Arts

March 1, 2925 – What does it mean to belong?

February 1, 2025 — John Oliver Secondary, the Vancouver high school with the highest number of Filipino students at 40 percent of its student body, is currently displaying 12 colourful Philippine murals in its hallways that students now call “corridors of joy.” 

February 1, 2025 — The Philippine Consulate in Vancouver is proud to host an exhibition of paintings by acclaimed artist Charlie Frenal. The exhibition opened on January 13 and will be on display until June of this year. It offers visitors a glimpse into Frenal's vibrant artistry and dedication to Filipino heritage.

February 1, 2025 - A new play by Canadian Filipino Abi Padilla promises a fun ride through what would usually be a sombre reminder of World War II. Called Grandma.Gangsta.Guerrilla., the play brings two young protagonists in search of their grandma Lola Basyang who has gone missing from her care home. In their journey, Nika and Jun-jun discover their grandma’s own history and stories of their homeland. 

January 16, 2025 - Lasa ng Imperyo, a Filipino adaptation of Jovanni Sy’s critically-acclaimed play A Taste of Empire, lands at Vancouver’s The Nest on Granville Island as part of PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and Boca del Lupo’s Micro-Performance Series. The play will run from January 30 to February 8.

January 16, 2025 — Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), in partnership with FilipinoBC, features a series of Lino Brocka’s films at the VIFF Centre movie theatre from January 10th to the 16th to spotlight the 4K restoration of the film “Bona”, which was thought lost in a fire.

January 1, 2025 — In 1989, Edgardo Lantin, a gifted portrait artist from Vancouver, presented former Philippine President Corazon Aquino with a portrait of herself on behalf of the Canadian Filipino community.

January 1, 2025 - For two evenings on November 30 and December 1, 2024, residents of Victoria, BC, were treated to Paghimugso, (meaning “birth”) a one and a half hour display of Filipino song, dance and talent, coinciding with ceremonies marking the 75^th year of Philippine Canadian diplomatic relations.

December 1, 2024 — Audiences in Victoria were treated in October 2024 to Im:print, a multidisciplinary show produced by the Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) embodying the experiences of participating artists of immigration, displacement, belonging and identity. 

October 16, 2024 - Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio’s debut novel Reuniting with Strangers is one of only five finalists in this year’s Toronto Book Awards.