Mga Kuwentong Karapat Dapat | This is How You Communicate Children’s Rights

On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development (CANVAS) led by its founder and executive director Gigo Alampay co-presented a four-day mini festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) featuring exciting activities centered on educating children about their rights.

BATANG KARAPAT-DAPAT

The whole event was inspired by the book “Karapat-Dapat” written by May Tobias-Papa with artworks by Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, and published in 2018 by CANVAS and Ang INK. The book depicts the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child in a way that children can understand. It includes activities such as coloring and drawing pages, mazes and puzzles. It is a must-have for all children 17 years old and below.

The festival opened last November 20 with a short program held at the Main Theater Lobby of CCP attended by mostly children who are students from public elementary schools in Manila and CAMANAVA, as well as children orphaned by the war on drugs and other program beneficiaries.

Joining the guests during the inaugural program of Batang Karapat Dapat are three members of the cast of Team Yey – Yesha Camile, JM Canlas and Xia Vigor – who performed a dance number, accommodated selfies, signed books, and shared words of wisdom on how to be “the best every day in your own way”.

The highlight of the mini festival however was a storytelling collaboration performance held at Tanghalang Huseng Batute entitled “Mga Kuwentong Karapat-Dapat” which combined three CANVAS-published books – Tahan Na Tahanan, Nadia and the Blue Stars and Inang Kalikasan’s Bad Hair Day.

Led by master storyteller and thespian Abner Delina Jr. of BLACK CANVAS also known as Kuya Fidel in the Season 2 of the popular children’s television show Batibot.

As Kuya Fidel tells the story of the three popular CANVAS books he’s joined by three other groups of artists who brought the pages to life by way of song, dance and shadows.

Anino Shadowplay Collective made a very touching interpretation of Tahan Na Tahanan, Daloy Dance Company on the other hand communicated the remarkable message of hope amidst war and disasters in Nadia and the Blue Stars. A fitting finale to the outstanding story play presentation is the funny and yet very inspiring story of Inang Kalikasan’s Bad Hair Day conveyed via the enchanting music and songs of Anima Tierra.

WATCH THE PREVIEW OF THE PRESENTATIONS HERE:

ALSO ON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/PROJECTMOTIONRAIN

For the duration of the four-day mini festival, various activities ran at different areas of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). The CCP Arts Education’s Batang Sining, Sining Alamin, and Ang INK conducted dance, art, theater, and music workshops for children. The kids also learned about their rights as children – to play, to learn, to be healthy, to grow, and be nurtured in a safe environment and many more, from the Karapat-Dapat multi-arts workshops. CANVAS also gave away 250 books daily.

BATANG KARAPAT DAPAT was made possible through the support of UBS and Direct Aid Program (DAP) of the Australian Embassy of the Philippines, Save the Children Philippines, and The Araneta Foundation.

To learn more about the book, “Karapat-Dapat” and other activities of CANVAS, visit www.canvas.ph.