Art and Environment FINAL

8/11/2019 Art and Environment FINAL

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Connect2Culture

L i n k i n g t h e A r t s t o

E n v i r o n m e n t &

S u s t a i n a b l e

D e v e l o p m e n t


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Edited by Vani Sreekanta

Compiled and copyedited by Claire Wilson (ASEF)

ASEF team: Claire Wilson, Anupama Sekhar, KatelijnVerstraete

Image credit (front cover): Luxurious Riffraff by Chineseartist Chen Hangfeng. Recycled plastic, metal, acrylic balland metal wire, dimension variable, 2008. Chen was aparticipant of the 7 th Asia-Europe Art Camp: Moved,Mutated and Disturbed Identities held in Luxembourg andChina in 2009. Chen often works with recycled material inhis artwork. Image courtesy of Chen Hangfeng.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without theprior consent of ASEF and the contributors concerned.

Every effort has been made by the Asia-EuropeFoundation to ensure that the information in thisdocument is correct at the time of publication. However,given the resources available, it cannot definitivelyassure this.

This document has been produced with thefinancial assistance of the European Union. The

contents of this document are the sole responsibility ofthe researchers who contributed to the outcome of the

research and can under no circumstances be regarded asreflecting the position of the European Union or ASEF.

Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)

31 Heng Mui Keng Terrace

Singapore 119595

www.asef.org
http://www.scico.gr/http://www.scico.gr/


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Linking the Arts to Environment &Sustainable Development

Introduction 3

India 4

Myanmar 13

Thailand 19

Laos 30

Cambodia 33

Vietnam 36

Malaysia 38

Singapore 41

Mongolia 50


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Introduction | 3

Linking the Arts to Environment andSustainable Development

Research commissioned as part of the Asia -Europe Foundations Connect2Cultureprogramme

Environmental conservation and sustainable developmentare among the key challenges faced by countries andcommunities across the world. Since the United NationsConference on Environment and Development in Rio deJaneiro in 1992, civil society stakeholders have becomeincreasingly active, alongside Governments, in the globaldialogue on environmental issues. More recently, theculture sector has begun to explore and engage withpressing issues of environmental sustainability.

Recognising the important and changing role of culture in

contemporary society, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)initiated a programme called Connect2Culture in 2008.The programmes main objective is to investigate theevolving role of arts and culture in society. To this end,the programme brings together professionals fromdifferent sectors including government, arts, science andtechnology to address pertinent issues from their uniqueperspectives. Dialogue within the programme wasfostered through a variety of formats including artisticprojects, workshops, research and policy meetings.Through these encounters, the programme not onlyfostered cross-disciplinary networks between civil society

stakeholders Asia and Europe, but also served to channelrecommendations to ASEM governments on thesignificant role of the arts and culture in addressing themost urgent issues of our times.

The first initiative under Connect2Culture was the Asia-Europe Dialogue on Arts, Culture and Climate Changeheld in October 2008 in B eijing, China. The Dialoguebrought together 45 artists, cultural practitioners,scientists and sociologists from Asia and Europe toexchange cross-disciplinary perspectives on climatechange. Important learnings from this Dialogue pointedtowards the need to close existing knowledge gaps vis--

vis best practices linking the arts and sustainabledevelopment issues, and for dialogue on arts, culture andthe environment to progress from the individual to theinstitutional level.

In this context, the Department of Cultural Exchange atASEF commissioned research that would give an overviewof good practices linking the arts to sustainabledevelopment issues in Asia. The idea of this research wasbased on the observation that carefully documented casestudies can not only provide inspiration for networkingand collaboration in and between Asia and Europe butalso aid policy making and planning.

ASEF requested case studies from Asian countries withinthe Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) , that weremultidisciplinary collaborations bringing together the

culture sector and other stakeholders, includingscientists, environmentalists and policy makers.

ASEF was keenly interested in examples that went beyondmerely employing the arts as tools for information, ratherseeking projects that envisaged art as a catalyst tostimulate discourse and foster change. The initiativesprofiled in this research range across a variety of formsof collaboration, such as creative interventions,innovative solutions, public art initiatives, networks,seminars, training and research projects. The finalresearch covered 20 case studies across nine countriesof India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,Malaysia, Singapore and Mongolia. These case studiesserve as an introduction to practices in the cross-sectionof arts and environment and by sharing these innovativeprojects, ASEF hopes to inspire other such examples ofdiverse and creative connections between art and

environment.

Department of Cultural Exchange

Asia-Europe Foundation


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India

The profiles for India were researched and written byDeepak Srinivasan, Monica James and Ekt a Mittal.

As researcher, artist and media practitioner DeepakSrinivasan is currently a member of Maraa MediaCollective (http://maraa.in/ ) and also works as a facultymember at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology,Bangalore. Since 2005, Srinivasan has been training inperforming arts & community theatre to understand therole of the artist in community expression. Having workedas content resource & show host with WorldspaceSatellite Radio between 2007 and 2009, he is nowbringing his skills in art, performance and media together

to work with urban communities. As an art practitionerchoosing to engage deeper in context centric processesof art and media, he hopes to foster local linkagesbetween practitioner groups, activists, communities andpolicy consortiums. Srinivasan completed a Bachelorsdegree in environmental sciences and a Masters degreein biology.

