It was indeed the time to shine for culture and the arts as the UPLB Fringe Festival opened to the public on February 19, 2024 at the steps of the DL Umali Hall.

The opening of the first-ever UPLB Fringe Festival culminated the launch day of Social Justice and Cultural Flourishing as UPLB AGORA’s fifth focus area. 

The Fringe Festival is also the first activity of the Office of Initiatives for Culture and the Arts (OICA) under the leadership of the newly appointed director, Dr. Laurence S. Castillo. 

In his message, Castillo said that the UPLB Fringe Festival is the localizing of activities and cultural shows in Edinburgh and also in Melbourne. It is an adaptation of The Fringe that takes place in Edinburgh in the UK every August. 

The Fringe is a spontaneous art movement that began in 1947 when eight theater groups turned up uninvited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival. They performed and staged shows on the fringes of the Festival. Since then, millions have flocked to The Fringe to produce and enjoy art of every genre. In Melbourne, the Fringe began in 1982 to democratize the arts.

Castillo called on the public to support artists and cultural workers and to show that the community can give space for arts, culture, and national issues. 

“As the new OICA director, I will try to make OICA instrumental in making arts and culture thrive and create an avenue for conversation about different national issues,” Castillo said. 

Participating groups graced the event: 8Letters was represented by Ryan Dioquino; Southbound Collective by Dave Aljun Bitoon; Harmonya by Tricia Dizon; Green Dreams of a Generation by Maria Veloso; Makiling Initiative Uri de Ger; Talastastasan by Precious Isaac Rivera; Graphic Literature Guild by Andrea Kristine Pongco; Karma Kolektib by Julliene R. Bagus; and UPLB Kulayan by King Nalupa.

The event was attended by Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr., who expressed his support for the Fringe Festival and called on the public to support and give importance to social justice and cultural flourishing.  He was joined by Dr. Nathaniel R. Bantayan, vice chancellor for research and extension, who said that the addition of the Social Justice and Cultural Flourishing research focus areas completes the UPLB AGORA as a marketplace of research.

Also in attendance were Dr. Maribel Sese, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Dr. Katrina Ross Tan, chair of the CAS Department of Humanities (DHUM), Director Mark Lester M. Chico of the UPLB Office of Public Relations, and staff and students. 

The opening night also featured student performers Cae Laciste, Janessa Pinuela, Zdenalie Pagatpatan, and Mark Diancin, all from the UPLB Talent Pool, and an acoustic performance by Leandro Ong, a faculty member of CAS-DHUM.  

The Fringe Festival activities were held in different venues around the campus from February 19 to 23. It featured exhibits, film shows, and performances. (KEAraguas; Photo by Alexander Abas)