In Conversation with Mark and Rizcel

Delve into the creative development of Magnify!

The Western platforms stories straight from the heart of western Sydney. Writer and content producer Laura Ranola interviews Magnify artists Rizcel Gagawanan and Mark Mariano about their latest collaboration on Hanap. Hanap means ‘search’ or ‘find’ in Tagalog and was written as part of Mark and Rizcel’s creative development for Magnify in 2021. Filled with laughter and real stories, follow the ups and downs of the writer’s creative journey and the hilarious and poignant final written piece.

Episode 1: Getting to know Rizcel, Mark, and Magnify 2022
The Western’s Laura chats to Mark and Rizcel about their artistic backgrounds and creative processes. The two introduce Magnify, reveal how they came about the program, and talk about meeting through Sweatshop.

Episode 2: How to ‘Hanap’ your creative groove
Mark and Rizcel open up about the developmental stages of their project and unwrap the cultural commonalities between them. They share some behind-the-scenes clips, a few lukewarm concepts and themes, and the creative homework tasks they set for themselves.

Episode 3: Representation or Stereotype?
Rizcel and Mark uncover their challenges, successes, and overall expectations for this project. Together they take a deep dive into Filipino representation in Australian media, and bond over their mutual love for Hi-5’s Kathleen De Leon.

Episode 4: It’s showtime!
Rizcel and Mark wrap the podcast and the first stage of their development with the ‘Hanap’ excerpts they prepared for the Magnify showcase in December 2021. ‘The Haircut Arcade’ and ‘Woodcroft Woes’ from ‘Hanap’ were written by Rizcel Gagawanan and Mark Mariano, with dramaturgy by Winnie Dunn and Claudia Chidiac.

LISTEN HERE

Mark Mariano (he/they) is a Filipino writer, performer and content producer from Doonside, on Darug land. Proudly queer, Mark’s work spans across SBS, BuzzFeed, Fruit Box Theatre, Kweens Of Comedy, Queerstories, United Nations NSW, ABC, and NetflixAU. He is also part of Sweatshop Western Sydney Literacy Movement, through which he contributed to their 2021 anthology, Racism, and their 2023 queer ACON anthology, Stories Out West.

Mark was an artist at the NYWF (2020, 2022), panelled at the SWF (2021, 2022), and at the EnQueer WF (2021, 2022). He was a highly commended shortlistee for the 2021 Deakin University Non-Fiction Prize, and appeared in FA(C)TS, a body positive docu-film produced by Demon Derriere and Dr. Naomi Koh Belic in 2022.

For Sydney WorldPride 2023, Mark appeared as a lead in ACON’s With Love campaign, headlined for Big Thick Energy, and was featured in SBS’ The Swiping Game.

Rizcel Gagawanan (she/her) is a Filipina-Australian actor, writer and producer originally from Turrbal but now lives and works on Gadigal Land. She has performed on stage and screen and has worked in TV writers’ rooms. Rizcel currently works as a production manager/producer for BuzzFeed Australia. Rizcel’s video series for Filipino Week garnered over 2 Million views across all BuzzFeed platforms.

Rizcel is the co-founder and co-producer of Kallective, a Sydney-based collective of Asian Australian creatives from multiple disciplines. Their new theatre work ‘Salt Baby’ has been supported by Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, PACT and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.

Rizcel was part of the 2022 AFTRS NSW Talent Camp to help develop her web series ‘Double Debut’. Rizcel is also a proud member of SWEATSHOP, a literacy movement in Western Sydney. Rizcel’s short story, Act Like a Filipino, is featured in Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate & Bigotry (Sweatshop, 2021).

‘In Conversation with Mark and Rizcel’ was published November 2021.

This project is presented by Blacktown Arts and The Western and supported by Blacktown City Council, Creative Australia and the NSW Government through Create NSW.