Various barangays in Pasay and Manila’s indigent youth explored their ingenuity and imaginativeness in a series of free art workshops called Summer Arts Festival.

Organized by the Center for Social Action of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the fun-filled educational exercises were first launched online during at the height of the pandemic lockdown to provide instructional activities to the children in the safety of their homes. The initiative, which has since become an annual institutional outreach program, serves as a platform for volunteer faculty members and student-artists to share their knowledge and skills.

This year’s edition featured a blend of interactive lectures and hands-on sessions, specially curated for the young citizens of Barangays 41, 45, 46, 47 and 48 of Pasay and Barangays 730 and 745 of Manila. It welcomed the beneficiaries of partners, including Sun for All Children, Friendship Home Fr. Luis Amigo, HOPE Worldwide Philippines Inc. and Our Lady of Sorrow Outreach Foundation Inc.

Attendees of the KomInk 3 class received an art package inclusive of a sketchpad, boxes of pencils and crayons, and a watercolor set. DrawInk, a group of comic book illustrators, guided them on how to use these coloring materials to bring life to whimsical picture pages.

With the help of the Multimedia Arts students from Media Max Benilde organization and the Benildean Scholars Association members, the participants of “Art Kits for Art Kids” exemplified their originality as they painted unique and vibrant masks fit for the joyous Alimango and Vakul-Kanayi Festivals in Lanao del Norte and Batanes, respectively.

Mentors and learners from the Animation and Multimedia Arts Programs likewise equipped those who expressed interest in new media with the fundamentals of stop motion, photography and videography.

The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design also hosted a number of courses as part of the celebration. In “Inking Threads,” fiber artist and Benilde Fashion Design and Merchandising educator Olive Jaro Lopez and contemporary artist Fernando Escora taught partakers how to transfer their concepts into wearable shirts using textile spray and silkscreen printing.

In “Scraps to Straps,” Benilde FDM alumna Samantha Martin showed kids aged six to 10 how to upcycle used fabrics into eye-catching bracelets.

Benilde Industrial Design professor Ana Maria Veronica Solano facilitated “Consciously Wrapped,” a seminar on tips on how to make eco-friendly designs and sustainable packaging.

The Summer Arts Festival was conducted across the different facilities of the Benilde Atrium and Design + Arts Campuses. For more information, visit facebook.com/centerforsocialaction.