Two new shows at Silverlens
SILVERLENS Manila opened two new shows on Aug. 24. They are both on view until Sept. 23. The first is Allan Balisi’s “Among the good wishes.” Mr. Balisi’s works are a series of compositions that dilate a singular action, or a forthcoming gesture captured as it is about to be completed. The paintings depict imminence — a quick breath before bodies topple, the last grunt before the locked gate is forced open. The other exhibit is Jonathan Ching’s “Sitting Room.” Central to Mr. Ching’s latest body of work is the chair as a functional object in space, an index of human relations, and an arbiter of our connection with the world. These paintings, characterized by a furious, coruscating impasto and swirling shifts of the pictorial plane, chairs are structures of leisure — direct invitations to kill time and revive relationships compromised by years-long isolation because of the pandemic. Silverlens Manila is at 2263 Don Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati City and is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
FTG closes season with love monologues
THE FAR Eastern University Theater Guild (FTG) closes its 89th theater season with Tamdula VI: Love-Oratory, a series of eight monologues on love ranging from the romantic and sexual to the intimate and familial. Tamdula VI: Love-Oratory is a laboratory production intended to train the FTG members in acting, stage designing, stage management, marketing, and branding. Play dates are: Aug. 29 to 31, and Sept. 1, 2, 4 to 9 at 6 p.m. at the FEU Center for the Arts Studio, Engineering Bldg., FEU Manila, Nicanor Reyes St., Sampaloc, Manila. Tickets are priced at P100 for the FEU community and P150 for guests. For details, visit the FTG’s social media pages.
UNICEF storybooks for parents and children
UNICEF Philippines has launched special editions of its Children First! Storybooks, which are designed to foster a love of reading among children. The new editions are accompanied by parenting guides to aid the development of vital skills crucial for children’s social and emotional well-being. The Children First! Storybooks 2023 Special Edition is available via subscription starting at P995 per month via https://donate.unicef.ph. Donations through this campaign will help save and improve the lives of the most vulnerable children in the Philippines and worldwide by ensuring they have access to their basic rights in health and nutrition, education, water, sanitation, hygiene, and emergency protection and support. First introduced in 2016, the six Children First! books are written and illustrated by Filipino writers and artists, including UNICEF National Ambassador Anne Curtis. This year, UNICEF Philippines has collaborated with child education specialists Ani Almario and Charla Santiago-Saamong to develop exclusive parenting guides to accompany the Children First! storybooks for the 2023 Special Edition. Almario is the school director and co-founder of The Raya School, a progressive K-12 institution in Quezon City, as well as the vice-president of product development at Adarna House. Santiago-Saamong is a faculty member of the Department of Family Life and Child Development at UP College of Home Economics with 14 years of teaching experience who has worked with government and private institutions on projects related to children and families. Together, they developed guides to aid parents and their children in exploring different aspects of social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL is a process whereby children learn to make decisions responsibly, understand their own emotions, empathize with others, address conflicts, tackle daily challenges, and navigate the world around them. Written in Filipino and English for children aged three and above, the six storybooks cover various life lessons, including overcoming shyness, establishing healthy friendships, and pursuing one’s dreams. They are Anita, the Duckling Diva by Anne Curtis, Ang Sabi Ni Nanay, Ang Sabi Ni Tatay by Sacha Calagopi, Ang Dalawang Haring Siga by Rene O. Villanueva, Ang Bata Sa Basket by Augie Rivera, Nina Wonders, Nina Asks by Marcy Dans Lee, Yaya Niya, Nanay Ko by Ma. Corazon Remigio. Each storybook comes with a parenting guide that delves into an aspect of social and emotional learning relevant to the featured narrative. The storybooks also come with interactive activities and sticker packs. The Children First! Storybooks 2023 Special Edition is available on donate.unicef.ph. Subscribe to receive one book per month for six months, alongside the exclusive parenting guides and activities.