Last October 21, 2023, as a satellite partner for Design Week Philippines in Cebu, the Makers of Midtown in partnership with White Brick Creative Studio and Cebu Making Space held TALKS AROUND TOWN. Open to artists, designers, entrepreneurs, musicians, all types of creatives and everyone in between, Talks Around Town featured 5 Cebuano personalities and changemakers who have helped build and uplift their respective communities, industries, and professions.
MAKING SPACES by Angie Reyes Interior Designer and Design Director for Laraw Luna Studio, Angie talked about co-founding Ahka Sari-Sari Space, an all-around space for community events and how they opened their doors to the first drag shows in the city.
MAKING STORIES by Januar Yap
Award-winning writer, cinematographer, and educator, Januar shared tips on how to be a good storyteller, escaping Writer’s Block, exploring the Wonderful Wrongness in the process and finding inspiration from the constant “I Don’t Know’s” that creatives encounter everyday.
MAKING ART by Wyndelle Remonde Visual artist and founder of Studio 201 Gallery, Wyndelle talked about how his gallery aims to shine the spotlight on art by supporting and fostering local artists within Argao. He showed the exhibits and projects that their art collective have created in the past year and highlighted the importance of providing an outlet for young artists to present their works.
MAKING MUSIC by Cookie$
Cebuano rapper and producer Cookie$, government name Job, shared his journey to fame, his creative process and the challenges of making it in the music industry. He also talks about his new venture, The Bakeshop Studios, a production outfit for other, up-and-coming baked goods, I mean, artists.
MAKING A SCENE by Willow Hoods The final speaker, Barber, Educator and owner of WWORKSHOP STUDIO, Willow shared his humble beginnings of starting the barbershop business and how he initiated the very successful Molave Community Marketplace. Today the MCM is now a bustling free space for people who explore their passion for entrepreneurship.
After the talks, the audience were given a chance to interact with the speakers and ask questions during the Panel where topics like how to ground yourself from fame, how to gain support and trust from the community, how to sustain and manage the community, and what it’s like to build one.
While the talks were ongoing, a lot of exciting things awaited the people outside with live DJ sets by Sorry Sue and Libya Montes; interactive pop-up booths including flash tattoos by Subhelic, Tarot & Reiki Reading by Banaag Lovecrafts, Live Portrait & Art by Xena Luzon; food and drinks from The Ape Bar Cafe, Baking Bad, Ahka Sari-Sari Space, Domkatsu, Pastarrific; and arts and crafts booths including Dried Flowers by Elle, Temporary Tattoos and Stickers by Maraschino BB, Postcards and Zines by Jeremiad, Artworks by Studio 201 Gallery Argao, Stickers and Postcards by White Brick Creative Studio.
TALKS AROUND TOWN was made possible thanks to 22 Tango Music, Gigsite, John Sy and Reg Onagan, and official Tools and Equipment Partner of Cebu Making Space, Bosch Philippines. The organizers would also like to thank the Design Center of the Philippines for making Talks Around Town a part of Design Week and to DTI for supporting the Makers of Midtown. For updates on upcoming events, follow Makers of Midtown and Cebu Making Space on Facebook and Instagram
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