03 February 2015 - Filipino visual artist Alwin Reamillo recently collaborated with the Urban Theatre Projects on a community presentation of his work-in-progress, the “Bankstown Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House” for the “Bankstown:Live” Festival held at Northam Avenue in Bankstown City, New South Wales (NSW), Australia from January 22 to 25. The Festival is part of the Sydney Festival 2015.
Mr. Reamillo was among nine Australian and international artists who were featured at the “Bankstown:Live” Festival. Prior to the launch of the “Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House” on January 22, Mr. Reamillo met with Consul Marford Angeles, Cultural Officer Rachel Calisin and several Filipino community leaders and volunteers on January 17 to discuss the project, to test and lift the house, and to come up with a ‘bayanihan’ plan on mobilizing community volunteers to lift the house for each of the four days of the “Bankstown:Live” Festival.
Mr. Reamillo’s concept of the “Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House” is a house that is unfinished, which, he said, reminded him of the plight of light-structured houses affected by the typhoons in the Philippines. In describing his work, he said: “The damage that Typhoon Haiyan left last year triggered a mass action of volunteers, putting in action the much-valued practice of bayanihan, or community action, not only within the local community of Tacloban but also creating links with thousands of volunteer groups from all over the country and overseas.” He added that the “Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House” is an ongoing collaboration with the Urban Theatre Projects to explore whether this community action can be creatively translated and expanded within the community of Bankstown. He invited members of the Filipino and the wider community to add to the mobiles and wind chimes that were created and attached to the house by community members of various ages. He said that this is part of the participatory ‘social sculptures’ that he undertakes.
Urban Theatre Projects aim to take work out of the theatre and into the community, engaging people from the neighbourhood and, in the process, re-imagining what theatre can be. According to “Bankstown:Live” Curator Rosie Dennis, local residents of Northam Avenue, Bankstown, offered their front and backyards as venues for presentations, including a film, photographs, dances, songs, poems, and other performances. Artists, residents and guests mingled and enjoyed the performances while interacting about the arts and various everyday concerns of the community.
The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney assisted Mr. Reamillo in informing and encouraging the members of the Filipino community to participate in the project. Among those who participated in the project were members of the Philippine Community Council (PCC) of NSW and its affiliates, the Alliance of Philippine Community Organizations (APCO), Filipino Press (Filpress) Sydney, the Order of the Knights of Rizal-Sydney Chapter, and the Philippine National Rugby League (PNRL).
Mr. Reamillo told Philippine Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis that he looked forward to future collaborations on re-mounting the project for other community cultural events. END