Monica James is a writer, media practitioner andresearcher with maraa- a media and arts collective. Herrecent work is centered around community radio, media

policy, spectrum reform, creative practices in times ofconflict and urban transformation. She is the co -organizerof Pause-in times of Conflict and Theater Jam.

Ekta Mittal is a co-founder of Maraa Media Collective(http://maraa.in/ ). She is also one of the foundingmembers of Masrah, an eight year old theatre group.Prior to this, Mittal worked a t VOICES, a media advocacygroup in Bangalore, to bring out a publication onCommunity Media. As a result she stayed with theorganisation for two years. During this time, she had theopportunity to get hands-on experience with communityradio, video and theatre, both in Bangalore and ruralKarnataka. Mittal is passionate about travel, and hasalso worked as Research Manager for The Blue Yonder, aresponsible tourism company where she identifiedcommunities to work with in Karnataka and Rajasthan.Mittal studied Social Communication Media in Mumbai.
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The Katte Project

Inquiry: Art, activism, negotiations anddialogue on urban ecology

Organizations: Maraa and Salon Emmer

Artists: Deepak Srinivasan, Tanja Dinter,Lisa Lengheimer

Date: 2009 - 2010

Researchers: Monica James, Ekta Mittal

Mapping Dissent

Art ac tivi st s remap thei r ne ig hbourhood in a bid toreclaim it, to persuade the citizens of Bangalore toengage in participative protest in an attempt to give voiceto bubbling unrest.

Ever since the rapid transformation in appearance,aesthetics, infrastructure and ecology of Bang alore citybegan, indiscriminate tree felling has stood out astraumatic loss for inhabitants of the city. These treeshave many meanings and utilities for different groups -childhood memories, local landmarks, shade, spaces oflivelihood and urban identity. Many, from vendors toschool going children, from taxi drivers to two wheelerriders, traders to residents, would like to register theirdiscontent with this loss resulting from the non -participative process of development.

Along with various citizens collectives, Maraa, acommunity media and arts collective working in the cityof Bangalore, chose to respond to the tree felling byregistering dissent with the municipal bodies againsturban road widening methods and mega infrastructuredevelopment projects (like metro rail construction). Fortheir campaign, Maraa helped with poster design, usedcreative slogans, props and costumes and added energythrough performance and song. Small changes in theprotest format brought the average activist-on-the-streetidentity more attention and ensured public engagement.

Site specific rituals where trees had been felled . Image courtesy of

Maraa.

Deepak Srinivasan, a core member of Maraa expresses,While working on the anti -road widening campaigns, werealised that many wanted to voice their thoughts on lossof trees but the space that allowed people to speak aboutthe changing city was not available. The urbanenvironment was so much a part of people's memory ofthe urbanscape. Srinivasan elaborates, Maraa has

always emphasized on participative media andparticipative art, it now looked like we were facilitatingparticipative protest!


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The question of non-participative development stayedwith the Collective as it grappled with the changing socio-political climate which influenced cultural, ecological andinfrastructural changes of the city. During this time, SalonEmmer, a Viennese dance collective consisting of

movement artists Elisabeth (Lisa) Lengheimer and TanjaTinter were in touch with Srinivasan and expressedinterest in collaborating on a project focusing on urbanecology. Salon Emmers methods of using movement anddance for community participation and Maraas workwhich used art in public spaces in Bangalore worked welltogether to provide propelling intent for the beginnings ofthe Katte Project.

Responding to a call by Khoj International ArtistsAssociation (Delhi) for a community/social art projectcalled Negotiating Routes, Maraa proposed exploringparticipative protest forms in Bangalore between March

2010 and July 2010. Maraa and Salon Emmer chose towork with cartographical mapping of a neighbourhoodusing the local school as the starting point. Shanthinagar,a neighbourhood in Bangalore with colliding socio-economic classes, conflicting modernities, as well as aninternationally famous botanical park, Lalbagh, became acritical focal site to examine changing attitudes towardsurban ecology.

What were peoples perceptions of alternate spaces,alternate routes, journeys through the city and the muchne eded intermittent spaces of pause? questionsLengheimer. Did Lalbagh constitute this space for pauseor were there alternate cultural/ecological markers? Didindividual trees or clusters and traditionally grown grovesoffer such a space? The concept of th e Katte began totake form. A Katte (in the local language Kannada) is atraditional community platform built around trees. Theseplatforms had provided spaces for assembly, dialogue,and reflection to communities, functioning as social,cultural and ecological symbol of the past through timesof modernising colonial and post-colonial realities.

Activities and workshops done as a part of the Maraa-Salon Emmer collaborations were called the KatteProject. The two primary activities of the residency were:

1. Cartographical Maps

The project, 81 Maps of Shantinagar, rose out of a seriesof walks and interactions with the areas surroundingShanthinagar, Bangalore. Peeling off the visibleneighbourhood and its landmarks, the attempt was totrace invisible parts of the neighbourhood and getresidents from different urban classes in the area toparticipate in a collective mapping process. While tryingto identify willing and participative community members,local school children showed most interest in theexercise. An art and mapping workshop with the schoolled to different types of maps and perspectives being

shared, and trends of the invisible and sudden geo -cultural change emerged.

