BackSEA Joint Performance:
Dance Workshop by Cultural Partners
Submitted by LifeWork Company – Pichet Klunchun
This project is a collaborative performance that draws together various artists from Southeast Asia. The project is derived from the idea that despite political, social, religious as well as cultural differences in Southeast Asian countries, there are some cultural aspects that are widely shared by all these countries. We believe that the conflicts happening in this region result from the lack of understanding and awareness of cultural bond between each country. If we can encourage people to be aware of the cultural ties, we will create a sense of “Cultural Partners” among them. By being “Cultural Partners” we are able to reduce the conflicts for which we can create understanding and appreciation of the cultural differences and similarities within, among, and between countries in Southeast Asia.
The participating artists will be invited from the Southeast Asian region such as Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The artists will exchange and work collaboratively to profoundly explore their own as well as traditions of others and come up with a joint performance based on a theme that is shares by all of the participating artists.
The objectives of the project are to:
Stimulate the sense of “Cultural Partners” between countries in SEA.
Discover cultural similarities despite religious, social and political differences.
Exchange and share knowledge relating to contemporary and traditional dance.
Strengthen cultural cooperation within countries in Southeast Asia.
Develop artistic networks between countries in Southeast Asia.
The performance will take place at Chang Theater. The project will run in November 2007Objectives of the Project
The project is aimed to explore arts local wisdom in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, and to use the findings to help connect local cultures with a present society.
Goals of the Project
To utilize arts to mitigate conflicts arising from social differences, and to adjust local perspectives to be suitable for usage in a present society.
Project Description
The project provides opportunities for four artists from countries in Asia, comprising of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, to explore arts wisdom in the countries of their counterparts. They will then interpret the relationships and beliefs found in those arts to create a joint performance that demonstrates a combination of cultural differences and similarities to be shown in Thailand.
Project Implementation
First phase:
Selected artists collect information about local arts in their counterparts’ home countries by having a one-week study tour in each country. An artist of a host country will accompany their counterparts, and provide a program on what to see and/or study. Each artist, therefore, will be the host for the other three artists, while travel arrangement will be planned subjection to availability.
Second phase:
After learning about local performances in foreign countries, each participating artist will interpret what he/she has learned and discuss among themselves about three aspects: sameness, differences and similarities of arts of each culture. All the four artists will meet together in a nine-day workshop at a studio of LifeWork Company in Bangkok.
Third phase:
Participating artists conclude a workshop through a joint contemporary performance that reflects what are discussed during the workshop. The performance will be staged for the general public, particularly young generation.
LifeWork Company will organize a press conference and publicize about the performance to the general public through television, press, and print media. It is expected that the performance will be first scheduled in Bangkok. Performances in the other three countries (Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam), however, can be planned subject to the availability of funding.
Participants
Participants are four artists from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, and will be selected through a selection process.
Project timeframe
The project will be implemented in three phases as follows.
Each participating artist collects information about local arts in their counterparts’ home countries.
The participating artists exchange viewpoints, share documentation, and have a workshop together to prepare for a joint performance.
The participating artists stage a joint performance to the general public in Thailand.
Plan of Activities
August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007
1. Information about local arts collected in each country
2. Viewpoints and documents shared at a workshop
9 days
3. A joint performance conducted
Target groups
Members of the general public, particularly young generation.
Expected outcomes
From the past decades or the last century, we have not been able to observe how we can transform local performance into a new performance, while maintaining a nation’s cultural identity. As a result, we have borrowed forms and methods of the performances from the other parts of the world, mainly Europe. It will be great if we can encourage local artists to pay more attention to local or native wisdom in order to explore ways to improve them. Although it is envisioned that the proposed project may not show results immediately, it is expected that the project will at least succeed in generating information and evidence that will support the works of young generation who would like to sustain and develop arts in the future.
Project location
A workshop and discussions to exchange knowledge among participating artists will take place at
LifeWork Company’s studio at 700,
Soi Pracha-Utit 61,
Ratburana,
Bangkok 10140
THAILAND
A joint performance will be organized at a small theatre of the Cultural Center of Thailand or at the Siam Society. The performance will be staged only one time.
Previously, LifeWork Company had submitted this proposal to Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand, but the proposal was declined. However, if this proposed project receives only partial support from ANA, LifeWork Company is still confident that the project will achieve its goals and objectives. For LifeWork Company, a success has different stages. Encouraging discussions among artists is a success; thinking is a success as well.