Historical Background of CAN

The idea of organizing a Caraga-wide umbrella artist organization have actually been long conceived by some known artists of Agusan and Surigao Provinces. However, uniting and forming ONE Caraga-wide artists organization was never an easy task. Prominent artists in the region are aware that for any region-wide plan to meaningfully materialize it should have the active participation of other artists from the region.

Through the initiative of Sai Collado who started his artistic career as an actor/choreographer of Sining Agusanon in Butuan City before becoming a member and a resident choreographer of the Sining Kambayoka Ensemble of Mindanao State University, who also has a burning desire within him to unite the Caraga Artists , few consultative sessions were made by him together with few known Butuan Artists personalities such as Titing Trinquite, Jay Baroquillo and Ayet Guno, in connection with the setting-up of the National Theatre Alliance. Facilitated through the support of the NCCA, an artists consultative meeting was held on August 1, 2007 in San Lorenzo Ruiz Formation Center where prominent Caraga practicing artists attended. While most attendance were from Butuan City, artists from Surigao City, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte and Bah-Bah (PNU), Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur attended. The unanimous voice of the attending artists in that consultative meeting on the main issue of NTA Membership of Caraga Artists was to defer membership with the proposed NTA at this time. All the attending Caraga Artists in that forum were united in its intention to strengthen first the network of all artists within Caraga Region before membership with the NTA is considered and accepted.

The name CARAGA ARTISTS’ NETWORK now started to float among practicing artists in Butuan City, Surigao City and Cabadbaran City. A second regional artists meeting was conducted in Cabadbaran City just a few days immediately after the San Lorenzo Ruiz’s meeting primarily to start organizing the CARAGA ARTISTS’ NETWORK. Attending artists in such meeting agreed and decided to start establishing the membership policy of the prospective umbrella artist organization, and selection of the members of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES should now have to be started.

Finally, on October 13, 2007 an organizational meeting was held at the Penthouse of the Sto. Niňo Shrine Convent. At about 9 am, the meeting started with Sai Collado presiding. In such meeting, the body selected the pioneer members of the organization’s BOARD OF TRUSTEES, configured the organizational set-up of the organization and did a tentative planning for the remaining months of 2007 and the whole of 2008. Bishop Zacarias Jimenez not only sponsored the lunch, dinner and snacks of the artists but also gave the artists an inspirational message in quantum concept after which he emphasized how important the role of the artists in society is. The new BOARD OF TRUSTEES held election to elect the officers of the organization. Unanimously, the new officers and pioneer members of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES agreed that the organization will have to be registered the soonest possible time with SEC… And the CARAGA ARTISTS’ NETWORK is born!