Above and Beyond the Rainbow’s End: Music, Theatre and Performance in the Indo-Pacific

Session Conveners: Fredeliza Z. Campos & Edwin C. Duero  

This session looks beyond archaeology’s scientific confines by exploring theatre, music and performance narrative of the Indo-Pacific region. It hopes to include both lectures and live performances to emphasize how the importance of modern visual, theatrical and musical materials can inform on the past. The heritage and diversity of the performative arts in the region is unquestionable. They are also almost often tied to cultural indigenous communities and the chance to investigate these links, particularly aspects of music and dance provide an opportunity to understand ancient rituals and traditions that are often overlooked or unaccounted for in the archaeological record.

In collaboration with the Saranggani Provincial Government, home of the famous Maitum jars, this session is proposing to bring members of the B’laan community, a prominent indigenous group from Southern Mindanao in the Philippines to demonstrate their traditional music and dance.