On January 28, the Center for Possibilities Foundation (CFP) will be staging a back-to-back event at the RCBC Plaza in Makati. At 5:30 in the afternoon, the self-titled exhibit of 19-year-old Samantha Kaspar will open to the public. At 7:00 pm, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will take center stage.
Samantha Kaspar was diagnosed with Autism when she was one and a half years old. Her parents Mitzi and Martin supported her passion as soon as they discovered her love for art. They brought her to a special school in Switzerland for her special needs and to give her the much attention she needs.
Although half-Swiss, her Filipino side dominates on her art works. The colors used, the subjects, and the also the piña silk she uses are recognizably Filipino. She is one of eight artists chosen to present their paintings on piña silk to be translated into clothing by featured designers for the fashion show, Patis Tesoro and Anthony Legarda. Master weaver India Legaspi is credited for teaching the artists the technique of piña silk painting.
The proceeds of her art auction will be used to fund her trip to promote local culture at the Philippine Center in New York for the Fashion Arts Autism Benefit (FAAB) on April 7. FAAB is meant to showcase the artistic talents of children with special needs.
After the exhibit there will be a performance by the Manila Symphony Orchestra’s “Soundtracks and Symphonies” will be conducted by Prof. Arturo Molina and annotated by Jeffrey Solares. Included in their repertoire is a John Williams tribute as well as pieces from greats such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach.
The repertoire includes music from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, Titanic, and other popular movies with award winning pieces. I hope they include Back To The Future, it feels good listening to it.
The concert is for the benefit of Special Education (SPED) Centers that have been the focus of the Center for Possibilities’ recent efforts. To act as a venue for learning of indigent persons with special needs, each SPED Center is operated by a teacher trained in the SPED division of Reach International School.
The Sagada SPED Center has been up and running and will be enhanced with a series of livelihood and vocational programs that will be teaching skills for income-generating activities. “Caring for special kids is very taxing because it’s usually just a one-income household so we also need to help the parents improve their finances,” explains CFP founder, Dolores Cheng.
In Norzagaray, what they have right now is just the building itself. A fence, a water tank, and a playground are still needed. “We are also in the process of doing our due diligence by determining the number of special children in all the barangays relevant to Norzagaray. Next will be an orientation for all the parents within the community. We are subsequently planning for the provision of testing, diagnosis, and analysis for the children with special needs,” Cheng adds.
Enrolment in the SPED Centers is free so it helps alleviate the family’s cost of taking care of special children. If you would like to extend assistance, you may reach CFP at http://centerforpossibilities.asia/ or (02) 723-1242 / (0918) 888-1759.
“Samantha” and “Soundtracks and Symphonies” will be on January 28, 2016, 5:30pm at the Carlos P. Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza, Makati.
