BackTaking Refuge in Theatre
A collaboration of the Makhampom Foundation and Karen artists on the Thai-Burma border
Submitted by Makhampom Foundation, Thailand
Aims/Objective/Goals
Brief Description
The Taking Refuge in Theatre project will run over several months to explore the development of a contemporary Karen theatre practice, involving a new generation of theatre workers from refugee backgrounds. The project derives from Makhampom’s long-term role in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border since 2000 in theatre for community cultural development projects, which has included community theatre performances, support for traditional artists, and
adhoc performance exchanges and the interest of the Karen Student Network Group (KSNG) in developing theatre practice on the border. The KSNG has been involved in several brief theatre workshops and has developed a series of small trainings and performances in 5 refugee camps, so have requested Makhampom to work with them intensively to develop this interest into ongoing practice.
The project will involve a series of performance workshops, research initiatives and theatre devising to develop a Karen theatre troupe with sufficient skills to translate into a body of practice. This will be based on the principles of cultural survival and popular communication, recognizing the impact of displacement on the Karen people as a result of the repressive SPDC regime in Burma. Makhampom’s approach towards a theatre practice that is grounded and supportive of traditional forms is appropriate in working in the context of the Karen refugees, so the support for diminishing Karen forms, including the extraordinary Do’ dance, will be addressed through this development of a new generation of theatre workers, while exploring contemporary stories and issues of displacement.
The theatre workers from KSNG, including members of the Karen Youth Organization (KYO) and Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) will participate in a series of trainings, including physical theatre, storyboard & scriptwriting, material-based sound and music, basic puppetry, Do’ Dance, Karen folk song and music. There is also the potential for acrobatics and circus training to be provided by New Circus Asia. This will be complemented by research activities into traditional stories, mythologies, and performance practices in the refugee camps. A performance-devising process will culminate in a showcase in migrant Karen communities in Tak province and in the refugee camps.
Methodology & Implementation
The project will run over a 6-month period, involving four components:
1. Makhampom Theatre Training Series
3-5 day trainings facilitated by Makhampom Theatre Group:
A) Physical theatre (5 days)
B) Storyboard & Scriptwriting (4 days)
C) Material-based sound and music (3 days)
D) Basic puppetry (4 days)
Note: A workshop in acrobatics & circus skills may be conducted by volunteer trainers from New Circus Asia as a supplementary training program
2. Traditional Karen arts research and teaching (10 days)
This will involve:
(i) a 6-day collaborative research process involving members of the Karen theatre troupe and Makhampom researchers conducting interviews with traditional artists in Karen refugee camps and migrant communities to collect traditional literature and oral histories, and undertaking audio, photo, and video documentation of performance styles and material;
(ii) teaching classes by traditional artists of Do’ Dance, folk music and song, conducted concurrently with the research;
(iii) 4-day exploration workshop with renowned Thai-Karen musician and singer, Saw Suweicha (Suwichan Phattanaphraiwan).
3. Performance Devising Process (7 days)
The skills, resources and material collected and developed through the training, research, and teaching process will be developed into performance work by the group, facilitated by the Makhampom artistic team. This will be a group devised process, designed by the collaborators from the Karen troupe and Makhampom.
4. Performance Showcase & Touring Theatre (1 day +)
The performance work will be showcased in a performance event in Mae Sot for Karen migrant communities, Karen organizations, and international agencies and guests. A touring theatre program in the refugee camps in Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces will be undertaken (Note: this component will be dependent on other funding sources.)
Training and performance devising activities will be based in Mae Sot at the MAP training centre. Research and teaching will be conducted in refugee camps, particularly in Mae La, Umphian, and Nu Po, with the implementation dependent on access issues involving camp passes and security of travel. Performance sites will be determined through the research and devising phases.
The research data and documentation will be compiled into a collection of resources, as audiovisual recordings, website, and resource document.
Time Frame
July - December, 2008
1. Makhampom Theatre Training Series July – October
2. Traditional Karen arts research and teaching July – October
3. Performance Devising Process November – December
4. Performance Showcase & Touring Theatre December
Projected Output
There will be several projected outputs:
(i) The development of the Karen theatre troupe, with mechanisms for the group to continue to work independently following the completion of the project, with Makhampom shifting to a mentorship and support role;
(ii) Performance material developed as repertoire, for ongoing touring activities within refugee camps and in migrant communities along the Thai-Burma border;
(iii) The members of the Karen troupe will become trainers for refugees within the refugee camps, transferring their skills to youth artists in 5 refugee camps;
(iv) The research data and resources will be compiled into web, audio-visual, and report forms for public access and documentary use;
Target Audience
The target audience can be identified at several levels:
(i) Direct participants
The group of 12-15 theatre workers from KSNG (including 2-3 members of KWO and KYO) will be the participant group throughout the entire project, referred to as the Karen theatre troupe;
(ii) Traditional artists
The traditional Karen artists, expected to number 10-20, are a key target group in the project, both in terms of being cultural supporters and teachers, but also in raising their profile within the Karen camp communities to strengthen the role of traditional arts for the survival of displaced societies;
(iii) Performance audience
The performance audience for the showcase in Mae Sot will not be a large, public gathering due to security restrictions on cultural activities amongst Karen refugee communities. Approximately 100-200 people from Karen communities, Karen community-based organizations, NGOs, and other invited guests will be expected.
(iv) Karen refugee communities and cultural organizations
The long-term target audiences will be reached through the theatre touring activities and outreach theatre training in the refugee camps. Typically, performances in the camps will draw audiences of 200-1,000 people, so in the long-term the theatre work of the Karen theatre troupe can be expected to reach between 5,000 and 20,000 people. The participants in theatre outreach workshops with KSNG are expected to number about 100 people, from 5-7 camps.
7. Information Dissemination to Target Audience
Information in terms of meeting traditional artists, inviting audience to the performance showcase, and distributing resources is typically undertaken by word of mouth through the highly-organized Karen networks that operate between the refugee camps, townships such as Mae Sot, migrant communities in Thailand, and the Karen population in Karen State inside Burma. The performance works will be the primary form of communication with camp and migrant communities, with the Karen theatre troupe effectively becoming a popular community media group along the border area. Video and document resources will be directly disseminated amongst the key Karen and international organizations for information and documentation purposes. The website and documentary resources will provide the access to the broader public, particularly within Asia and for exiled Karen populations in Western countries.
Project Impact and Art-form Development
In addition to the development of theatre as a community media form for promoting dialogue about social issues facing the displaced Karen populations, the project is expected to be particularly important in terms of art-form development. The issue of cultural survival is recognized as a key issue amongst Karen organizations and this project will seek to address this concern through developing contemporary Karen theatre practice, that provides a bridge between traditional art-forms and the contemporary perspective of the young generation. The issue of identity and tradition, that is being explored throughout Asia, is a critical theme in the refugee communities because of the level of cultural destruction due to war and displacement. This project is intended to provide some practical response to this situation, while raise awareness and debate about issues of cultural identity and artistic practice for displaced people.