What is OICA?
The Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA) seeks to advance UP Diliman (UPD) to the forefront of artistic and cultural engagement in the country by providing its artists, cultural workers, and scholars with rich and varied spaces and opportunities to realize their full potentials while enriching the artistic and cultural experience of the UPD community and beyond.
OICA was created by the UP Board of Regents in March 1999 to formulate policies, guidelines, plans and programs on artistic and cultural activities for UPD.
As such, it is envisioned to systematize programs towards the development of medium- and long-term plans for culture and the arts, in the context of UPD’s mission and vision. It is likewise tasked to create and sustain domestic and international art and linkages and generate additional funds to sustain its programs.
The Office has five major functions.
The first is to formulate policies and programs on artistic and cultural activities for the UPD campus that will enrich the experiences of the UPD academic community, at the same time promoting humanistic and nationalistic values and creating an environment conducive to the full realization of the artists’ potentials.
The second function is to organize, coordinate and/or support various artistic and cultural activities and programs at UPD in theater, music, cinema, visual arts, and other art forms; the third is to promote and support the various artists and artistic groups and the fourth is to plan and oversee the development of cultural facilities and infrastructure on campus.
Its final function is to promote UPD as a major cultural center in the Philippines.
To do this, OICA has created four key programs, namely: Artist Support, Audience Development, Venue Development, and Cultural Exchange. These programs provide financial and technical support to artists and art groups, as well as artistic and cultural initiatives of units and organizations. OICA has also proactively developed and implemented its own projects to further enhance the initiatives from various sectors of the University.
