HappeningPH Performance! The Plight of South East Asian Domestic Workers Through the Magic of Dance and Witchcraft

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), with the Goethe-Institut Philippinen, proudly presents Magic Maids, a cultural ritual and dance performance interlacing the fear and oppression of women from centuries ago to today, at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) from November 7 to 9, 2025.

Conceptualized and choreographed by Eisa Jocson and Venuri Perera, Magic Maids is a dance performance that interweaves the complexities and similarities of maids to the trials and tribulations of sorceresses. Through the lens of feminist resistance, the 80-minute performance is told through the perspective of both the sorceress and the maid, using the broom, not only as a metaphor for the shared experiences of prejudice and sacrifice, but also as a physical device that connects both archetypal figures.

The dance performance is a ritual, a collective retelling of the hushed stories of domestic workers in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, providing a broader perspective on the exploitation of labor in the Global South likened to the European witch hunts.

With Jocson and Perera born and raised from the Global South, it adds an extra layer of cultural and personal touch in the show’s storytelling through its ritual in denouncing the oppression of women that continues to haunt the globe and uplifting feminist resistance.

On November 9 at 11:00 AM, Jocson and Perera will lead a workshop titled Broomology 101 at the TIG Lobby. In this session, the broom serves as a central axis linking the archetypes of the sorceress and the housemaid, becoming a tool for playful transformation and somatic exploration. Participants will explore what it means to extend themselves through the broom—merging, becoming wild, and engaging with the power of intention through movement and collective experience—while examining the spectrum between beauty and monstrosity.

Jocson is an interdisciplinary artist based in La Union. With a background in ballet, she drifted towards the contemporary dance genre and pole dancing, which continues to amplify her work and exploration of body politics and exploitation of migrant work in her own country, the Philippines.

Perera is an independent creator from Colombo. She has curated and produced projects of the Colombo Dance Platform and is currently a member of the Dance Panel of the Arts Council in Sri Lanka. Her works focus on the patriarchy, colonialism and class struggle, a reflection of her own experiences and the collective experience of women in her nation.

Performances for ‘Magic Maids’ will be held on November 7 and 8, at 5pm, and November 9, at 8pm.

Regular ticket price is Php600 and student discount ticket is priced at Php300 upon presentation of valid ID.

Interested workshop participants can register until November 4, 2025 through the registration link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3GUt_9AlzYuTEt31AiA-fhPT4A_FuctYhl1-Y4viMabAFjg/viewform. Selected participants will receive a confirmation from the Goethe-Institut.

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