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2024 Dawani Project Camp lecture session with musician Gary Granada. Photo by Ico Zaragoza

Article (news)

Winkie Bernaldez

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774141218532DAWANI 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>2024 Dawani Project Camp participants and students in a group photo. Photo by Rick</div>For generations of Filipino artists, the path toward recognition has often pointed in one direction: the capital.Opportunities, mentorship, and industry connections have long been concentrated in major cities, leaving many young creatives in the regions with talent, but few pathways to develop it.In Bicol, however, a growing arts community is quietly challenging that reality. Through workshops, creative camps, and mentorship programs, Dawani Project Inc. is proving that serious artistic development does not have to begin or end in Metro Manila.Dawani’s story began inside a classroom at Malinao National High School in Albay.Founder Jan Aldrin Belisario noticed that many of his students were artistically inclined but lacked access to mentors who could help them grow beyond school activities.“They reminded me of myself,” Belisario said.Determined to give his students opportunities he once lacked, he invited artist friends to conduct workshops at the school. What began as a small creative camp soon gained momentum and eventually expanded beyond campus, welcoming aspiring artists from across Bicol.What started as a classroom activity gradually evolved into a regional creative platform connecting young artists with mentors, training, and opportunities to showcase their work.According to Dawani art director Alliece Shazney, the challenge facing many young creatives in the region is not a lack of talent but a lack of access.“In Bicol, talent is everywhere, but access is not,” she said.Many aspiring artists cannot afford workshops, access proper equipment, or travel to larger cities where opportunities are often concentrated. Others simply lack exposure to realize that their creativity has value.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774141337575DAWANI 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>2024 Dawani Project Camp lecture session with musician Gary Granada. Photo by Ico Zaragoza</div>Through sponsor-supported camps and workshops, Dawani brings creative education closer to home, offering training in singing and songwriting, dance, filmmaking, visual arts, and playwriting.“At the heart of it, we focus on access and encouragement just as much as skill development. Confidence and opportunity matter just as much as talent.” Shazney said.For many participants, Dawani becomes the first place where their creativity is taken seriously.Johnneil Caratao, a Dawani alumnus, began his journey simply by drawing. Before joining the program, he says most of what he knew about art came from self-study and school lessons.“I didn’t feel like I had access to mentorship or platforms where I could share my work,” he said.During the camp, Caratao encountered mentors and fellow artists who reshaped how he understood creativity.“One moment that changed my perspective was realizing that art should tell a story. When an artwork has meaning behind it, it becomes more powerful.” he said.For singer-songwriter Eugine Camasis, now a senior member of the project, Dawani was equally transformative.Growing up in a low-income household, Camasis had no formal training in music and mostly performed during school events. When he joined the songwriting class during the first Dawani camp, he discovered he could write his own songs.“I can honestly say the camp changed my life,” he said.Through the program, he later performed his original music in radio stations, coffee shops, and art events, while also finding a creative community that supported his growth.Today, Dawani continues to organize performances, exhibits, and collaborative events that allow young artists to keep learning and connecting with others in the field. Many alumni now return as organizers and mentors for the next generation.For participants like Caratao and Camasis, building a creative life in Bicol is not a limitation, it is a source of inspiration.“Bicol has a very rich culture that inspires art,” Caratao said.By creating spaces where mentorship, training, and visibility are accessible, Dawani Project Inc. is helping challenge the long-standing idea that artistic growth must happen in the country’s biggest cities.Because talent exists everywhere and opportunity should too.

Through workshops, creative camps, and mentorship programs, Dawani Project Inc. is proving that serious artistic development does not have to begin or end in Metro Manila.

Through workshops, creative camps, and mentorship programs, Dawani Project Inc. is proving that serious artistic development does not have to begin or end in Metro Manila.

Beyond the capital: How young Bicolano artists are finding new opportunities

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Beyond the capital: How young Bicolano artists are finding new opportunities

Winkie Bernaldez,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 22, 2026 02:00 PM PHT

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Updated April 28, 2026 06:37 PM PHT

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Dawani Project

Albay

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