exchanging ideas on how their individual expertise can intertwine and contribute in improving their crafts and artistic outputs.
Lilian C. Barco, ASEAN focal person at the CCP, said “nurturing, encouraging, and supporting the creative industry is among the strategic measures in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025.” Barco is the ASEAN Small and Medium-sized Cultural Enterprises (SMCEs) Caravan project coordinator.
Ariel S. R. Yonzon, CCP’s associate artistic director for productions and exhibitions, said: “There is a felt lack of appreciation and implementation of intellectual property rights (IPR) guidelines and regulations on SMCEs in the region. This situation exposes the SMCEs artists and craftspersons to intellectual property losses and vulnerability to exploitation.”
Yonzon is also the project director for the ASEAN SMCEs Caravan; which, after its Manila launch, is slated to move across the other nine member-states. Among the aims of the project is to build on the gains at every stop and to adopt the best practices along the way.
A number of ASEAN members have started to address the IPR gaps in the creative economy or cultural enterprise sector in the region.
“This ASEAN SMCEs Caravan, as we call it, is intended to familiarize the region’s artists and craftspersons to current trends and exchanges on what is going on in their respective countries,” Yonzon said.
On Friday afternoon, an expert from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, Aldrin Mendoza, is to share the Philippine experience and situation on IPR issues. Mendoza is expected to discuss also how the Philippine IPR concerns compare with the rest of ASEAN.
“The workshops, lecture forums, and exhibitions during the meeting are all geared toward assisting the participants to map the current status of the SMCEs in the ASEAN region and in their particular countries,” Barco said.
“At the end of the gathering, we look forward to setting up linkages and network specifically to develop a plan of action addressing the SMCEs problems on a regional scale,” Barco said.
Ricardo Eric Cruz, ASEAN SMCEs Caravan workshop director, said: “Interaction is important. Exchange of knowledge is valuable. One has to grow creatively, technically, and productively,” Cruz said.
Cruz cited an example where one participant was interested in “calado” or open draw-work embroidery technique. He said this participant wanted to try and adopt the “calado” in crafting puppet costume.
Cruz said they have requested each member-state to donate an art or craft item for an exhibition that would tour the ASEAN region.
“Since this is the ASEAN Caravan, it is hoped that for every stop of the caravan in all of the 10 members, 100 pieces of art or crafts that are unique to the region can be collected and exhibited. This is among the ultimate goals,” Cruz said.
