At the end of September 2019, Allan Pineda, a local chef, and Joseph brought together a small group of Filipinos and pitched the idea of having a summer festival that celebrated the modern cultural scene in Manitoba's Filipino community, with the end-goal of raising funds and awareness for a future Filipino Incubator District in Winnipeg.
And Kultivation Festival F.A.M.D. was born.
That initial meeting has given rise to over 200 motivated, talented, passionate individuals who believe in Kultivation's mission. Professionals, organizations, businesses, and media outlets have joined the movement and are now working together to achieve the organization's goals. The group is composed of artists, musicians, dancers, chefs, fashion designers, graphic designers, DJs, teachers, wellness professionals, and many more. All these people are finding ways to collaborate and create programming and content for the Inaugural Festival, which is scheduled for June 20-21, 2020. The event will focus on the areas of Food, Art, Music, and Dance and will highlight other industries, including education, wellness, automotive culture, and professional development.
The long-term goal of Kultivation is the creation of Winnipeg’s first Filipino Incubator District. It will be a place where everybody could come to learn about, collaborate with, and find inspiration from the Filipino community. Affectionately called the Mabuhay District, its goal will be to provide spaces, amenities, and services that promote collaboration among individuals, businesses, and organizations. It will have spaces for new and established businesses, creative industry professionals, culinary prototypes, and more.
The first major initiative for Kultivation Festival F.A.M.D. was a partnership with CBC Manitoba to create the My Garden City pop-up bureau at Garden City Shopping Centre. The purpose of the pop-up was to showcase some of the modern culture in Winnipeg's Filipino community and promote the Festival in June. CBC Manitoba secured an unoccupied tenant space in Garden City Shopping Centre and provided lounge furniture and workspaces for their media team. CBC's goal was to connect with the Filipino community and find stories that they could feature. Kultivation Festival has organized a series of activations to fill the space with programming, including: a Makers' Market, a live podcast of The Pogi Project, a Wellness Expo, a DJ Workshop, a Musical Theatre Artist Workshop by Ma-buhay Musical, a Food Trip event, a mini Film Festival, and a Music/Dance Showcase.
Architects At Play is in charge of the Mabuhay District activation, which is scheduled for March 13, 2020. The purpose of the exhibition is to learn what the community would like to see in the future Filipino Cultural District.
Sponsored by our former client, RC Chiropractic, and with the help of Jerome Basilio and Antoinette Baquiran, Play built a 1:500 scale model of the Garden City area, including the shopping mall, Seven Oaks General Hospital, Home Depot, and the soccer complex. On this model, attendees at the activation will have the chance to build their ideas for the Mabuhay District using LEGO® pieces. Play will be on hand to interview people and ask them about their dreams for the District. Based on the comments and suggestions from the community, Play will compile and present the first vision for the Mabuhay District during the main Festival in June. It will be the first glimpse of what a permanent district could look like and will set the groundwork for strategic planning, discussions with stakeholders, and fundraising efforts.