Literature and Film Inspired from the spirit and charm in overseas flea markets, an annual home-grown vintage fair is opening for the weekend of May 19-20 at the Level 3 activity area of SM Aura, Premier, Taguig City. Istorya Vintage Appreciation Fair will showcase the wares of avid collectors passionate in the artful hobby of hunting and picking unique pieces of our past. Opening a portal in a crack of time, “ISTORYA” will be showcasing an authentic gathering antique merchants and activities that will allow guests to interact with age-old workmanship techniques like pointed pen calligraphy and journaling with vintage tools like wax seals and stamps. The event is organized by Warehouse Eight, a co-working and events space in Makati that curates meaningful and unique experiences together with The Curious Artisan, a local creator of specialty writing and leather goods. Through the collaboration of Art in Aura in bringing the affair to a broader platform, guests are invited to freely wander along and find treasures amongst the cluster of vintage cameras, typewriters, ornaments, vinyl & turntables, porcelain, stamps, local memorabilia, stationary and trinkets which will be sold throughout the event. Keeping the weekend bustling with free activities to highlight tools from a different time, there will be demonstrations of various authentic machines used in the past like printing on an 1950s Adana letterpress, hot-stamp foiling on a 1970s Kingsley, threading on a hand-crank early 1900s sewing machine and playing tunes from an extensive gramophone collection. In the spirit of the analog movement and a platform for the film community to participate, there is a contest for black & white film photos hosted in partnership with Sunny16 Lab, an independent film scanning and developing service run by photographers. Entries for the contest may be submitted until May 10, 2018. Winners will claim their prize and have their work exhibited over the weekend. The nostalgic affair supported by enthusiasts and Art in Aura is on May 19-20 2018 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Level 3 activity area (in front of Crate & Barrel) of SM Aura Premier, Taguig. Entrance to the fair and to the activities is free. For more information, get in touch with the organizers at 812-8643 loc. 211   Writing A workshop on improving one’s proficiency in written English for adults is being organized by Brown Movement for Cultural Advancement, Inc. The workshop is scheduled on weekends.  Registration is on-going. The workshop shall tackle the qualities of good, effective writing, with corresponding exercises; how to write essays, features, interviews and reports as well as how to improve one’s vocabulary, how to use appropriate idioms, expressions, etc. The workshop shall be held for six sessions, three hours per session at Windsor Tower, Legazpi Village, Makati City The facilitator for the workshop is Visitacion “Chit” R. dela Torre, one of the country’s seasoned writers and book authors. Classes are kept small for a more personalized, individualized mentoring. For details, please call telephone numbers 815-6925 815-4938; 404-9439; 533-9080 or thru email address [email protected]   Performing Arts The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Cultural Exchange Department announces the seven recipients of its 2018 Local Tour Grants Program. The following regional performing groups are this year’s tour grantees:  From Mindanao:  Xavier Stage (Cagayan de Oro) and San Fule Band (South Cotabato);  from Visayas:  San Agustin Performing Arts (Bacolod), Holy Name University Chorale (Bohol),  Youth Advocates Thru Theater Arts (Dumaguete);  and  from Luzon:  Hiyas ng Bulacan Brass Band (Malolos), and Indak Bambino Folkloric Group (Batangas City).  Each of the grantees will receive a financial tour grant to enable them to implement a short tour and render two performances with audience interaction of their local productions within or outside their region between July to October this year. Through the Local Tour Grants Program, the CCP CED endeavors to support and motivate local cultural performing groups to achieve artistic excellence and promote local art and cultural expressions in various venues and communities and more importantly, present the flourishing of arts and culture in the regions. Since it was re-established in 2014, the program has assisted twenty five region based performing groups and reached an estimate audience of 49,432 people in 35 local communities and provinces from 2014 to 2017. For more information, contact the Cultural Exchange Department at tel. no. (632) 832-1125 local 1708-1709, telefax (632) 832-3674 and email address [email protected]