FOSTER will help propagate songs and tales on environmental challenges in Mindanao and on how people cope and respond to them. Initially, it will create a “music album” of original songs produced in a prior CEC songwriting workshop. We will hold a workshop with local artists and environmental advocates to polish the songs for recording, and on audio-video recording & editing, creating their own online video channel, and uploading videos to them.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Quezon City
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
The artists are environmental advocates who have long been involved in struggles to protect vital resources of Mindanao from environmentally-destructive activities. Most of them have been activists before the advent of Internet and computers, hence they are used to traditional forms of advocacy even in the arena of making and propagating music and news. As part of our environmental advocacy, we will help them promote and produce online content.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
As an initial output, the project will create uploaded music videos which will be compiled and formally launched as an album. The training workshop to be participated by the artists will enable them to produce not only music videos but also short news clips about their respective struggles. The tales of various environmental advocacy in Mindanao can be in songs, news clips, or other audiovisual materials depending on the artists’ creativity.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
We have already worked with the songwriters in Mindanao through a songwriting workshop. The songs created in the workshop will be the starting point for this project. We have also maintained linkages with vocal talents who were involved in our previous project, the production of Rapu-rapu music CD. The training workshop on audio-video recording and editing will involve the songwriters so that they can do the music video production by themselves.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
A total of 20 songwriters/environmental advocates participated in the previous songwriting workshop. So we expect to involve a maximum of 20 songwriters, to undergo training workshop on audio-video recording and editing. If some would not be able to make it, we will open the remaining slots to other environmental advocates who were not present in the previous songwriting workshop, but interested in the workshop.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
Rising Voices would be a big help in promoting the online materials that will result from the project. It might be able to provide some insights on best practices regarding online broadcasting or audio-video recording and editing based on past projects it has handled. Perhaps Rising Voices can introduce us to a network of environmental advocates in Southeast Asia who also produces relevant cultural materials online.
Contact name
Frances Quimpo
Organization
Center for Environmental Concerns