Re-imagining the creativity and innovation hub of Ateneo De Manila University in the time of COVID-19
In times of uncertainty, we find solace in each other, and turn to places online that allow us to learn, move, and interact remotely. On April 15, 2020, Areté’s projects took on a new form in Areté Connect (arete.ateneo.edu/connect)—an online portal where its programs could be accessed by anyone.
Here are a few things that will be accessible to you through Areté Connect:
A brand new series entitled Our Way Forward where experts across various fields share their analyses, speculations, and projections on the way the COVID crisis
might shape the future, and envision resilient systems in a post-pandemic world. In a little over two weeks, 11 essays and videos have already been published under Our Way Forward, tackling a variety of topics from economics, education, the arts, and more.
Areté’s regular workshops and classes have migrated online. Launched in September 2019, Areté in Motion is a series of classes that allow people to incorporate creative movement in their daily lives for exercise, expression, or skills development. Areté Makerspace, which started in January 2020, is a series of workshops that encourage exploration in both traditional and digital crafting methods.
Yoga for Everyone: Seated and Supine Twists with April Secson is now available on Areté Connect! April teaches yoga as the practice of being in tune with the self. A yogi since 2013, April is a certified Vinyasa, Hatha, Aerial, and Paddleboard Yoga instructor based in Metro Manila. She teaches yoga and Pilates at a varied array of fitness spaces. Through the discipline of unifying the body, the breath, and the mind on the mat, April hopes to provide individuals of all levels of practice the tools toward self-improvement in their lives off the mat. On the other hand, Paul Puertollano teaches Muaythai with the Loyola Schools Physical Education Department, and is the Muaythai Club Coach of the Ateneo Grade School, Junior High School, Senior High School, and the Loyola Schools. He has been teaching Muaythai for 15 years and has been practicing for 30 years. He was a former Muaythai National Team Member, and has won a Silver Medal for the Muaythai-2011 SEA Games in Indonesia. He is currently finishing his Kettlebell Instructor Certification and ACE Personal Trainer
Areté Connect also offers dance instruction with the Company of Ateneo Dancers and features Wreece Ching, who was a former student of Let’s Dance Manila, studying ballet, contemporary, tap and jazz until 2018. She is currently a member of the Company of Ateneo Dancers’ Contemporary Division, and Mike Perfecto, who has been a dancer and photographer for CADS since 2015. He is a member of Fresh, a dance crew for freestylers and choreographers. His main styles are popping and urban.
Areté’s own podcast network, Areté Podcasts remains accessible through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on arete.ateneo.edu/podcasts. Bridging the gap between seemingly esoteric academic fields and everyday life, Pocket Lectures is a show that covers a variety of subjects. In Conversation With is a show featuring authors in conversation about process, practice, and the implications—personal and political—of writing.
On the horizon, Areté intends to produce a collection of recorded magisterial lectures for various subject areas. These videos would support academic continuity in the coming months while physical distancing practices are still in place. The filmed stage play of Suzue Toshiro’s If He Doesn’t See Your Face, directed by Ricardo Abad and staged in The Doreen Black Box, will also be posted on Areté Connect.
Since its completion in 2017, Areté has hosted a wide variety of activities: shows, conferences, lectures, classes, workshops, celebrations, discussions, collaborative projects, and more. It is home to eight different offices, and accommodates hundreds of visitors almost daily. As the creativity and innovation hub of the Ateneo de Manila University, Areté provides the space and freedom for groups from different fields and persuasions to create, collaborate on, and share knowledge, skills, and practices.
