This DAVAO LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL is envisioned as an effective and efficient vehicle to advance our positive advocacies towards conserving nature as well as for respect and protection of life. Likewise, it shall affirm the social significance and intrinsic value of art to rally the massive engagements of all stakeholders towards sustainable living.

The over-all implementing methodology of the project is participatory with the end view of generating massive community involvement as described in the following Festival Components.

A. Concerts

The Davao Living Arts Festival, as a fitting celebration of the “Ocean’s Month” convenes more than 1000 performing artists coming from various disciplines --- dance, music, theatre and performance arts --- and who, together with the Davao audiences, celebrate their creative works as homage to nature. Once again, the innovative showcases shall substantiate how “arts revive the spirit of creative and caring communities in pursuit of Sustainable Development and Ecological Conservation”.

Daily concerts shall be held at the Davao City People’s Park from 5:00 in the afternoon and beyond starting from May 18 up to May 23. While at the Matina Town Square, evening music concerts are lined up from May 18 to 23 featuring top-rated and award-winning musicians from all over the county, representing the various genre of Pinoy and World Music.

The daily performance concerts shall build-up into the collaborative performance showcases during Festival Finale Concert at Davao City People’s Park on May 23 at 5:00 to 8:00 in the evening.

B. Conferences and Workshops

The project organizers found it imperative to convene series of conferences and symposia that shall locate and affirm the concrete contributions of the arts and culture sector in the overall human strategy for building a culture of peace and for fostering sustainable development. At the same time, a Stakeholders Forum on Davao Gulf shall be convened to assess the current ecological sensitivity index of the Gulf waters as well as to re-affirm their commitment for the conservation of the marine ecosystem. Among others, the conferences and workshops includes:

• May 21 - Forum on Ecological Sensitivity of Davao Gulf at the SM City Mall of Davao
• May 22 - Advancing the Culture and Arts Agenda: Cultural Workers and Local Legislators Forum
• May 20 to 21 – Music Artists Interaction at Matina Town Square

C. Community Art: Celebrating Nature and Life

The Punta-Pawikan project recognizes and affirms the significant “role of our creative diversity” as an engine for growth, as celebration of life and as an effective vehicle for change towards sustainable development. The Project advances our engagements for nurturing nature, most specially the oceans that bring us together.

In the urban barangay of Matina Aplaya, some 36 hectares of land comprising the shoreline of mangrove forest, seawaters and inland land mass, has been declared a Protected Area -- as nesting site of the endangered marine turtle specie --- the Pawikan. The informed participation and involvement of the community folks for the successful maintenance and conservation of the Marine Turtle Sanctuary is indeed vital. Thus, the heightened awareness of the people on the significance of conserving the diversity of marine life and the protection of endangered species is crucial, as exhibited by the community residents and local officials.

The Punta-Pawikan Community Art Project rakes the participation of children and youth in the community, as the project translates their collective consciousness into living artistic symbols --- so that they can always be reminded of their positive community actions focused on the survival of endangered species.

Together with a core of visual artists children and youth of the community shall be engaged in creative production of songs, visual arts and crafts that are focused on the Pawikan, as a significant icon of life.

Thus, on May 22, the community of Punta Dumalag shall host visitors from other communities as they shall present to the public the creative works of their youth and children. The event is in line with the envisioned outcomes of the Living Arts Festival --- mobilization of all stakeholders in the employment of arts and creative activities for awareness-raising and commitment-building towards nurturing the environment and fostering sustainable living. ”

D. Visual Arts Exhibitions: “A Piece for Peace”

“Piece of Peace” suggests a process, an attempt to understand a message. The piece refers to the artist contribution. The piece of art is the participation and offering of the artist for peace. The concept entails interactive art to call a perfect moment of reflection. The art making and the exhibit is an interaction of artists on peace process.  It appeals for a response, a request, a point of inquiry, a point of convergence, and a point where one has to share his/her part. It calls for participation. It adheres a moment of reflection on Peace, our attitude and responsibility towards nature.

The peace concept of each participating artists are based on their personal experiences/insights/ perspective in their relation to their relationship to nature. The back-to-back visual arts exhibits and corresponding venues are:

1) Nature E-collabor(art) @ Holy Cross of Davao Museum

2) “Environs” @ Museo Dabawenyo

On the other hand, a special interactive exhibit shall unfold at the SM City Mall of Davao dubbed as “Saving Davao Gulf: Stakeholders’ Responses and Affirmative Action”. This special exhibition is convened by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 11 and shall be participated by invited National Line Agencies, Non-Government Institutions and the Private Sector.

E. Special Events:

May 18 - Parada Ng Bayan: Lakad-alay sa Karagatan (Walk for the Oceans)

May 22 – “Lawig: Ecological Tour to Coastal Communities”