Malaya : ma · la · ya : free or freedom
The
Malaya Project came to fruition in March 2011 at the height of political uncertainty
for many gay, lesbian, transgender and queer individuals in the United
States. In the same year, photographer
Deney Tuazon and filmmaker Gregory Pacificar came together to work with
Barangay Los Angeles to understand the specific concerns of the Filipino LGBTQ
community. What became apparent
was the lack of visibility, acknowledgement and voices of strong LGBTQ
Filipinos amongst the greater Fil-Am communities. The two artists delved further in researching access and
availability to LGBTQ Filipino stories, only to discover there was a clear void
of positive imagery and shared stories.
This
alarming concern propelled the two artists to take an active role in addressing
the dilemma. Deney Tuazon, having spent years in photography and Gregory
Pacificar working as a filmmaker and documentarian, combined their talent to
create The Malaya Project.
The
Malaya Project is an ongoing photography series that highlights the lives of
proud gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer Filipino/as. With the technique and style of
Tuazon’s photography and Pacificar’s background in film, the two have found a
way to capture the lives and stories about pride, culture and family in a
series of still images and written words.
The goal of the project is simple, it is to give the community the power to share their stories and to make
it accessible to all communities.
Fiscal Sponsor:
FilAm ARTS, is a multi-disciplinary community arts organization whose mission is to advance the understanding of the arts and diverse cultural heritage of Filipinos in the United States. With three public programs- the Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, the statewide Pilipino Artists Networkm and the arts education program, Eskuwela Kultura, FilAm ARTS' organizational purpose is to engage diverse peoples in cultural arts as a synergistic approach to individual and community self-determination and empowerment.
FilAmARTS.org
Fiscal Sponsor:
FilAm ARTS, is a multi-disciplinary community arts organization whose mission is to advance the understanding of the arts and diverse cultural heritage of Filipinos in the United States. With three public programs- the Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, the statewide Pilipino Artists Networkm and the arts education program, Eskuwela Kultura, FilAm ARTS' organizational purpose is to engage diverse peoples in cultural arts as a synergistic approach to individual and community self-determination and empowerment.
FilAmARTS.org
Community Partner:
