Sulyap 2.0

Juan Gonzales is a Filipino migrant and multi-disciplinary theatre-maker based in Dubai. He began his artistic journey in the Philippines, where he studied and practiced theater, learning early on that art must engage with social issues. This belief continues to inform his work today.

Juan is a co-founder of +63Kolektib, and directed Ang Pambansang Litanya ng mga Inang Wala sa Bayan (The National Litany of Mothers Away from the Motherland), Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang sa UAE (Tales of Grandma Basyang in the UAE), and Metro Diaries. By day (and sometimes until late night), he is a travel retail professional.

Jomel Duran Reyes is a Theatre and performance-maker based in Abu Dhabi, dedicated to promoting Filipino culture through the lens of the migrant experience. He is the co-founder of +63Kolektib, an all-Filipino theatre and performance group in the UAE that provides a platform for Filipino artists in the region.

Since 2018, Jomel has produced and contributed to numerous performance projects across both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including Pambansang Litanya ng mga Inang Wala sa Bayan (National Litany of Mothers Away from the Motherland) and the Tipon: Artists Round Up Series, among others.

His most recently concluded project, as a producer, was the December 2023 production of Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang (Stories of Lola Basyang), a cherished Filipino literary classic. This production reimagined the tales through the lens of Filipino migrant and second-generation experiences, exploring themes of identity, heritage, and belonging.

Jomel is also a proud member of the inaugural cohort of the NYU Abu Dhabi and The Arts Center’s Numoo Arts Program, where he further developed his knowledge in performance and arts leadership.

Trixie Danielle is a UAE-based client manager in the learning and development sector by day, and a multidisciplinary artist, always. Her creative work delves in the themes of migration, identity, and belonging, expressed through theatre, poetry, and storytelling. With a particular focus on the Filipino diaspora, her art fosters cross-cultural connection and collective reflection, reimagining personal and communal memory in the pursuit of shared narrative and creative collaboration.

A proud alumna of USLS Maskara Theater Ensemble, Trixie has performed on stages such as the Black Box Theater for Hekayah 2024 and the Theater of Digital Arts (ToDA) for Sulyap. She is a 2024 Numoo Fellow at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi.

As a core member and secretary (2025–2027) of TRIBE Creatives, Trixie was the lead writer behind Sulyap, a production brought to life in partnership with the Emirates Literature Foundation. Her work with +63Kolektib includes co-writing for Metro Diaries, a poignant exploration of migrant journeys, and reimagining classic Filipino folktales in Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. She also collaborated with artist Robert de Guzman on the Museum of Migration and Memory, an archival performance project.

Beyond the stage and page, you can find her hiking, running, or throwing discs on the field playing ultimate frisbee.

Fran is a Graphic Designer by day (and sometimes night, if they’re not painting or playing an instrument). Fran saves concert wristbands, sketchbooks they never finish, and packaging that folds in cool ways. Stuff that probably should’ve been recycled years ago.

Lately, Fran has been floating around +63Kolektib, helping out where they can. It’s not a job or a title, just something they fell into. It has shown them something they really love: how visuals, in that world, feel less like a product and more like a living, breathing part of something bigger; something shared.