A child participating in representing his emotional-spatial map of the

neighbourhood. Image courtesy of Maraa.

2. Participative protest: Rootless Rituals

Intending to work with more activists and engage boththe activists and artists through a series of workshops,Srinivasan called city activists, artists and interestedcitizens to work with Maraa. These workshops wouldpropose alternate and creative modes of protest orexpression of dissent against the disappearing urbanecology. Such a series of w orkshops led to the Roo tless

Rituals activity where participants went out to specificsites with felled trees and demonstrated dissent throughmovement, visual triggers and facilitated dialogue.

The project, Rootless Rituals, was conducted in severallocations to initiate dialogue and to mourn the increasingloss of green-space in the city. From yogic postures andsalutations to silent protests holding paper images oftear drops and being roadside substitute trees, all formsof performance and protest generated a spectacle andcause for pause and dialogue. Pedestrians stopped tolook curiously and bikers reduced their pace. Many spokeof the difficulties with heat and lack of shade, as well as

the inconveniences to pedestrians because of diggingand construction. They were willing to share and seemedexcited to have a simple avenue where they could voicetheir opinions and concerns. This form of participativeprotest seemed to generate more public enthusiasm,interest and need for action.

What began as an inquiry into protest and participationhas led to fostering new relationships with the changin gcity. Renewed dialogues and spaces for reflection foractivists has in small ways led to increased enthusiasmand vigour to pursue communicative and alternativedialogue on changing urban ecology. The Katte project

experience led to a citywide Urban Tree Festival centredaround diverse artists response to the changing urbanecology.


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Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation(LAMO)

Inquiry: Community participation throughmedia and the arts

Artists: Ravina Aggarwal and MonishaAhmed

Researcher: Deepak Srinivasan

Telling Local Stories

Local organisation Ladakh Arts and Media Organisationre-focuses on the local, restoring an historic house tocreate a space for contemporary expression andcommunity gatherings.

In locating the youth in their local and engaging inconversations on their evolving identities, their needsand desires can be dialogued with

(Monisha Ahmed, co-founder of LAMO)

It is interesting to ask, what is lost and what is gainedwhen the local is displaced by global, and this is nevermore so than in the case of the work of the Ladakh Artsand Media Organisation (LAMOhttp://www.lamo.org.in/index.html ). Monisha Ahmed,founder of LAMO, speaks of much needed and ongoinginter-generational dialogue that LAMO is trying tofacilitate in Old Town of Leh, Jammu and Kashmir. Here,global forces intervene by encouraging the world to turnits back on regions of Ladakh. Residents are drawnoutwards in pursuit of opportunity and facilities. In manyways, the neglect propels them towards moremainstream aspirations and soon brings about changesto the local environment and living.

LAMO Neighbourhood Project. Image courtesy of LAMO.

Given the rich diversity within communities practices andcultural spaces, can retention of identity in times ofdomination be tapped into in order to revitalise andmobilise? Ethnographer and academic Ravina Aggarwal,co-founder of LAMO, has written about dominantBuddhist-centric articulations and visualisations thathave propagated the exotic gaze. In her long engagementwith the region, Aggarwal has argued foracknowledgement of Ladakhs need for independentSouth Asian identity and cultural diversity. Since the 90sface-off for border power with Kashmiri insurgents andPakistani armed forces, Indian national forces imposecertain dominant perceptions. The state machineryprojected the region as an outlawed constituency during
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the 1999 Kargil war while national media promptedfurther disconnections to La dakh using war zone rhetoric.

Set in this climate, LAMO locates itself in what is mostoften described as harsh yet ravishingly beautifullandscape, wrought with issues of livelihood, politicalstrife, conflict and ecological hardship. By building aphysical cultural node in Leh, the LAMO center hopes tofacilitate a re-budding of local networks for artpractitioners and activists of the same constituency. Thisit does through community art and media projects thatinitiate dialogues on regional post-globalisation changes.Aggarwal has worked in the region for over 20 years,documenting, studying and re-framing discourses oncultural performance in the local context. MonishaAhmed, also a social ethnographer, has worked on textileinteractions and trade in the region and has helped setup LAMO as a registered body. Through their deep-rooted

understandings of this region, the researchers hope tofoster interactive understanding between ecologies oflivelihoods, crafts, expression and prevalent economiesfor sustenance.

Although globalisation projects operationalize primarilythrough avenues of economy, emerging aestheticsreshape the architectural and the corporeal (food &clothing related lifestyle practices) and these changesfurther consumerism and lifestyle shifts. Keepingarchitecture central to the statement of reinitiatingdialogue on the changing local, Ladakh Media and an artscollective began with a restoration project. A crumblingheritage, the Munshi house that stood in the centre ofLeh at the foot of King Singge Namg yals palace wasrestored to become the LAMO center.

LAMO Centre before restoration. Image courtesy of LAMO.

It was the residence of the Togoche or Munshi family-ministers to the king; and most likely dates back to theseventeenth century. The historic house, (along with theGyaoo house) restored and converted to an arts spacewith offices, galleries, a library, screening room,conference room, and open-air performance site becomesa nodal space for contemporary expression and

congregation for the people of Leh in Ladakh. Ahmedhighlights this as a demonstration of constructivecreative dissidence towards unintelligent application ofmodern architectural design. In the fatal Ladakhlandslide of May 2010, where many localities were

affected and residences were lost, the resistant LAMOcentre additionally demonstrated the strengths of hybridtraditional-modern forms of architectural knowing(structural building and waterproofing).

LAMOs on -going mapping of neighbourhood historiesuses participative media and arts and involves localLadakhi youth. Stories of the neighbourhood are broughtback into conscious realms: ranging from understandingchanging landscapes, public spaces, migration andcommunity histories to engaging with histories ofevolution and traditional know-how of local waternetworks. Participants facilitate dialogues amidst their

communities on issues like changing landscape, ecologyand nomadic livelihoods to enable a dialogical, inquiryprone, critical consciousness. LAMO goes a step furtherin channelling the produced media and documentation tofeed into policy circles.

Acquiring a political edge in its practice, the LAMOcommunity ensures that it deals with contemporaryregional issues like communal conflict, and ensuresthrough affirmative action, participation and equalopportunities for under-represented caste groups.


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explored complex urban interconnections anddisconnections between city development programmes,planners and people who use it.

European artists like Sabine Haubitz and StefanieZoches video sculpture wo rk, 'The Yamuna Blues'poetically rendered ecological implications of modernityon Delhis river, Yamuna, by using public space as a sitefor an exhibition, projection and interaction. New York -based Mary Miss work (an artist known forenvironmentally based artwork) focused on the neglectedarchaeological site of Roshanara Park to draw outrelationalities between urban community awareness andecology.

Roshanaras Net by Mary Miss. Image courtesy of 48 Degrees Celsius.

Though 48C seems like a large-scale attempt to connectartistic ways of inquiry to ecological aspects of knowing,the curator Sood feels it was also an experiment to locatethe artist in responsible space. Did it matter thatcontemporary artists and art were on the periphery? Wasit possible to create spaces for artists to intervene giventhe impending ecological crises in many spheres ofhuman existence, and with most mechanisms ofcommunication and dialogue not producing impact? Soodcommented that artists are not only seen as peripheral, but they also make themselves peripheral. Public art

allowed the possibilities of putting the artist in the midstof direct negotiations with their audiences, withgovernment agencies, with systemic discourses.

On the policy front, 48C has brought about an imagechange for contemporary art in Delhi that has facilitatedthe possibility of engaging in dialogue with the IndianState. From an impossible, non-comprehending space,local municipal and decision making agents of urbanDelhi have been provided a glimpse into possibilities ofviewing and understanding art beyond being just a toolfor purposes of entertainment.


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Soak: Mumbai in an Estuary

Inquiry: Urban ecology and infrastructuredesign

Artists: Anuradha Mathur and Dilip daCunha

Date: 2009

Researcher: Deepak Srinivasan

The Art of Urban Planning

Arti st design ers Anuradha Mathur and Di lip da Cu nh abreak paradigms by denouncing rigidity and embracingfluidity to inspire harmonious postcolonial contemplationon the relationship between land and sea to better planurban settlements.

Soak: Mumbai in an Estuary (Soak) is a mediation onurban terrain design. Designers Anuradha Mathur andDilip da Cunha, artists in their own right, produce thispostmodernist, interventionist critique of pos tcolonialIn dias urban planning. It is an evolving presentation ofnew visual methodology that reveals metropolis Mumbaisrelationship with the rain drenched monsoon ecology. Asa re-interpretative commentary of estuary land, thisproject puts the storyteller of ecology centre stage andmaps their stories alongside urban and social terrain. Bydoing so, it systematically critiques previously codifiedpostcolonial imaginations of Mumbai, a south Asianmetropolis.

Mathur and da Cunha speak of embracing complexitywhile they articulate the phenomenon of land inundatedby monsoon. The duo map a different imaginativeexperience from operationally rigidified landscaping andplanning, incumbent in local municipal bodies. However,this reality of an estuary fa lls far from the experiencedreality of the Mumbai monsoons. In the past decade,Mumbai experienced a disastrous deluge the floods of2005 1 . Mathur and da Cunha insist that reconstructingurban water flow infrastructure when designed inconjunction with better understanding of porosities ofestuary land might enable a controllable dialogue withthe monsoon.

SOAK exhibition. Image courtesy of SOAK.

Placing an emphasis on visualising relationships betweenelements of lived geography, da Cunha highlights thecurrent p roblem in envisioning land. The designer duosvisioning exercise works as a critique of colonial,boundary based maps; such maps myopically depict

1 http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/mumbai-marooned-enquiry-

mumbai-floods-2005-final-report
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water bodies as confined containments. Colonial mappingtechniques do not facilitate a relationship between water,flora, fauna and humanity with its social practices.Through their reinterpretation, the designersproblematise current urban planning approaches.

Visibly excited while articulating a shift in land-waterrelationship captured in a postcolonial historical-geographic rhetoric such as land of rivers, a visionwhich they claim has led to technological andinfrastructural scrambling for control, Mathur and daCunha propose a paradigmatic movement into visualsevoked by land of rain. Soak thus provides new avenuesto review Mumbais mounting complex relationship withthe sea.

The sea, usually held culpable as a non-spatial entity inconflict with the geo-terrain, is kept out by building non-

negotiable land-sea barriers. As inquiry into this conflict,Soak proposes a redesign keeping in mind porosity anddialogical between land and sea.

