Who We Are
Way back in the early 1980’s, many of us who started CIRCA-Pintig were “fresh-off-the-planes” so to speak. Several of us came to Chicago to reunite with family members who had left the Philippines in the 1970’s due to the political repression and economic instability under the Marcos dictatorship. Coming to the U.S. was a desperate survival move.
The need to survive marked the new life that we had to build in Chicago as well. Thankfully, we had families and extended families who took us in and supported us until we could make it on our own. They are the true foundation and inspiration for all that we do in CIRCA-Pintig. Our work is our way of honoring them by sharing the gifts of life and love that we received over three decades ago.
Our Mission
CIRCA-Pintig (CP), a 30-year-old Chicago-based organization, is dedicated to empowering immigrant communities through arts-based and community-centered programs. With a mission deeply rooted in the Filipino term “Pintig” — meaning “heartbeat” or “pulse” — CP embodies a dual focus: offering essential resources and grassroots services to immigrants through its Immigrant Resources (IR) initiative, and fostering a community arts (CA) aesthetic that reflects and celebrates the multicultural American landscape and the diverse cultural histories of America. CP’s guiding principles of education, organization, and mobilization (E-O-M) have historically driven its efforts in education and advocacy through community performances and workshops.
Our Vision
We believe in the power of the arts for engaging community members in building and nurturing thriving communities that are fully empowered to determine their collective destinies. Our vision of a just and humane society rests upon our core belief that our communities can play a significant role and can contribute meaningfully towards upholding human rights for all and uplifting the human ideals that value life, freedom, justice and nurture individual human potentials to the fullest.
Our Funders and Partners
We are very proud to work with the following programs
