CCP Welcomes New President, Inaugurates New Theatre And Shares Plan Beyond 2022
As artistic communities and the live events industry are slowly recovering, new changes have been brewing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Margie Moran-Floirendo has been named as the new president and concurrent artistic director. She took over the reign from Arsenio J. Lizaso Jr. who resigned in June of the current year.
Margie Moran-Floirendo
Prior to being the CCP president, she was the chairman of the CCP Board of Trustees for more than three years. Taking over her previous position is Dr. Jaime Laya. She also worked as president of Ballet Philippines, the preeminent national ballet company and one of CCP’s resident companies.
For 2022, Moran-Floirendo is focusing on recovery. The past years have been challenging for the creative industries, and she believes that the CCP should be at the forefront in mitigating and overcoming these challenges.
“Our thrust during the pandemic had been to keep as many jobs as possible, and collaborate with as many artists as we can with the budget that we have. No one should be left behind. I’m confident to say that we have succeeded in doing so,” enthused the CCP president.
The premiere art institution has remained steadfast in fulfilling its mandate to make arts and culture matter to every Filipino.
“We surmounted hurdles and learning curves in the last two years. We found new ways to create productions and bring new contents. We redirected our energy and maximised our resources. We strategised to realise our plans and programmes,” she shared.
The CCP updated its Code of Governance, as well as its manual of operations to guide the CCP Board and management. The CCP has also reviewed its policies and polished them for efficient operations.
This year, the premiere arts institution has bounced back. Under her term, the CCP returned to full capacity, with its operation in full blast. In the second half of the year, the biggest events, the Virgin Labfest and the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, made their successful comebacks, with crowds trooping to the centre for live theatre performances and film screenings.
In September 2022, the CCP celebrated its 53rd anniversary with an anniversary gala concert, dubbed Musikal II, featuring excerpts of original Filipino musical staged from 2015 to 2021.
For the fourth quarter of 2022, the CCP artistic season goes full blast. The Bulwagang Juan Luna (CCP Main Gallery) will have its last exhibit before the venue closes. On display from 4 September to 4 December 2022, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya: Pagtutol at Pag-asa exhibits over 200 artworks and archival materials surveying the artist’s intensive practice in printmaking, painting, collage, and installation from 1960s to the present. This is the first retrospective exhibit on the life and works of Cajipe-Endaya.
Giacomo Puccini’s well-loved opera Turandot is coming to the CCP Main Theatre on 9 and 11 December. This production is in cooperation with the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc. and the Rustan Group of Companies.
The CCP performance season ends with Handel’s The Messiah on 18 December. Not to be missed are the annual holiday events at the CCP, including dawn masses and facade lighting.
Moran-Floirendo is also happy to announce the inauguration of the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez, or the new CCP Black Box Theatre.
After 30 years, a new edifice rises at the CCP Complex. The four-story structure has 320 seating capacity, with flexible theatre expanse that can be adjusted depending on the artistic and technical needs of any productions. It has customisable seating, state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, adaptable rigging and sceneries, and advanced acoustics.
“The fruition of this architectural marvel is made possible through the generous heart of businessman Ignacio B. Gimenez. It is a testament on how we can have good outcomes if we harness strong private and public,” said the CCP president.
The opening of the new CCP Black Box Theatre is a welcome development. For the next three years, the experimental theatre will surely play a central role in the art institution’s upcoming artistic seasons since the CCP Main Building will undergo renovations.
“The CCP Main Building is already 53-year-old. It has shown signs of its time. We did a building audit from 2018 to 2019 to diagnose the extent of the repair needed. We hope that through our rehabilitation effort the Center will remain at par with theaters worldwide, in terms of technology, space and content, and will last 50 more years,” said Moran-Floirendo.
With the building located by the bay on reclaimed land, we must be thorough with the rehabilitation plan.
“From materials to the work itself, every detail has to be studied and done meticulously. We look for the best possible options. We plan to remain true to the original blueprint designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin and preserve the building to the extent possible,” shared Moran-Floirendo.
This, however, does not mean that the CCP will cease its operation. While the main building is closed, the CCP plans to maximise the use of its outdoor venues for its productions and performances, intensify its outreach projects to reach wider audiences, especially in the regions, and develop more art education and appreciation programmes.
CCP president Moran-Floirendo is resolutely firm and unwavering in her commitment to promote the Philippine arts and culture, build strong networks among the art communities both locally and internationally, and produce new productions and contents.
She concluded: “As we always say, the show must go on. Our theaters might be closed, but the arts will always matter.”
Text by GLAIZA LEE