SOAK exhibition. Image courtesy of SOAK.

Soak takes on revaluation of landscape through sectionalviewing which, through varying porosity, allows draining,channelling and containing water, as well as fresh waterreplenishment. Soak poetically and methodologicallyattributes a temporality to this land-water inter-relationship and proposes a shift in design, infrastructureand existent municipal and social practices by of fering amore fluid elaboration of land usage.

Mathur and da Cunhas work alludes towards a re -examination of notions of Commons within its newframework of eco-negotiability and urban design. Thepoetics relocate Commons to a political realm by pitchingfor an interpretation of utility of occupied space astemporally shifting and elastic, emphasising theimportance of temporality and negotiability in thinkingand planning. The socio-political responsibility to governCommons then calls for a re-evaluation in design,maintenance and service in urban systems allowing cost

effective visualisations and conversations on technologyin urban planning.


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Myanmar

The profiles for Myanmar were researched and written byKaren Demavivas.

Karen Demavivas is Program Officer of the ImmigrantArtist Project at the New York Foundation for the Arts(http://www.nyfa.org/) (NYFA), where she manages amentoring program for immigrant artists, a master folkartist development program, cultural community events,individual consultations, and a newsletter all throughan arts and social change lens. Beyond NYFA, she acts asSpecial Advisor on the sustainable cultural andcommunity development initiatives of the social businessenterprise Aoka based in Brazil. A two-time Fulbright

Fellow, she was initially awarded a Fellowship in 2004 towork as program coordinator, curator, and art critic oncommunity-based art projects in Northern Thailand. Thisled to serving as the UNESCO-Fulbright Fellow for Cultureat UNESCO Paris headquarters, and then working as aconsultant on culture and development initiatives at thisagency and the UN P opulation Fund. Her portfoliosincluded heritage conservation, indigenous issues,creative economies, and intercultural/interfaith dialogue.She has also held positions at high-level culturalinstitutions in New York City. Her art criticism has beenfeatured in publications such as the Brooklyn Rail, the

Bangkok Post, Art4D Magazine, and NYFA Current.Demavivas holds an M.A. in Art History and Criticism.

Please note: Due to difficult access to some culture anddevelopment initiatives in Myanmar at the time of thisresearch, much of the research was conducted along theThai-Myanmar border or in Northern Thailand.
http://www.nyfa.org/http://www.nyfa.org/


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Karen Environmental and Social ActionNetwork (KESAN)

Inquiry: The intersection of traditionalknowledge with environmental educationand creativity

Artists: Indigenous communities

Date: 2001 ongoing

Researcher: Karen Demavivas

Indigenous Know-How and Sustainability

Traditional knowledge intersects with environmentaleducation and creativity to build solidarity.

The call for the perpetuation of traditional knowledge

takes on a critical timbre when a peoples very culturalfabric and right to ancestral lands have been disrupted.Enter the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network(KESAN) founded in 2001. Run by ethnic Karen leadersfrom Myanmar, the organisation counters the challengesof displacement and exclusion by encouraging Karencommunities to keep their generations-old knowledge andpractices of natural resource management alive. Tobetter serve their community, KESAN is based in NorthernThailand with outreach to refugee camps along the Thai -Myanmar border as well as the Karen and Kachin Statesof Myanmar.

Herbal medicine making process, Htee Mat Baw village, Doo playa

district. Image from KESAN.

Environmental education enriched by creativity is key t oKESANs strategy of passing down and activating thetraditional knowledge of their people. The organisationhas collaborated with art teachers to combineexperiential learning with art-making in contexts such asforest field trips that lead Karen children and youth on apath of discovery and reverence for their naturalsurroundings. These efforts have led to a greaterconsciousness and participation among young people intheir community.

Beyond these activities, KESAN prioritises advocacy andstrengthening solidarity networks. They partner with local,regional and international organisations to u phold therights of rural and indigenous peoples to manage theirown natural resources. Working with ethnic,environmental and social groups, they explore broadissues that impact Myanmars diverse communities.Furthermore, KESAN builds the capacity of smaller ethnicinitiatives such as the Pan Kachin Development Societyand the Karenni Evergreen.

Overall, KESAN educates and empowers communities toprotect their environment and their rights as indigenouspeoples with a world of wisdom to share.


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Studio Xang Art for Migrant Children Project(AMCP)

Inquiry: Encouraging creative impulse tonurture holistic growth

Stakeholders: Estelle Cohenny, ProfessorPadungsak Kojasamrong

Artists: Migrant children

Date: 2002 ongoing


Art and Holistic Growth

An ar t educ at ion pr og ramme encourages the genera ti vecapacity and creativity of migrant children to better dealwith the challenges of their reality through the arts.

A child-centred approach is at the heart of Studio XangArt for Migrant Children Project (AMCPhttp://www.studioxang.org/ ). This daring grass-rootsinitiative responds to the call of a migrant community,which all too often is left unheard. These migrants aremade up of ethnic families from Myanmar who have

journeyed to the Th ai -M ya nm ar border an d fu rther in landinto Northern Thailand in search of decent livelihoods.However, the work they find is often at the cost of basichuman rights and access to services and resources thattheir Thai counterparts hold as a given.

