Art Beyond Barriers: Live Art Petition to Stop Human Rights Violations in the Philippines

FREE the 43 health workers! Never Again to Martial Law!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Southern California Never Again to Martial Law Convention, 3:00 PM
Live Art Petition, 5:30 PM

Fernando’s Hideaway
519 S. Spring St (between 5th St and 6th St)
Los Angeles, CA 90013

barrier – a structure that prevents or hinders movement or action

We would like to invite you to share your images, movement, rhythm, and voices to break beyond the barriers and take action to stop human rights violations in the Philippines.

In an ongoing assault on human rights by the Philippine government, 43 health workers were illegally arrested and detained on February 6, 2010 in Morong, Rizal, Philippines. They are still illegally being held at the Philippine Military Camp Capinpin and have endured three weeks of continuous ill treatment and torture in the military camp. This situation is critical. Each day that the 43 health workers are not released, it is one more day they have to endure pain, fear, and torture.

Please join us in the movement to demand freedom through art by participating in this live art petition to demand the immediate release of the 43 health workers, stop human rights violations, and to say Never Again to Martial Law in the Philippines.

The first Art Beyond Barriers live petition will be held after the convening of the “Never Again to Martial Law in the Philippines” Coalition for Southern California.

This project will tour North America. More information will be forthcoming about other cities and countries where the Art Beyond Barriers petition will tour.

About Art Beyond Barriers live art petition:

A coming together of concerned artists, communities, and human rights supporters to create a movement for change through music, voice, dance, images, and words created during the Art Beyond Barriers collaboration.

You don’t need to be an artist to participate and all ages are welcome.

Participation in the live art petition means you support the movement to stop human rights violations in the Philippines, support the call to Free the 43 health workers, and to say Never Again to Martial Law in the Philippines.

Support of this movement is in support of a global movement to uphold and defend human rights.

What to bring with you:

A passion for making art in all forms whether it be through music, song, dance, spoken word, written word, images, and collaborating with other artists and non-artists to create a movement for change.

Art materials, instruments of all kinds (you can be creative and bring found objects; anything that can make a rhythm), movement, voice, poems, and anything you would like to share with others in this experience.

This project is in collaboration with Melissa Roxas, poet, human rights activist, and survivor of abduction and torture in the Philippines; and Habi Arts, an artist collective that promotes political and artistic empowerment to inspire and mobilize people for progressive social change.

Upholding Human Rights, Life and Dignity Arts Exhibit and Open Mic

WEAVING: An Afternoon of Pinay Poetry/Performance/Song/Dance

Join us for an afternoon of poetry, dance, performance and song by eight talented Filipina American women living, working and art-making in Los Angeles. These amazing women will be performing new work/pieces made especially for this showcase. Support their creative efforts and enjoy an afternoon filled with powerful, inspiring and thought provoking art in the Museum’s outdoor patio.

A satellite event of “The (Dis)Embodied Filipina: Fashioning Domesticity, Weaving Desire Exhibition”

Saturday, December 5, 2009, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Pacific Asia Museum Outdoor Patio
46 North Los Robles Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101

Admission: $9 general / $7 students and seniors / free for children 11 and under and for members

Co-sponsored by: Project Pacific Pipeline, UCLA Amerasia Journal’s Women Issue “WHERE WOMEN TELL STORIES”, Kundiman West Coast, and Habi Arts

Curated by: Irene Soriano Brightman

PAMALAK (Poetry and Performance)
Rebecca Baroma
Alfie Ebojo
Melinda Corazon Foley
Melissa Roxas
Stephanie Santos
Minerva Benedicto Vier

KANTA (Song)
Nicole De Jesus
Jenny San Angel

SAYAW (Dance)
Cheryl Samson

Rebecca Baroma is a special education teacher at a middle school but has been incognito for a few. She dabbles in different forms of expression and is currently working on a play which will be read in December at East West Players. She is very happy to be back, up and running.

Alfie Ebojo – bio traveling as we speak.

Canadian Native, Nicole De Jesus, is a singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, and visual artist. Originally trained as a musical theater singer, Nicole has also ventured off in a variety of styles of music, such as rock and pop. When not doing music, she is creating art through painting and drawing, which happens to be Nicole’s first love. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area, where she holds a voice studio for singing lessons known as “Nicole De Jesus Voice Studio”.

Melinda Corazon Foley – writer, performer – novels, screenplays, poetry, webisodes. proudest projects to date: “the ice hotel” for bryan – and “vigilante”.

Melissa Roxas is a poet, writer, and a human rights activist.  She is a survivor of abduction and torture perpetrated by the Philippine military.  This experience strengthens her resolve to continue her human rights work and to continue writing for truth and justice.

Cheryl Samson is a proud member of the Balagtasan Collective, a family of artists and organizers, where she was able to merge her love for artistic expression, community organizing and involvement, as well as truly express her identity as a Filipina American growing up in the Los Angeles area. 5 foot Pinay, a quarter Chinese, she truly loves the life that she was blessed with, the family that defines her and the friends that save her thru and thru. Constantly trying to find balance in her life, she loves to: keep her physical body and creativity stimulated thru dance and yoga; capture stories and moments thru her cameras and writing; listen to people’s life stories thru her day job; keep her mind stimulated by learning other languages and about other cultures; and stay connected spiritually thru daily meditation.

Jenny San Angel has been playing music since she was a band nerd in jr high playing clarinet (one time, in band camp). By day, she’s a Net Admin at USC – by night, she plays drums, guitar, bass, and keyboards for various projects. Her weaknesses? Mac n’ cheese, beer, Japanese food and Rubik’s cubes (not in that order).

Stephanie Santos – bio traveling as we speak.

Minerva Benedicto Vier is a writer-performer from Cebu, Philippines who currently lives in Los Angeles. As an actor, Minerva has performed in various L.A. stage productions for theater companies such as Center Theater Group, Playwrights Arena, Casa 0101, Will & Co., Antaeus Classical Theater and Collage Dance Theater. As a writer, she has penned the plays Stateside Girls, Uterine and Magdalena among others. As a dancer, she has worked with The Second Company of Alvin Ailey and is currently working with Silayan Dance Company (a Philippine contemporary dance company) in Bihag: A Hiphop Tinikling.

Save the Date/Call for Artists and Performers for International Human Rights Day Celebration

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Arts Exhibit Opening Reception, 7:00 PM
Live Performances Begin, 7:45 PM

Fernando’s Hideaway
(during Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk)
519 S Spring St (between 5th St and 6th St)
Los Angeles, CA 90013

In celebration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, we will be launching an arts exhibit.  We’ll be having an opening night reception that will include performances and an open mic session.

The opening night reception will take place during Downtown Los Angeles’ monthly Downtown Art Walk in which shops and galleries, spanning several blocks, open up their space to share their art and culture.

Habi Arts, in cooperation with other community organizations, will be hosting the International Human Rights Day celebration at Fernando’s Hideaway (across the street from the Los Angeles Theater Center) located at 519 South Spring Street (south of the intersection at 5th Street), Los Angeles, CA 90013.

We are looking for the following:

• art pieces to hang for at least a month
• musicians/performers (especially acoustic musicians/performers)
• poets and spoken word artists

If you are interested, please email info@habi-arts.org to obtain more information and specifications for the art pieces.

Human Rights Defender Speaks: An Ecumenical Community Forum With Attorney Rex Fernandez