Razcel Jan Salvarita: International Future Leaders Program

Razcel Jan Salvarita is a Filipino multi-disciplinary artist based on the island province of Negros in the Visayan region of the Philippines. His primary creative practice evolves around the fusion of art and sustainability

Q&A

What attracted you to the Leadership Program?

Simply the ideals of empowering art leaders in the Global South through the Australia Council Future Leaders Program highlights the reshaping of strengthened collaboration with fellow Australian creatives. It aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals No.10: that states to “Reduce inequality within and among countries” by “facilitating the mobility of artists and cultural professionals”.

The program resolutely resonates with my artistic endeavors and acquiesce the wonderments I have in my desire to collaborate with artists working on different disciplines. Designed for transformative creative growth, the program enlightens a pathway where I can deeply reflect my role as a ‘creative activist’: an activator, facilitator, and educator.

With the vast shared knowledge and experiences, Future Leaders Program co-creates a network that will be a life-source and repository of inter-generational creative exchanges that will help shape the future direction of the arts.

Why do you think it is important to develop Arts Leaders?

Bold, visionary, and resilient are the values Art Leaders implore in the field – and to move forward with the evolution of the society, it is important to develop and nurture Art Leaders as creative industry paves the way of the future.

Having the keen discipline for creative thinking and innovation, Art Leaders must be encouraged to elevate their potentials as key players for societal change – and most importantly as vanguards of arts and culture whereby the foundation of humanity’s rich evolution magnifies the collective sense of aspiring for a sustainable way of living.

Creative leadership exemplifies heart-to-heart collaboration – opening up a space for integrated blending of work and life experiences; and only aims to equally consider every solution to impact collective communities.

Are there ideas around leadership that need to change for our sector to thrive? Are the current notions of leadership still relevant?

For the creative sector to thrive and specifically on the level of global collaboration among creative practitioners, current notions of ‘leadership’ must shift to highly aspire to celebrate life of freedom, life to a healthy environment, life in equality and equity.

Just as the song “The Times They Are a-Changin” prophesized implications of significant transitions, in this present time, there is a call for real change in leadership – something that nurtures compassion and altruism.

There is a conspicuous impulse of awakening consciousness as more and more creative citizens are highlighting ways in promoting actions of greater social impact by means of creative approaches.

The best part of it all is that leadership in the grassroots are continuing to grow and inspiring sparks of ingenuity among communities that collectively inspire each other to aspire for a better, creative way of living.

What are the top three qualities of leaders that inspire you?

Activator, facilitator and educator.

Biography

Razcel Jan Salvarita is a Filipino multi-disciplinary artist based on the island province of Negros in the Visayan region of the Philippines. His primary creative practice evolves around the fusion of art and sustainability – integrating artistic endeavors in painting, new media, creative writing, installation and performance art.

As a ‘community artivist’, Ra’z had led and organized community actions that has shown the ‘strength of the arts as a tool for change’. It is evident with the numerous creative campaigns he has done related to local and international environmental movements – including creative stints in two U.N. Climate Change conferences. He is the founder of Gugma Gaia – a local non-profit advocating for deep eco-consciousness through creative educational learning.

Previously for three consecutive years, he was the Festival Director of the 6200 Pop Up: Arts and Crafts Fair – a major flagship creative industry event by the Department of Trade and Industry – Negros Oriental. With his orientation in creative community engagements, he continues to expand his collaborations with different sectors that can interlink art and social interventions.

Being an artist representative for the South-East Asia Delta (SEAΔ) Arts program of the Mekong Cultural Hub and the British Council, he collaborated with three fellows from the ASEAN region in a creative immersion within the communities covered throughout the ‘biotrade’ program of the international NGO Helvetas in Myanmar.

Learn more about the 2020 Leadership Program participants.