Responding to their right to be respected as humanbeings, Studio Xang AMCP opened its doors to thechildren of these migrant workers, using art to help thembuild their self-esteem, nurture their holistic growth, an dmake them feel that they are part of a community. Theprogramme was initiated by the determined work ofteaching artist and activist Estelle Cohenny andsupported by the seasoned advice of ProfessorPadungsak Kojasamrong. It has since grown to a diverseteam of 20 staff members and volunteers, with a robustcurriculum in the visual and performing arts. The team isbased in Chiang Mai but facilitates projects in therefugee camps of Mae La Oo and Ban Mai Kun Kyaw, andin the town of Mae Sot along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Studio Xang AMCP addresses the complex challenges thatmigrant children from Myanmar face, such asdisplacement, alienation and the tug-and-pull influencesof Thai culture, which fails to totally embrace them. Byproviding these children with creative tools for self-expression, Studio Xang AMCP encourages them toovercome these challenges and give voice to their ownexperiences, needs, and hopes for the future. They arethen able to reclaim a healthy understanding ofthemselves, which was lo st in the migration that has leftthem stateless.

Studio Xang AMCP nurtures migrant children to reachtheir fullest potential by teaching them a wide range ofcognitive, social and emotional skills. The programmealso works closely with migrant parents to help thembetter address their childrens needs. This parent -teacherrelationship leads to strengthening the family unit and, byextension, the community. In this way, Studio Xang AMCPis a compelling model of art education that combinespersonal and community development to holisticallyimprove the living and working conditions of migrants.

The programme is framed by a number of core values.First of all, they respect the cultural and linguisticbackground of each child, upholding multiculturalism.
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Secondly, they provide equitable learning opportunitiesfor migrant children as they would for non-migrants.Third, they recognise the universal right of all children toa wholesome life regardless of ethnicity, class, gender,religion and legal status. Finally, they propagate a non -

violent approach to children and between children inspeech, action, and emotions, thereby, encouraginghealthy development and peaceful conflict resolution inthe future.

Parent-Student Class in Chiang Mai, 2011. Image courtesy of Studio

Xang AMCP.

Studio Xang AMCP carries out activities on multiplelevels. Team members teach free weekly art classes in

the visual and performing arts for migrant children (ages4 and older), which occur outside of formal school timeand curriculum. These classes are also complementedwith field trips to cultural and natural sites. For the olderchildren (ages 11 and above), Studio Xang AMCPdeveloped a project called Power Kid, which offers morerelevant training in the applied arts and basic businessskills that they can use in the work place. In addition,Studio Xang AMCP provides an internship programme thatbuilds leadership among young people along the Thai-Myanmar border and endeavours to extend it to youthwho reside within the borders of Myanmar.

In the public sphere, Studio Xang AMCP provides visibilityfor the childrens creati ve accomplishments. Theyorganise art exhibitions at cultural institutions in ChiangMai to highlight the childrens efforts and let their workshine. These exhibitions are open to all and bridgeappreciation and understanding among Thai and migrantaudiences alike. Another platform that Studio Xang AMCPuses to share news about the childrens activities is aquarterly newsletter that is circulated to supporters andcommunities.

Beyond Studio Xang AMCPs work with the children andtheir families, they value the critical role of teachers inensuring the continuity of leadership and quality in theirprogrammes. These teachers often come from the samecommunities as their st udents so they already hold

agency and take great responsibility in caring for theirown. Thus, Studio Xang AMCP places effort in building thecapacity of these teachers through workshops andpresentations on art and child development. Tocomplement these trainings, Studio Xang AMCP provides

educational materials and a teachers manual that hasbeen translated into the languages spoken in thecommunities: Burmese, Shan, Karen and Thai. Moreover,they use a manual on applied drama (in conjunction witha theatre programme they developed), which they havetranslated into the Burmese and Shan languages.

Moving forward, Studio Xang AMCP aims to go global withits lessons on creativity and migration. To this end, theyare developing an art project that involves collaborationsamong migrant children from different parts of the world,which carries their voices to wider and more diverseaudiences. Among the mediums to be explored are

storybook making, animation, and video. One project inparticular, Picture Pals, is already underway inpartnership with a secondary school in Shrewsbury,United Kingdom.

With sustained support, an initiative like Studio XangAMCP can continue to be a bright beacon for a childs willto grow and flourish not only for their existing studentsbut for many more youth facing similar challenges ofmigration. Yet at this point, with dwindling funds from theInternational Rescue Committee and other donors, arallying cry for solidarity and support to keep Studio XangAMCPs doors open is more criti cal than ever.


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Womens Education for Advancement andEmpowerment (WEAVE)

Inquiry: Applying and expanding traditionalcrafts to empower artisans

Stakeholders: Ethnic artisans fromMyanmar

Date: 1990 ongoing


Weaving Empowerment

An empoweri ng init ia tive he lps ar ti sans from indigenouscommunities in Myanmar build self-reliance and generateincome for their families by producing and enhancingtheir traditional crafts.

Offering a comprehensive platform to move communitiesof women towards self- determination, WomensEducation for Advancement and Empowerment (WEAVEhttp://www.weave-women.org/ ) provides support in theareas of education, economic empowerment, governance,and health. Their focus is on women and children frommarginalised, indigenous communities in Myanmar. Theyalso build the capacity of womens organisations withinthese communities to be empowered in the decision-making process that leads to the well-being o f theirpeople.

