OPEN SPACE @30

 

Find your practice this September

Whether you begin your morning with breath and movement, wind down with a quieter practice, or make space for something deeper, there’s a place for you on the mat at The Creative Commons.

This September, join Ashtanga Yoga Baguio for Ashtanga Mysore and selected Soft Hour sessions with Danni, or find your flow with Yoga with Shoil through Hatha and Yin Yoga.

Different practices. Different rhythms. One space to move, breathe, and reconnect.

September on the mat at The Commons.

Schedules and reservation details are on the pubmat.

Mat spaces are limited — reserve yours through the corresponding QR code.

The Creative Commons by Altomonte Projects
10 Maya Street, Dizon Subdivision, Baguio City

For the love of Baguio

Last night, we screened our documentary, Portrait of a Hill Station, that traced Baguio's genesis as a city, at the Creative Commons to an intimate audience of artists, cultural workers, academics, other community voices, and joining us were three incumbent councilors, Atty. Jose M. Molintas, Atty. Peter Fianza, and Atty. Paolo Salvosa, and a former mayor, Peter Rey Bautista - the latter four, through the years, I've found myself sitting with, across from, marching with, debating with, standing with and opposite of, raising a glass with...

If there's one thing that the insightful, passionate yet respectful discourse that followed revealed, it's everyone's love for the city we all call home.

With the conversation that our work sparked, an artist couldn't ask for more.

Mabuhay ang mga Ibagiw!

/KMA

BAGUIO. NOW WHAT?

 

In celebration of Baguio Day, join us for Portrait of a Hill Station, a documentary on the history of the City of Baguio, presented through an in-person screening at The Creative Commons and streamed live online for those who can't join us at the venue.

The screening will be followed by BAGUIO: NOW WHAT? — a conversation with a select panel of artists, cultural workers, invited public officials, and community voices reflecting on Baguio then, Baguio now, and where we go from here.

IN-PERSON SCREENING: Seating is limited and reservation is required: https://forms.gle/Tngbtr5GkUgewwLDA

ONLINE: The event will also be streamed live. Details and the streaming link will be posted separately.

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PARKING: Parking at The Creative Commons is very limited. Carpooling and/or public transportation is strongly recommended.

CHARACTER STUDIES

First day of class

Just days before the second batch of the Acting 101 for Adults workshop was scheduled to begin, we still had no enrollees. We were already considering postponing it when, almost all at once, three people signed up after we adjusted the schedule to accommodate their circumstances: Scott, an expat now living in Baguio; Rachel, a cultural worker with a wide range of creative interests; and Buhay, a fairly newly minted adult whose thirst for learning seems insatiable.

My first thought was practical: how was I going to stage their culminating showcase? The first batch had consisted of four women, making it relatively easy to build a story around a shared set of characters. This time, the dynamics were entirely different.

From top left: Buhay, Rachel and Scott executing a sense memory exercise.

Directing Buhay

The first session began much like the previous batch. After all, I was working from the same syllabus. But it didn't take long for me to realize that a workshop outline is only a starting point. Every class brings together different personalities, different experiences, different aspirations, and different reasons for wanting to act. A curriculum cannot be carved in stone; it has to respond to the people in the room.

One thing, however, remained constant. The culminating showcase would include both filmed work and a live performance. This is Acting 101, after all—not strictly a theater course—and I wanted the students to experience the unique demands of both the camera and the stage.

For this batch, we devised an original monologue for each student, created an improvisational piece built around excerpts from classic plays, and worked on three two-character scenes so that each student had the opportunity to perform with both of the others. The result was a showcase that felt less like a recital and more like a conversation—between actors, between forms, and between three very different artistic journeys.

Perhaps that's the lesson this second batch reminded me of most. Acting can be taught, but no two classes can be taught in exactly the same way. Every group writes its own workshop. My role is simply to help them discover the performance that only they can create.

Below are some scenes from "Character Studies," the culminating showcase of the Acting 101 for Adults Class Batch 2. 

In the beginning, three actors, neutral, a stool down stage center with a watch on it.

Scott Provençal did a reading of the famour "No, Thank You" speech from Cyrano de Bergerac

Scott Provençal and Rachel Cobcobo in a scene from "Routine Check-up"

Scott Provençal and Buhay Romawac in a scene from "First Day"

Buhay performed an excerpt from "Pepe," Malou Jacob's monologue on Jose Rizal 

Workshop photos by Mai Fianza-Sarmiento

Performance photos by Ferdie Balanag

Commons Sense: Mindfulness, Creativity, and Connection

What does it mean to slow down in a world that rarely does?

That question lay at the heart of Commons Sense, an open house hosted by the Creative Commons by Altomonte Projects in an afternoon dedicated to pausing, noticing, creating, breathing, and rediscovering a deeper sense of presence within ourselves and with one another.

The event brought together artists, facilitators, wellness practitioners, and curious participants for a series of interactive experiences that celebrated mindfulness through creativity and everyday practice.

The event opened with welcome remarks from Creative Commons co-founder RL Altomonte, who invited everyone into the space and shared the vision behind the Creative Commons as a place where creativity, learning, and community come together.

