The Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center (BNSCWC) of De La Salle University, in partnership with the University of Antique, is inviting young critics and scholars to apply for fellowship to the 14th Kritika La Salle National Workshop on Art and Cultural Criticism to be held from 22 to 29 March 2026 at the University of Antique, Sibalom, Antique.

Dr. Rolando B. Tolentino, cultural studies scholar and BNSCWC Associate for Criticism, is the workshop director. Dr. Anne Frances Sangil, associate professor from the Department of Literature of De La Salle University, shall serve as deputy director.

Kritika aims to provide young scholars who want to commit themselves to art and cultural criticism a venue to discuss their work and concerns with established art critics and culture experts in the country.

Since its founding in 2012, Kritika’s previous fellows have established themselves as leading scholars and writers in the fields of literature, culture, and performance, publishing their works in various local and international journals, university and commercial presses, and critical anthologies. Some of the recent publications from our Kritika alumni include Regional Cinema in the Philippines: The Archipelagic Imagination (2025, Edinburgh University Press) by Katrina Ross Tan (Kritika 7) and Figuring Resistance: The Revolution in Film and Literature in the Philippines (2025, Palgrave Macmillan) by Laurence Marvin Castillo (Kritika 4) among others.

This edition of Kritika is open-themed and shall be conducted face-to-face. A cultural heritage tour shall complement the workshop sessions to introduce or reintroduce the fellows to Western Visayan art and culture. It will also feature public lectures on the teaching of humanities at the University of Antique.

Advocating inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches, the workshop welcomes critical essays on literature, architecture, theatre, film, dance, music, visual arts, multi-art, and popular culture. We especially encourage critical papers related to environment, health, gender, cultural heritage, food, Indigenous peoples and their culture, and trans arts. The manuscript should be on work/s by Filipino artist/s or a Philippine cultural phenomenon. It may involve the examination of more than one art or cultural form. The manuscript should be an unpublished critical essay written in English, Filipino, or any other Philippine language. Manuscripts in languages other than English and Filipino must be accompanied by a translation into English or Filipino and the consent of the translator. The manuscript must be accompanied by an abstract (150 to 200 words) and should range from 4000 to 5000 words inclusive of notes and references.

Only complete and compliant applications will be reviewed. Interested applicants should submit their application portfolio via Google Forms:

https://tinyurl.com/14thKRITIKALaSalleWorkshop. Required files include an unpublished critical paper, photo of the author, and other information details. Deadline for application is 15 December. For inquiries, email bnscwc@dlsu.edu.ph.

Twelve applicants will be chosen for the fellowships. The fellows shall be given a modest travel subsidy of P5,000. Accommodations and meals will be provided throughout the duration of the workshop.