WEAVE is headquartered in Chiang Mai and holds officesin the border towns of Mae Sot and Mae Hong Son inNorthern Thailand. The core of their work lies in theprogrammes they facilitate in seven different refugeecamps along the Thai-Myanmar border. Many of theseinitiatives engage with the Karen and Karenni ethniccommunities that make up the majority of displacedpeoples in these camps. The reach of their programs alsoextends to the Indo-Myanmar border. To be able tooperate in these special zones, WEAVE receives annualapproval from the Thai Governments Ministry of theInterior (MOI), and is registered as a non -profit entity withthe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of thePhilippines.

Among WEAVEs key initiatives is the EconomicEmpowerment and Development Programme, whichtransforms the traditional skills of ethnic women inweaving and embroidery into viable ways of earningincome for their families. Operating in three differentrefugee camps, the programme provides training inproduct design and other business-related skills as wellas financial support for womens entrepreneurshipprojects. It also safely employs these women with theflexibility of letting them weave and embroider theirproducts from home so that they are better able to carefor their children. With this newfound earning power tofend for their families while still within camp walls, thewomen are able to build self -esteem and pride in theirposition within the community. Furthermore, they havethe opportunity to share and apply their traditionalknowledge in WEAVEs handicraft production process,thus, ensuring the continuity of their cultural heritage innew and dynamic ways.

The Economic Empowerment and DevelopmentProgramme also offers the significant step of conn ectingthese womens handicrafts to local and internationalmarkets. For instance, they forged a partnership with thefair trade organisation Thai-Tribal Craft (TTC), to sell the
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handicrafts generated from its programme at TTCs fairtrade shop in Mae Sot. Besides being an entry point tothe market, TTC also shares WEAVEs value in promotingopportunities for livelihood among indigenouscommunities.

Refugee artisans receive regular safe employment with WEAVE and are

able to help their families. Image from WEAVE.

The programmes high level of commitment andimmersion in these communities is matched by itstremendous impact. Over four hundred women and theirfamilies have benefited from the training and incomegenerated. Furthermore, with initial technical andfinancial support from WEAVE, approximately fifteenwomens groups in Thailand and in Myanmars ethnicstates are now empowered to manage and develop their

own small business enterprises. By and large, WEAVEs strategies for empowermentcommand not only technical know-how, but creativeinsight into what could be p ossible even within the mostrestricted of contexts. Their innovative vision has resultedin a thriving web of well-trained craftswomen and highquality handicrafts that reflect the cultural diversity andrich heritage of Myanmars ethnic states.


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Thailand

The profiles for Thailand were researched and written byKaren Demavivas.

Karen Demavivas is Program Officer of the ImmigrantArtist Project at the New York Foundation for the Arts(http://www.nyfa.org/) (NYFA), where she manages amentoring program for immigrant artists, a master folkartist development program, cultural community events,individual consultations, and a newsletter all throughan arts and social change lens. Beyond NYFA, she acts asSpecial Advisor on the sustainable cultural andcommunity development initiatives of the social businessenterprise Aoka based in Brazil. A two-time FulbrightFellow, she was initially awarded a Fellowship in 2 004 towork as program coordinator, curator, and art critic oncommunity-based art projects in Northern Thailand. Thisled to serving as the UNESCO-Fulbright Fellow for Cultureat UNESCO Paris headquarters, and then working as aconsultant on culture and development initiatives at thisagency and the UN P opulation Fund. Her portfoliosincluded heritage conservation, indigenous issues,creative economies, and intercultural/interfaith dialogue.She has also held positions at high-level culturalinstitutions in New York City. Her art criticism has beenfeatured in publications such as the Brooklyn Rail, theBangkok Post, Art4D Magazine, and NYFA Current.

Demavivas holds an M.A. in Art History and Criticism.


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ComPeung Artists in Residence Programme

Inquiry: An exploration of shiftingperspectives at the intersection of art,everyday life, community, and sustainability

Organisation: ComPeung

Date: 2005 ongoing


An Appropriate Remark

Near a rural village, an artists residency progr ammebrings together local communities and artists to reflecton diverse facets of everyday life, community, and

sustainabi li ty .

In the Lanna language of the Northern Thais, com meansa remark and peung means appropriate. In bringing thesetwo words together, the artist Pisithpong Siraphisut wasable to appropriately name the artist residencyprogramme he founded: ComPeung. As Siraphisutelaborated in an interview with the author, Our visionand mission for ComPeung is to create appropriateremarks that are suitable to the situations, environments,and communities we deal with.

ComPeung House Building. Image c ourtesy of ComPeung.

At ComPeung, these remarks are expressed through art,among which are the forms of conceptual, visual,performance, architectural, and new media art. Theresidency gathers local and international artists to liveand work together on a rural piece of land where they arein dialogue with one another as well as the surroundingcommunity and natural environment. Through suchinteraction, the residency provides thrilling potential forlocally inspired art-making and collaboration.

