Preda-AKBAY Theater Group

INTRODUCTION

There is hardly a stronger way to bring home to people the damage and loss brought about by the exploitation of young people and the terrible consequences of environmental destruction than through the power of live theater. “Once we had a Dream”, a choreographed musical play preformed by the young players of the PREDA-AKBAY group. They are playing out true events that they have personally experienced and this gives the musical drama integrity and an intensity that will have you on the edge of your emotional seats. The group are dedicated advocates of children’s rights and defenders of the environment. The musical tells a moving story of love, tragedy and redemption.

The AKBAY Advocacy Theater Group was organized to advance the advocacy on the Rights of the Children and Youth Empowerment. Its main thrust is to raise the consciousness of the general public regarding social issues confronting the children and youth using theater as an effective tool. The theater group is being trained in partnership with the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). Under PETA’s tutelage, the theater group undergoes series of training and workshops like the Basic Integrated Theater Arts Workshops (BITAW), Theater Trainor’s Training, Scriptwriting, Director’s Workshop, Choreography, and Visual Arts. In mounting a production, the theater group undergo the process of IMPROVISATION – a developmental process of mounting a production wherein the actors themselves make the script, props and create costumes, design the production set, and all other aspects of the Production under the repertory guidance of the Theater Artists and Artistic Directors.

The AKBAY Advocacy Theater Group has been performing in the Philippines and other countries in Europe bringing forth the message to everyone how vulnerable are the children and young people from being abused and exploited and how the society can respond to the call for action to address the problem.

Objectives of the Formation of the AKBAY THEATER GROUP

1. To bring together young people of Zambales and Olongapo to a program of artistic interactions and productions toward a year-round program of theater arts training workshops

2. To provide venues for developing and enhancing the knowledge and skills of young people in theater arts training and production toward a more dynamic socio-culturally conscious young artists.

3. To develop community theater arts as an effective advocacy tool in educating the public about the various social issues and campaigns initiated by the Preda-PEPS project.

To be more specific, the project with the participation of the members and beneficiaries will continue to:

– Surface youth perspectives and critical analysis of social issues affecting the young people, their families and respective communities

– To tap the creative potentials and create a venue for the young people to enhance their talents as playwrights, stage directors, performers, visual artists, singers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, youth facilitators, community organizers, stage technicians, production managers and others through a series of training and participatory artistic interactions.

– To produce repertory of plays, stories, poems, music compositions and visual outputs produced by the young people themselves

– to recognize the value of arts as integral component of the Project and to operate the PREDA Advocacy Theater project as component of the AKBAY Children and Youth Organizational development in its goal to organize a province and city-wide alliance of children and youth development through the arts

– to enrich and develop positive character and personality development through dynamic, productive, fun-filled and value-oriented activities with the participants and beneficiaries.

The AKBAY (Aksyon ng Kabataan at mg Bata para sa Bayan) Youth Organization under the support of the Preda Foundation has been very vigilant and courageous in pursuing its thrusts towards Children and Youth Empowerment and active participation in nation-Building through its various programs. The Advocacy Theater is being used as an effective tool in advancing the advocacy on Children’s and Women’s Rights. [End]