CEBU CITY – An art advocacy project of the Manila Bulletin (MB) that started in 2011 continues to grow bigger.
After a highly successful Davao leg, the MB Sketchfest 2023 had its Cebu stop on Saturday, September 2, where it drew close to 300 artists at SM Seaside here.
Young and adult artists showcased their skills in the on-the-spot poster-making competition that featured the Kiddie (12-years-old and below), Junior (13- to 18-years-old), and Senior (19-years-old and above) categories.
Mark Dy, MB Brand and Marketing Manager, said the MB Sketchfest continues to grow bigger in promoting various artistic disciplines.
“We are in our 12th year and what’s good about this, it never skips a year. It’s been ongoing since it began. Beginning 2017, it went nationwide, so that’s a milestone. From Manila, it was brought to Cebu and Davao,” said Dy.
The Covid-19 pandemic could not even stop the MB Sketchfest from expanding.
In fact, the Sketchfest even reached a wider audience when the health crisis struck.
“When the pandemic happened, we had to pivot and still continue by adding a digital category. So even if the pandemic happened, we grew instead of contracting,” said Dy.
“The MB Sketchfest has evolved into a multi-platform competition consisting of on-the-spot competition which happens in Manila, Davao, and Cebu, an online art competition which is nationwide, and of course, the exhibition category for professional artists which is nationwide also,” said Dy.
This year, the MB Sketchfest has the theme “We Are All Created Equal” which puts emphasis on the importance of respect for the equality of all individuals.
“Every year, we choose a very relevant theme. Last year it was ‘Saving Earth’ because the discussion was leaning towards sustainability and the environment. This year, one of the timely topics is equality. We wanted to go beyond gender and remind everyone that everyone is equal. It’s really about respecting the rights of each individual be it socio-economic class or otherwise,” Dy said.
MB Sketchfest is more than just a competition as it gives individuals an avenue to explore the world of art.
Through the MB Sketchfest, one gets to showcase creativity, said Dy.
“The goal really is to open everyone into getting into the arts because it’s the gateway to express oneself and of course discover talent because in previous years, some participants only saw their talents once they joined the competition. So, the goal is to expose everyone to the arts,” Dy added.
With the Davao and Cebu legs attracting a huge number of participants, the MB Sketchfest is proving to be one of the biggest gatherings of artists.
“In general, we are very happy with the outcome. In Davao, we did it with no classes. We’re predicting a 100-fold increase. Considering that we just came from a pandemic, the attendance has been very great,” Dy said.
After Cebu, the MB Sketchfest 2023 will hold its Manila leg will be on September 30.
Dy added that by pushing for art advocacy, MB is also able to capture a bigger audience.
“Through the MB Sketchfest, aside from being an art advocacy, we get to introduce the Manila Bulletin legacy to a broader and younger audience,” Dy said.
This year’s MB Sketchfest is co-presented by SM Seaside City Cebu, Grab, AirASia, and Radio Mindanao Network.
Event partners are the National Museum of the Philippines, Radisson Blu Cebu, Cebu Music Learning Center, Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, GT Cosmetics, Beautiful Horizon, Philtrust Bank, Canson, Winsor & Newton, and Nature’s Spring.
Realme is the official smartphone of MB Sketchfest 2023.