The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UPCWGS), together with the Youth, Adult Survivors and Kin in Need (YAKIN), the Art Ventures and Advocacy Network (ART VAN), and the Office of the Vice Mayor of Quezon City, launched the discussion series, “Conversations through Art: Tapping Various Creative Modalities for Intervention, Growth, and Transformation,” on 27 June 2019 at the QCX: Quezon City Experience, Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City.
The first session of the series, Storytelling and Literary Expression in Healing from Sexual Abuse, featured a book reading of “Survivors: Breaking the Silence on Child Sexual Abuse” by Eirliani Abdul Rahman of YAKIN and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation US. Other storytellers were Dr. Conchitina “Chingbee” R. Cruz of the Department of English and Comparative Literature (DECL), College of Arts and Letters (CAL), UP Diliman; Prof. Marie Rose “Yot” H. Morales of the Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), UP Diliman; and Prof. Ernyros “Amos” V. Manlangit of the Department of Art Theory, College of Fine Arts (CFA), UP Diliman. A creative intermission was performed by Prof. Sabrina Laya S. Gacad of the Department of Women and Development Studies (DWDS), College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), UP Diliman.
Conversations through Art is an initiative by artists, advocacy builders, social workers, and those in the helping professions to collectively promote arts for social change. Envisioned as a series wherein various creative modalities are highlighted in each session, the invited resource speakers will be individuals from different parts of the world who are making contributions to the establishment of the expressive arts practice or use specific creative modalities for personal-professional, community, and sectoral development.
