Ayala Museum holds talk on ancestral home book
THE Ayala Museum will be hosting a book talk with Gina Consing McAdam about the book Houses that Sugar Built: An Intimate Portrait of Philippine Ancestral Homes which features award-winning images by Siobhán Doran. It will be held on Jan. 25 (Saturday) from 2-4 p.m. In the book, London-based writer Gina Consing McAdam explored the sense of home and identity manifested by the grand domestic architecture and interiors built by the sugar planters of Iloilo, Negros, and Pampanga during the sugar industry’s peak in the early 20th century. Drawing on the narratives shared by their owners and heirs and her own family history, McAdam will delve into how these homes, blending Art Deco, Neoclassical, and Modernist styles, served as expressions of personal, cultural and economic aspirations. The event will also showcase a selection of her co-author Siobhán Doran’s photographs from the book, including the “Sala Mayor” series that won first prize in the Professional Architecture & Design category of the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards. Limited slots to the talk are available. Tickets are P300 (regular price), with discounts for Seniors, PWDs, students, Ayala Group employees, Museum and Library members, and cultural workers with valid IDs. The ticket includes free one-day access to Filipinas Heritage Library valid until Feb. 25. Interested parties may register now: https://bit.ly/fhl-ginamcadam.
Into the Woods, A Chorus Line staged in the Philippines
THE producers of the wordless play Request sa Radyo which saw success in the Philippines last year have formed Theatre Group Asia and are set to stage several musicals soon. Clint Ramos and co-producers John and Joanna Echauz, together with venue host Samsung Performing Arts Theater, represented by its executive director Christopher Mohnani, have announced that they are bringing in two iconic musicals: Into The Woods and A Chorus Line. The former will be staged in August while the latter will be staged in March 2026. More details will be revealed soon.
Pinoy artists to show at Singapore’s Gajah Gallery
GAJAH Gallery will be presenting two exhibits this January — one at their Singapore space and another at the Art SG 2025 fair — both opening on Jan. 17. On their home turf, the exhibit Big Bang: A Myth of Origins features works by Agnes Arellano, I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih, Jane Lee, Jitish Kallat, Jose John Santos III, Mahalakshmi Kannappan, Mark Justiniani, Miguel Aquilizan, Prajakta Potnis, Pam Yan-Santos, Susie Lingham, and Yunizar. The show delves into the mysteries of beginnings, beings, and becoming. Meanwhile, artists from Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines will be the focus in the gallery’s booth at Art SG, offering visitors perspectives on materiality and urban life. Participating artists include Jemana Murti, Marina Cruz, Mark Justiniani, and Yunizar, alongside pieces by Philippine National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera.
Iligan’s IPAG reveals lineup
MINDANAO State University’s Integrated Performing Arts Guild in Iligan City has unveiled its calendar of productions for 2025. The first production is Sita: The Ramayana Revisited, a Philippine version of the classic Sanskrit epic which will have national and international tours. There is also the play MarLen and the dance-theater productions Tales from Mindanao and Tatlo sa Isa, also set to tour this year. For National Literature Month in April, the guild will be staging the poetry-theater production sugaTula.
CCP’s Pasinaya expands program nationwide
THE Philippines’ largest multi-arts event, the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Pasinaya Open House Festival, returns this year with performances to be held nationwide. The 19th edition of the festival will take place on Feb. 1 and 2 at various venues around the country under the theme “CCP Pasinaya 2025 Open House Festival: Para sa Lahat!” Its regional partner sites include Clark in Pampanga, Batangas Province, Himamaylan in Negros Occidental, and Sorsogon City in Bicol. Pasinaya will also return to Tagum City in Davao del Norte and Iloilo City. In Metro Manila, the festival will unfold across multiple venues such as Circuit Makati, The Metropolitan Theater, Intramuros, Aliw Theater, and various partner museums and galleries. More details will be announced soon.