Between karaoke and performance, indigenous healing practices and the lived realities of migrant workers, between maximalist fiesta and minimalist interventions, Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm is dedicating its eleven-day festival “Sincerely Yours, the Philippines” to the performative arts of the Philippines for the first time.

Curated by choreographer Eisa Jocson, a long-time associate artist at Mousonturm, the program presents seven extraordinary works by artists from different generations – from the island nation itself as well as from the diaspora. Each piece, including five world premieres, offers a unique perspective on the complexities of Philippine culture, its history and present – shaped by colonialism, dictatorship, economic instability, and the global export of labor, but also by resilience and a profound sense of care.

Many of the works are connected by an exploration of song and voice. Singing has long been a means of passing down knowledge and ensuring survival in the Philippines. Today’s vocal textures also carry echoes of the country’s colonial past – shaped, as the saying goes, by “400 years in a Spanish convent and 50 years in Hollywood.”

Playful and virtuosic at times, tender and tentative at others, the festival’s artists shift tones and registers. They amplify voices and stories that have long been ignored or marginalized. Workshops, conversations, and parties round out the program, offering – together with the performances – a multifaceted glimpse into one of Southeast Asia’s most innovative art scenes.