Making Magic
Make Believe Productions (my baby, my second born) is a creative arts company committed to making magic for children and families. We do this through the following:
Event Performances - We are storytellers. We invite our audiences to embark on a journey with us to discover worlds of whimsy, adventure, excitement, fun, and joy. We do this through our interactive storytelling sessions, shadow puppetry performances, and unique fairy tale musicals and plays.
Make Believe Parties - As children, we counted the days till our next birthday. The moment it comes, we feel different and special. We are Kings and Queens on our birthday - it is a day that belong to Us and only Us. At Make Believe, we celebrate this day with our celebrants and allow them to be whoever they want to be - a knight, a princess, an astronaut, a rock star, a wizard, or a fairy. We offer themed party packages with arts and crafts, storytelling, games, mini plays and shadow puppetry.
Creative Arts Workshops - We wish to empower children to make their own brand of magic. We offer workshops that harness the natural and instinctive creativity of children. Our classes teach skills in theater, dance and creative movement, fashion and crafts, singing and songwriting, to name a few. We aim to build up confident young artists unafraid to express themselves and energize the world with their ideas, their art, and their unique voice.
Creative Arts Workshops - We wish to empower children to make their own brand of magic. We offer workshops that harness the natural and instinctive creativity of children. Our classes teach skills in theater, dance and creative movement, fashion and crafts, singing and songwriting, to name a few. We aim to build up confident young artists unafraid to express themselves and energize the world with their ideas, their art, and their unique voice.
We at Make Believe claim that we are the Peter Pans of this world, who have discovered a Neverland where we will never, ever grow old.
How Magic Came To Be
Now for the story of my life's work:
Make Believe had its informal beginnings in my parish community. Some seven years ago, I was asked to write and direct a play that would allow both mainstream children and children with special needs to interact with each other. We staged a humorous adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. A success within community, several asked for a repeat of the experience. My husband (and then boyfriend) Pipo advised me constantly to start my own group, and I said I would, with the idea that it was one of those things in the horizon, a Not Yet meant for a Someday when I was more mature and had my act together.
Someday came sooner than I expected, and I doubt that I was more mature and more "together" when it did.
Becoming a mother to Sophie challenged me to move beyond myself and strive to be strong and brave and bigger than who I was. A few months after I had her, I made the decision to finally start that theater group, and that it would be called Make Believe.
My best friend Nina came on board as my partner and design director of Make Believe. It was a perfect tandem as we had a similar aesthetic, we both were crazy, and we both were kids who never quite grew up. We then set up our very first theater workshop in our community.
Make Believe had its informal beginnings in my parish community. Some seven years ago, I was asked to write and direct a play that would allow both mainstream children and children with special needs to interact with each other. We staged a humorous adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. A success within community, several asked for a repeat of the experience. My husband (and then boyfriend) Pipo advised me constantly to start my own group, and I said I would, with the idea that it was one of those things in the horizon, a Not Yet meant for a Someday when I was more mature and had my act together.
Someday came sooner than I expected, and I doubt that I was more mature and more "together" when it did.
Becoming a mother to Sophie challenged me to move beyond myself and strive to be strong and brave and bigger than who I was. A few months after I had her, I made the decision to finally start that theater group, and that it would be called Make Believe.
My best friend Nina came on board as my partner and design director of Make Believe. It was a perfect tandem as we had a similar aesthetic, we both were crazy, and we both were kids who never quite grew up. We then set up our very first theater workshop in our community.
We spent weeks prior to the workshop walking around our village, distributing flyers to different households, while eating popsicles and talking about our plans for Make Believe. We were just two silly, simple girls with a dream.
We hoped to start with at least twenty students in our workshop. It was a great shock - and unbelievable blessing for us - when fifty two children signed up during our first workshop day. And the rest was history. We have since expanded to offer workshops in different locations in the metro, and provide performances and entertainment for parties and events. Our expansion was made more smooth by our bringing in of a third partner, Anj, who is the logical, organized, analytic business person. (But she has her own fits of crazy, and moonlights as a DJ or arts and crafts assistant teacher during some of our events.)
Spreading Fairy Dust
I wish to continue this work, to share it with more children and families, and design more programs, shows, and performances that will inspire, educate, and touch children. More importantly, I wish to encourage them to be confident to share their unique talents and gifts.
If you wish to partner with us or bring us to your special event, please contact me or our Market Development Officer Oasis at 5665984 or oasis.jalandoni@makebelieve.com.ph.
