I.

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
Arts and culture, as we know it, is a great factor in the growth and development of a
society. It serves as an identity both for the place and its inhabitants. Thus, it is essential for
culture to be conserved, promoted and developed. By passing it down from one generation
to another, we create a pool of culturally inclined individuals which will further develop into
a community who loves and practices arts and considers it as a vital part of their everyday
life.

In radiance of culture and arts propagation, cultural communities, both in the

national and local scene, conduct workshops and seminars to artistically passionate
individuals who either sees themselves as artists by profession or merely as their vocation.
They also join forces with different cultural groups in producing productions which will help
spread awareness and love towards cultural treasures. This shall be the effect of
continuously providing our aspiring artists-in-the-making with the necessary trainings for
them to be able to produce an artistic creation which shall meet the standard of artistic
excellence. Through this, we strengthen the country’s human infrastructure by honing
competent individuals through art discipline and molding them as good citizens who shall
serve as cultural leaders and art managers. They shall eventually strengthen the human
infrastructure which plays a great factor in our progress and development as a nation.

It is in this light that the City Arts and Culture Office (CACO) was established. It is a
department of LGU-Calbayog established to conserve, develop, and promote the city’s
historical and culture heritage as well as artistic creations eliciting maximum voluntary
participation of almost all the people and various sectors of the community. It serves as the
principal agency of the City Government of Calbayog responsible for the promotion,
development and preservation of the Calbayog-Kahiaraan through the formulation of
policies in coordination with the affiliated school and community based cultural groups.
 For twenty consecutive years, the City Arts & Culture Office has successfully proven
the effectiveness of a method of sharing skills and developing talents through the LIAW-
ARAM Summer Creative Arts Workshops that considers the participants, his relationship
with the group, and the importance of culture to his life and society.

Liaw-Aram Summer Creative Arts Workshop is a multi-arts summer workshop offered

to cultural workers, artists, youth, and educators as part of a master cultural development
plan for the city and the province of Samar. The inception of Liaw-Aram as a component of
the annual cultural program of the office is a manifestation of its expeditiousness and
dedication to the ideals of cultural service motivated with the strong belief that artists,
educators, and the youth are residual and sinewy partners in cultural development and
nationalistic enhancement.

Liaw-Aram aims to stimulate the vast reservoir of under-utilized creative energies

among the participants and tap their inner resources to help them give form and expression
to their inner selves. The program is not meant to make professional artists and performers
out of the participants but rather help them grow into creative persons no matter who they
are, where they come from, and what their status in life is. In this manner, arts and culture
are used in the development of human resources and creative potentials, truly giving it an
educational function.