Participants then explored a diverse range of sessions throughout the afternoon. 

Ken Miclat of Café de Angelo encouraged participants to experience coffee preparation as a mindful ritual with Poetry of the Pour, an invitation to slow down and appreciate the beauty found in simple, intentional acts.

Karlo Marko Altomonte led Acting & Self-Awareness, exploring how theater cultivates presence,
empathy, and a greater understanding of ourselves through mindful observation and authentic expression.

Ashtanga Yoga Baguio introduced guests to the Mysore method through The Practice That Meets You and Beginning Where You Are, demonstrating how yoga can become a deeply personal and sustainable practice. The experience of slowing down continued with an Introduction to Sound Bath and Meditation led by Danni Addug, where participants were invited to settle into stillness, listen deeply, and experience the restorative effects of sound and guided meditation.

            

Creativity took tangible form through Andrea Fe Gomez's Making Meaning from Fragments, where participants transformed found images into expressive collages, while Kreative Mood invited guests to reflect through Found Objects Journaling, discovering stories and meaning in everyday objects and memories.

Rounding out the day's offerings, Paolo San Juan and Kristina Lesley Caburao presented The Art of Getting Ready, exploring hair, makeup, and personal styling not as routines of appearance, but as mindful practices of self-care and self-expression.

More than a collection of workshops, Commons Sense was an invitation to experience creativity not merely as something we produce, but as a way of paying attention to the world around us. It reminded us that mindfulness can be found in movement, in stillness, in conversation, in making art, in preparing a cup of coffee, or simply in taking the time to be fully present.

At the Creative Commons by Altomonte Projects, we believe that creativity flourishes where curiosity, community, and presence meet. Commons Sense was a celebration of that belief—and a reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful thing we can do is simply slow down, pay attention, and reconnect—with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us.

Staying Power: Celebrating Courage, Growth, and the Creative Journey

Staying Power marked the culmination of a remarkable journey undertaken by two young performers as they explored voice, movement, storytelling, and self-expression through the Teen Theater Lab at the Creative Commons by Altomonte Projects.

In an intimate showcase attended by their families, friends, and alumni of previous Creative Commons workshops, the two young ladies took to the stage with courage and authenticity, sharing a story not only of performance, but of perseverance, confidence, and the quiet strength it takes to keep moving forward despite fear.

The showcase unfolded in three interconnected pieces, each reflecting a different aspect of their growth as performers. It opened with a devised movement piece that introduced the audience to Rudolf Laban's Eight Basic Efforts, the movement principles the students had been studying throughout the course. These expressive movement qualities became the physical vocabulary that shaped their powerful interpretation of Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman, allowing them to embody the poem with intention, energy, and individuality.

The evening concluded with The First Scene, an original devised work inspired by their own experiences entering the workshop. Looking back at the uncertainty, hesitation, and excitement of that first day, the piece served as both a reflection on where they began and a celebration of how far they had come.

More than a showcase of theatrical skills, Staying Power was a testament to the transformative power of creative learning. It reminded us that theater is not simply about performance—it is about discovering one's voice, building confidence, learning to collaborate, and finding the courage to be seen.

We congratulate our latest graduates: Fevi Gabrielle De La Cruz and Daena Valbuena!

At the Creative Commons by Altomonte Projects, we celebrate not only the techniques our students acquire, but also the resilience, creativity, and self-belief they carry with them long after the final curtain call. We are proud of these two young performers and excited for all the creative possibilities that lie ahead for them.

FO(u)R WOMEN

L-R: Karlo Marko Altomonte, Program Director, Maia Katerina Bautista, 
Dona Mariz Bullong, Darlene Hanna Marino, Roxanne Chanfing
and associate facilitator Mai Fianza-Sarmiento 

The first batch of the Acting 101 Class for Adults took to the stage last night with Fo(ur) Women featuring a theatrical sketch chronicling their journey though 4 weeks, 12 sessions of acting exercises and lectures, filmed short monologues and "Metro," a short play about four friends getting lost, and finding themselves, in a foreign city.

The showcase also featured a talkback session with some of Baguio's local theater artists/directors including Ferdinand Balanag, Lynette Grace Bibal, Dennis Gutierrez, Andre Inso, and Markneel Balgos. Brava, Maia, Dona, Darlene and Roxanne!

Below are scenes from the main feature of the showcase:

YOUR SUNDAY RESET

 

Last Sunday's event by Journal Social Baguio, YOUR SUNDAY RESET, an afternoon of slow living, creativity, and genuine connection, filled every available space at the Commons Cafe so much creative energy as participants gathered to journal, swap stickers and stationeries with a yoga session in between.

Caffeinating and nourishing the journal-ists were Cafe de Angelo and Cafe Cueva, our residents at the Commons Cafe (which, by the way, is open daily from 10AM-7PM).

Do you have an activity in mind and need a space for it? Check out the Creative Commons by Altomonte Projects at 10 Maya St., Dizon Subdivision, Baguio City.