Chiang Dao...
Misty mountains, dragon fruit, magnificent foresty peaks, dirt roads, motorbike ridin, listening, learning, meetings, meetings, more meetings (no contribution from me though, which is a nice change!), cicada dreaming, mosquito dreaming, dengue fevers, community health workers, white rice, rice and more rice, fish sauce with fresh chillies, mmmmmm coffee, temples, many broken pay phones (in fact, could not find one that would work), morning markets - boiled eggs (in case there was no vegetarian food at the farm today), bananas, mangosteen, dragon fruit and lots of strange looks in my direction...
Makhampom Theatre Group...
Vibrant, passionate, performers, singers, songwriters, happy people, activists, family, thai style organisers, relaxed, no pressure, artists, long term stayers - lots of folks have been here 15 years or more ... there are now 4 generations of makhampom folks... working with schools (21 of them in fact), performing all across asia, book bikes - little trailers of books that are attached to motorbikes and taken throughout the region, train the trainer programs, international exchange programs and an array of other things i do not yet have my head around...
what i know so far is that makhampom is managed within three streams:
- education program (all over thailand - theatre for transformation work)
- performance (mainstream performance outcomes and audience development)
- community (chiang dao villages and community cultural development work nation wide)
- international (study tours, exchanges and theatre programs)
what will i be working on?
well, it is all still in development but, for now...
- reviewing and consolidating the reunion festival program for next year
- developing some communications strategies for different programs
- developing and promoting the train the trainer framework
- looking into the web-based marketing and communications opportunities (hmmmm.....)
- looking into potential international collaborations and partnership opportunities (look out folks, i might be knocking on your door!)
- some training/facilitation
- still in negotiations!!
the team is currently in their mid-year reflection, planning and development phase so, i am sitting in meetings with some translation trying to understand what is happening... interestingly though, if you know the subject, people are people and i am often able to pick up on the general vibe of something however, i am of course missing the detail (which, you know i love!)
within the next couple of weeks, i will be enrolling in an intensive language course and getting my thai a little more up to speed and, i am spending some time in bangkok at a festival that makhampom is performing at, in a couple of weeks...
sounds terrible eh?
well, i don't want to bore you all with too much detail so, will sign off for now... let me know if you have any feedback that would make this blog a bit more reader friendly!
love and light to you all xxx
Hey Jade! Next year is the United Nations Year of the Forest. They are looking to communities around the globe whose lives are impacted by their relationship with the Forest. They are looking to promote sustainability economically and socially. Some people I met in the US from USA and Canada are interested in linking arts based projects that reflect on our relationship with forests. Here I have linked it to artists working with identified environmental projects this will be an exhibition of artists books and notes and installations. On Tamborine Mtn we are looking to a youth project with Goat Track theatre company who are trying to address vandalism by doing a multi art form project with young people through the AIR program and council. It will explore young people and territory. This will be also linked to the Year of the Forest.
ReplyDeleteSo...where you are is there an opportunity to reflect on how the people you are with engage or relate to the forest?
Idea would be to develop a website which links arts projects from around the world that are reflecting on this topic. I am trying to get an answer from the United Nations. Might be a task for you when you are in NY later this year.
For now have a think about it and see if it resounds.
Loving the blog and the face book updates. Have a great time and keep away from mosquitoes! xx Bron