The campers of “Sparks Camp” season two at a Pride Parade. Image: X/@Black_SheepPH
For the showrunners, season two of the queer dating show “Sparks Camp” is a reminder of why bringing stories of the LGBTQIA+ community to the public matter, especially when it comes to queer love.
“Sparks Camp” season two, which was filmed in Pangasinan, aims to highlight stories of discovery and rediscovery among the queer community, aside from creating a “mutual spark” with a fellow camper.
The campers include Allan Pangilinan, Ejay Dimayacyac, Kyle Adlawan, Martin Chua, Miggy Ruallo, Pipoy Oreiro and Universe Ramos, who all identify as gay. On the other hand, Zuher Bautista Nakaoka identifies himself as bisexual.
“What’s exciting about this season is that it’s not only a quest for love but it’s also about discovering and rediscovering who you are… the campers gave so much of themselves in this show. Through their strong and vulnerable points, you would know why they’re worthy of love,” Mela Habijan, the show’s resident “Mother Sparker,” said.
Habijan, who was part of the press conference through a video call, was joined by director Theodore Boborol, writer Hyro Aguinaldo and producer Patrick Valencia.
Meanwhile, Boborol said one of the factors in deciding the final campers was knowing an auditionee’s preference when it comes to dating. He also shared that the influx of dating shows with the same format as “Sparks Camp” should be considered a win for the queers.
“There are many queer dating shows that came out after ‘Sparks Camp.’ I think that’s a win for the community because this genre is going mainstream,” he said. “Based on the mutual sparks that were formed, [it made me realize that] you have to fight for your love.”
More than the romance
While “Sparks Camp” revolves around dating, Valencia pointed out that the show wants to create a safe space for the community, in hopes of showing that queer love deserves its own platform.
“The campers have their own stories to tell which makes you learn from them. They are all part of the community, but we’re reminded that they came from different backgrounds. Even us, behind the scenes, we learned a lot from them,” added Valencia.
Aguinaldo then reminded reporters that “Sparks Camp” should not be merely seen as a dating show. He noted that it opens conversations about the LGBTQIA+ community, which the public would learn from.
“We are not just creating a show that’s meant for flirting or romantic relationships. We are creating a community inside sparks camp,” he said. “Aside from the flirting, creating conversations on topics that matter is a huge aspect. Many issues were brought up, like the LGBT+ community, society, and even family issues which even us, we don’t even discuss in our circle.”
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This led to the showrunners giving credit to Habijan’s hosting prowess as she made the campers feel safe. But the Miss Trans Global 2020 titleholder said it goes back to practicing “openness” wherever she goes, noting that it leads to “connecting” with different people.
“The show is worth fighting for, the show is worth standing for, the show is worth flying [home] for,” she added. “It showcases queerness at its finest, the vulnerability of a queer person, the beauty of a queer person, the fight of a queer person, and the stories of queer people. Let’s keep supporting queer content. I hope this will show why queer love matters.”
Like season one, the second installment of the series airs every Wednesday on the Black Sheep official YouTube channel.