Balay Kreative is a future Filipino-American arts hub in SOMA Pilipinas

Colonization and a dysfunctional government has forced Filipinos to search for economic opportunities and build new homes (balay) far and wide. In our adopted homelands, the struggles continued. Labor exploitation, political visibility, economic inequality, & mental health vex the Filipino - American experience. Our artists bear the brunt of these burdens. 

On the flipside our new homeland has offered up a wealth of cultural stimuli that makes Filipino - American culture unique. We live among other minorities: Asians, Blacks, and Latinos and our new culinary traditions reflect a hyper evolution of Filipino cuisine. Filipino - Americans also shape contemporary culture. Rappers vocalize our experiences, muralists celebrate what was and can be, while our writers & thespians humanize our stories.We are creatives shaping trends.

The adaptability of our identity has pushed some us to find truth in our roots. Filipino Americans are reclaiming pre-Filipino identities through studying baybayin and celebrating indigenous practices of weaving, dance, batok, and hilot.

With the overwhelming success of the UNDISCOVERED SF Night Markets, Kultivate Labs won a large grant by the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development in May 2019 to develop a new Filipino American Cultural Center we call Balay Kreative (House of Creatives) in the Filipino cultural district, SOMA Pilipinas. This initial grant kicks off a multi-year process to build a ~8,000 sq ft space with a visual arts gallery, a multi-purpose event space, a food court complete w/ a chef’s table and bar, along with space for artists workshops by 2025.

Desi Danganan
Executive Director, Kultivate Labs