Our project ka/SAYSAY/an takes from the Filipino words saysay, sense and kasaysayan, history. Building on our community needs assessment in the Filipinas of HamOnt initiative, we bring ka/SAYSAYAN/ to inform, support, and connect generations of Filipina-Canadians in Hamilton to a sense of history. We hope to gather resources, ignite understanding, and co-produce history as we make sense of our "hyphenated" stories and spaces within broader histories and contexts of our shared Philippine, Southeast Asian, and Canadian heritage.
The FREE ka/saysay/an workshop series is funded by the Hamilton Community Foundation and fiscally-sponsored by the YWCA Hamilton, presented to you by the Filipinas of HamOnt
Knowing oneself requires knowing one's history.
Do you have a 10 to 14-year-old who loves to know about Philippine history? Who would like to express their learning through filmmaking? Do you trace your lineage from the Philippines? Are you living in Hamilton, ON?
Register your child to join the Filipinas of HamOnt for 3 evenings of Sari-Saring Ka/saysay/an: a history + filmmaking workshop via Zoom on May 29, June 4, and Jun 5. We have invited speakers who will talk about an aspect of Philippine history and culture: the idea of the sari-sari, which translates to diversity or multiple choices and apply it to filmmaking. We hear it in the song Bahay Kubo, where “ang halaman doon ay sari-sari”. And on any street in the Philippines, who has not seen the sari-sari store or bought something from one?
The sari-sari is an important historical, economic, and cultural icon in the Philippines. It is both a community space and a livelihood source for millions of households all over the Philippines. But there is a higher meaning to sari-sari; it means diversity and inclusion. Using the sari-sari as the guiding idea, we let the participants' imagination run free, through a history-telling process to be facilitated by Hamilton-born and raised storyteller, classically-trained actress, and PorchLight Theater Hamilton Co-Founder, Karen Ancheta.
Participants will also learn storyboarding, filming, directing and editing/post-production facilitated by tv production executive and kids' show actor, Sheilla Diamse and film and television major, Vanessa Solivio who won second place in the animation category for her work Caladenia Melanoma of the 2019 Forest City Youth Film Festival.
Using the idea of the sari-sari, participants will be creating their film projects throughout the three sessions. The workshop invites the participants to focus on developing and enjoying their film, reflecting on their emergent knowledge of Philippine history and the pride of their heritage's richness and diversity.
At the end of the workshop, the participants' films will be aired on YouTube in time for June 12, 2021, the Philippines' Araw ng Kasarinlan (Independence Day). This workshop is open to 10-14 years old in the Philippine-Hamiltonian community. The workshop is limited to 20 participants, with 12 guaranteed spots for girls.
You may want to refer to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario for more information about your child’s privacy rights here.
ka/saysay/an workshop 2: Facilitators
KAREN ANCHETA
Karen Ancheta thrilled to be workshopping with Filipinas of HamOnt. She was born in Hamilton ON and has roots in Caloocan and Laoag City. Karen enjoys working as actor/storyteller/director/mentor/entrepreneur. Karen is co-founder of Porch Light Theatre -supporting Youth, Emerging and Professional Theatre Artists/Storytellers finding ways to amplify voices of marginalized theatre artists.
Karen is a founding member of The Hamilton 7 Storytelling Collective. Recently she collaborated with Kwentong Bayan/Care Workers Connections Education and Support Organization/Myseum Toronto as a storyteller facilitator on a project called Here and There.
Currently she is working on a 2nd year of an initiative called The Garden Project to support Indigenous, Black, racialized artists in the Greater Hamilton Area.
She looks forwards to working on The House Key Project: Tin Can Telephone for 2021 Hamilton Fringe, Conversations Around The Table with Open Heart, Decolonise Your Ears Festival with Red Betty and The Fertility Monologues with Light Echo.
Karen’s directing credits: IN THE SHADOW OF ELEPHANTS (Carlos Bulosan Theatre); Selected onstage credits: Ligaya in HILOT MEANS HEALER (Cahoots); Isa in THROUGH THE BAMBOO (Uwi Collective/ Toronto Fringe 2019; Maria in SINGKIL (fu-GEN Theatre); Thaisa in PERICLES, TAMING OF THE SHREW (Stratford Festival); writing credits include: Precious in FUTURE FOLK (Sulong/Passe Muraille);
SHEILLA DIAMSE
A writer, a news producer, and a storyteller, Sheilla has been in the broadcast industry for 16 years. She started as a segment producer, and worked her way up to be Executive Producer of media giant, ABS-CBN's late night newscast Bandila. She was also Producer of the Philippine's longest-running news program and ABS-CBN's primetime newscast, TV Patrol before it was shut down in May, after Congress denied its franchise renewal. She attended University of the Philippines Manila and graduated cum laude with a degree in Political Science.
At the height of the pandemic last year, she "Tulong Quaranteam" with her officemates to raise funds, mobilize resouces, and solicit donations in kind, which were distributed to families most affected by the lockdown. Also a regular cast of the 1990s Philippine multi-awarded children's show ATBP (Awit, Titik, at Bilang Pambata/Song, Alphabet, and Numbers for Kids), Sheilla has experienced different stages of video production - from being in front, and behind the camera. She is currently the News Director of DZUP Balita, University of the Philippines' radio station, and producer of "Woman in Action", a public service-oriented program hosted by Gretchen Ho that is scheduled to air on Cignal TV in April.
VANESSA SOLIVIO
Vanessa was born and raised in London, Ontario to a pair of Filipino immigrants. She graduated from Mother Teresa's French Immersion program in 2017. After high school she enrolled in H.B. Beal's BealArt Visual Arts Specials program graduating in 2019.
She is currently in her third year at Sheridan College studying Film and Television. Outside of school, she enjoys drawing, painting, cooking and baking.