OPEN CALL: THE BALIKBAYAN PROJECT
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Centre A is delighted to announce a new 4-month mentorship program called The Balikbayan Project, for self-identifying Filipino youths starting on August 30, 2025. Facilitated by Lead Programmer, Geraldine Yaris aims to reflect on the Filipino concept of Kapwa which encapsulates shared identity and interconnectedness. This youth programming series and culminating exhibition will provide an opportunity for youths to commune, grieve and respond to the continued need for a physical space for the Filipino community, especially in the light of the Lapu Lapu tragedy which occurred on April 26, 2025. Balikbayan, literally meaning return to one’s country, refers to the practice of shipping goods from overseas Filipinos back to their families and signifies the return of youth to their own roots through culture, community, acts of care, sharing, and resourcefulness.
This project centres self-identifying, underrepresented Filipino youths who may not have had formal opportunities to engage in the arts, cultural mentorship, or community leadership. Centre A aims to support these youths in cultivating leadership skills, affirming cultural identity through culturally specific art-making and community-building workshops that contribute to the long-term resilience of Filipino arts and culture in British Columbia. This cohort model also ensures that participants build peer networks that extend beyond the program, contributing to a stronger, more interconnected Filipino Canadian arts ecosystem.
The participants will leave with an opportunity to showcase their work in a collaboratively curated exhibition at Centre A from January – March 2026.
This program is supported by United Way’s Kapwa Strong Fund.
PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY:
Open to self identifying Filipino youth or young adults between the ages of 18-25 at the start of the program residing in Metro Vancouver (a maximum of five participants will be chosen for the program)
Must be able to commit to the entirety of the program’s duration (a total of 10 sessions over a 4-month period)
Have an interest in contemporary art and culture, writing, and/or curation, and be passionate about Vancouver’s arts and cultural scenes
Have an interest in Filipino arts and culture
Be willing to learn, listen, and work alongside a community of fellow youths, guest speakers, artists, curators and Centre A Staff
Able to commit to developing work(s) and participate in the curation of the exhibition
BENEFITS:
A two-month long group exhibition of the participant’s works from January – March 2026 collaboratively curated with other cohort members
Usage of the Centre A Gallery space throughout the program
Curatorial, administration and marketing support and mentorship, including event assets such as social media promotion, postcards and exhibition photos
Exclusive access to five arts, culture and community talks/workshops with other participants
Space, refreshments, and facilitation for five cohort meet-ups to connect, reflect on the talks/workshops and plan for the culminating exhibition
The opportunity to connect and collaborate with other emerging arts practitioners in Vancouver
Opportunities for networking and collaboration with local and international publishers, publications, galleries, and arts institutions
ABOUT THE LEAD PROGRAMMER:
Geraldine Yaris is a queer, multidisciplinary, Filipino-Canadian artist and cultural worker from the unceded territory of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, Coquitlam. Outside her role as the Communications Officer at Centre A, her favourite activities include painting, dancing, and the occasional karaoke night. She has often struggled with where her Filipino identity fits into her creative journey. After Lapu Lapu day, the grief of the Filipino diasporic community was made highly visible—all the while, Filipinos continued to face structural barriers to cultural community hubs and resources through which to process collectively. Experiencing this gap in need has inspired Geraldine to leverage the impact of her work in the arts sector, to create programs that strengthen her community by uplifting her peers. She holds a Bachelor of Design degree from Capilano University and has collaborated with Capilano Courier, City of Coquitlam, One More Life Gallery, SADMAG, Chairman Ting and more.
PROGRAM DETAILS
LOCATION: Programming will be conducted IN-PERSON at Centre A, 205–268 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC. Accessibility details are listed below in the “About Centre A” section
DATES:
Saturday August 30, 2025
Saturday September 6, 2025
Saturday September 20, 2025
Saturday October 4, 2025
Saturday October 18, 2025
Saturday November 1, 2025
Saturday November 15, 2025
Saturday November 29, 2025
Saturday December 6, 2025
Saturday December 13, 2025
REMUNERATION: Each participants will receive an honorarium of $1,500 for the successful completion of the program (including attendance of a minimum of 8 of 10 sessions) as well as an artist exhibition fee of $644. (CARFAC 2026 rate)
HOW TO APPLY
Deadline to submit: August 11, 2025, 11:59 PM PST
If you believe you would be a fit for this program, please send the following in a single PDF file by email to info@centrea.org with “APPLICATION: The Balikbayan Project” in the subject line
Your application should include:
Your contact information
A letter of intent (500 words maximum) outlining your background and interest in contemporary art and/or Filipino culture, as well as your goals for participating in the program
A portfolio showcasing your artistic practice (3 pages maximum) or a link to website or social media
Any accessibility needs
Successful applicants can expect to hear back by August 16, 2025. Due to the large volume of applications, we are unable to respond to every applicant.
If you require assistance with submitting your application, please get in touch with us at +1 (604) 683-8326 or info@centrea.org.
ABOUT CENTRE A
Established in 1999, Centre A is the only public art gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian diasporic perspectives. We are committed to providing a platform for engaging diverse communities through public access to the arts, creating mentorship opportunities for emerging artists and arts professionals, and stimulating critical dialogue through provocative exhibitions and innovative public programs that complicate understandings of migrant experiences and diasporic communities. In addition to our exhibition space, we house a reading room with a collection of books on transnational Asian art, including the Finlayson Collection of Rare Asian Art Books.
Centre A is located in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, on the second floor of the Sun Wah Centre Mall. The gallery is located on the second floor of a wheelchair-accessible building which has an elevator. Bathrooms are gendered with accessible stalls. Please contact us at info@centrea.org for full details, including any accommodation requests.