Art 2 Art marks 5th year with Singapore specials

MANILA, Philippines - Art 2 Art is celebrating five years of Usapang sining at kultura para sa lahat (Art and culture discussion for all) this month with its Singapore specials.

For the first time, the art and culture program has ventured overseas to showcase three Filipino artists who continue to make their mark abroad, as well as a foreign dance group which has partnered with the Philippines’ own Ballet Manila.

“We are very happy to have reached this milestone, so we decided to bring Art 2 Art to Singapore which is quite well-known for being active in promoting arts and culture,” says host Lisa Macuja, Ballet Manila artistic director.

The four-part Singapore series is also a thanksgiving for the show’s victories in the past year, including its second KBP Golden Dove Award and its second Gawad Tanglaw citation as Best Educational Radio Program.

Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, Art 2 Art is aired nationwide Sundays at 3:30 p.m. on DZRH. It can also be viewed simultaneously on cable television via RHTV on Cablelink and other cable providers and on the Internet via DZRH Live Streaming.

On June 10, concert pianist Albert Tiu shares his journey from his hometown Cebu to his education at the Philippine High School in Makiling and later on at the Juilliard School in New York, and then on to his current post as associate professor at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore.

Author Tara FT Sering recalls the first stories she wrote growing up in Surigao, and her experiences as a freelance newspaper and magazine writer before becoming a best-selling author of novels under the “chick lit” genre on June 17. Sering is one of three Filipina authors who have had best-selling short novels in Singapore and Malaysia.

On June 24, Singapore Dance Theatre artistic director Janek Schergen exchanges notes with Macuja about the collaborations between SDT and Ballet Manila. Schergen also talks about SDT’s initiatives such as its Arts Education Programme and Dance Appreciation Series which have helped them raise awareness about ballet in Singapore.

For details, e-mail at [email protected]. On Facebook, check out the account Ballerina ng Bayan for updates on Art 2 Art episodes and Ballet Manila performances.