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By Rome Jorge Lifestyle, Editor
SUMMER workshops do more than
give youths something to do between school years and theater, music,
dance companies something to earn between theater seasons. Enrolling
in a course may lead you to discover talents worth seriously
pursuing. And for the art guilds, academic institutions and museums
conducting these workshops, it may lead them to discover talents
worth taking in.
Art workshops can change your
life. I attest; I am an editor now because I entered a workshop on
short story writing years ago. The same type of story repeats itself
in the lives of many dancers, painters, actors and musicians. It’s
not just novices who can benefit from workshops. Artists can hone
their skills in related fields. An actor can take a dance course by
Ballet Philippines at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
or workshop in stage design at Philippine Educational Theater
Association (PETA). A ballerina can learn hip-hop dance from Thate
Martir of Airdance at EGI Albergo di Ferroca Hotel in Baguio.
Audience and patrons can also learn simply to further their
appreciation for the craft.
This summer offers a bounty of
workshops for the artist in all of us. Choosing which workshop to
take, however, can be a daunting task and a costly mistake.
When selecting which workshop,
look out for who is teaching the course. Big names such as beloved
former CCP artistic director Fernando “Nanding” Josef and ace
lighting designer Jonjon Villareal for PETA, soprano Ana Feleo for
Philippine Opera Company, award-winning actor Roeder Camañag of
Gantimpala Theater and versatile theater/film director Dennis
Marasigan for Tanghalang Pilipino lend their credibility to their
programs. The renown of such institutions as Airdance and Ballet
Philippines are assurance enough.
It is important to assess if the
objectives of the workshop are achievable. Count the number of
sessions. Can you really learn how to write in just five afternoons
or master dancing in a month? A rigorous syllabus with a clear
timetable means the course is more than a summer time waster or a
wallet drainer.
Know what you—or the one you
plan to enroll—want. Courses such as manga [Japanese comic book]
illustration and papier-mâché at the Metropolitan Museum offer
tantalizing skills that may pique the interests of your children
more than the usual water color painting class.
Look at the fine print. If
materials or meals are included, find out the quality of these.
You’re better off buying your own than eating Styrofoam-packed
meals and using cheap plastic brushes. If the course requires you to
come up with your own equipment, factor these as well into your
budget. Though courses that include in its package trips to the
field such as those in certain photography classes may seem
enticing, remember: you are there to learn and vacations are
something you can do on your own sweet time.
Time is ever precious. Don’t
waste the summer idle and artless. Enroll in a workshop now.
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