ComPeung is located near the village of Doi Saket, whichis a short distance from Northern Thailands largest cityChiang Mai. Growing up in the area, Siraphisut has seenhow the landscape has changed over the years in theface of urbanisation. As more and more young peopleleave small villages like Doi Saket for opportunities in bigcities like Bangkok, their migration erodes the vitality ofwhere they come from. In response, Siraphisutestablished ComPeung to revitalise these rural areas thatwould otherwise remain in the wayside, relative to urbanattractions. On a green plot of land, he created a nesting

ground for rich artistic interventions that now pro videsflourishing visibility and appreciation for local culture andnature.


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ComPeung - Ideal School Project in collaboration with artist Rebecca

Zorach. Image courtesy of ComPeung.

Since 2005, Siraphisut, with the advisory support ofProfessor Helen Michaelsen, has been running thisresidency throughout the year. The duration of an artistsstay can span from one to s everal months with an optionto reapply. ComPeung is open to local, regional, andinternational artists who work in a wide range ofdisciplines. In order to sustain itself, the programmerequires artists to pay a fee. However, ComPeung hasbeen generous in working with artists to securesponsorship through arts councils, universities, andembassies such as the Japan Foundation, the Universityof Chicago, the Government of Western Australia, and the

Ontario Arts Council in Canada. ComPeung also providesartists with public visibility by collaborating with theMinimal Gallery in Chiang Mai to highlight the work of itsresidents with over 30 projects and works-in-progressproduced thus far.

During the residency, artists often find inspiration inengaging with local people and natural resources, whichthen inform and sometimes even become central to theirprojects. For instance, the American artist and academicRebecca Zorach asked local village children what theirideal school would look like and then had them redesignand visualise their school through drawings andsculptures with the use of natural materials gatheredfrom the surroundings.

Other projects are site-specific and activate public space.In one case, the Japanese artist Tatsuo Inagaki, incollaboration with his university students, conductedinterviews with local community members, which then ledto the installation of a temporary museum in the DoiSaket village market where vendors sell fruits,vegetables, and other wares. The structure incorporatedlocal materials such as bamboo and grass. On aconceptual level, it reflected on local trade and tourismto the delight of curious sellers, students, and children.Activating the same market, Canadian artist AllisonCummings lured villagers passing by into an edible artexchange. This intervention touched on intimacy through

hospitality when experienced between individuals comingfrom different cultural points of departure.

Beyond the value of creativity and local engagementinherent in these residency projects, ComPeung as a sitealso functions as a sustainable ecosystem. Its low -impactaccommodations have their foundation in natural buildingtechniques, which are being propagated by a growingmovement of earthen builders in the region. Now countedamong these builders, the ComPeung team has applied agreat range of techniques and designs to earthenstructures at the site, using local materials such as mud,bamboo, wood, grass, rice and coffee husks. ComPeungsphilosophy of building for sustainability has influencedresidents like Ta dasu Takamine. It led this Japaneseartist to build an earthen structure for a project thattravelled from Bangkok to Japan, shedding positive lighton the green building movement along its journey.

The ComPeung ecosystem, as evident in its earthenaccommodations, valorises minimal living. It offers basic,communal necessities though lined with comfort andwarm hospitality. A definite highlight is the meal home-cooked to perfection for residents three times a day.These meals are made from locally grown and harvestedingredients bought from the village market.

ComPeung Doi Saket Market Exchange with Allison Cumm ings. Image

courtesy of ComPeung.

Sustainability also extends to ComPeungs signaturetours for its resident artists, which are always responsibleand sensitive to the local area. Siraphisut is seasoned insharing his expert knowledge of the nearby village of DoiSaket as well as its surrounding hills, forests and naturallakes. He encourages residents to respectfully interactwith the diverse range of ethnic communities that callthis area home. Thus, since ComPeung began, theexchange between resident artists and communities hasled to a heightened valorisation of local cultural andnatural heritage. Such engagement has improved the w ay

local people view themselves by helping them realizethrough other peoples eyes how their traditional ways oflife positively contribute to nature and humanity.Furthermore, this perspective directly counters the


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pervasive view in the region that rural to urban migrationis the only viable option for bettering peoples quality oflife. In this way, ComPeung encourages visiting artistsand locals alike to acutely reflect on the diverse facets ofeveryday life in this context and gain a more open

perspective about their positions in the world.

As for sustaining the programme itself, ComPeung islooking to diversify its ecosystem of support. It continuesits fee-based structure, but it has also secured privatedonations since 2010, enabling the programme to offerfree residencies to a select number of artists. Movingforward, ComPeung seeks to secure more public andprivate donors to expand the initiative. They would like toprovide more residencies free of charge to local andregional artists who would otherwise not have the meansto participate in the programme. There is also need tobuild up ComPeungs infrastructure, such as the

construction of a multi-purpose adobe centre forexhibitions, performances and other activities. With suchambitions, supporters may be inspired and rest assuredin knowing that their assistance to ComPeung would gofar beyond appropriate remarks into concrete action forbuilding community.


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Osisu

Inquiry: Design at the interface of recycling,traditional craftsmanship, consciousness-raising, and ecological sustainability

Organisation: Osisu

Artists: Dr. Singh Intrachooto andVeeranuch Tanchookiat

Date: 2006 ongoing


Osisu: From Rough Detritus to Elegant Design

An eco-design company is st riving to op timise sustainabi li ty by recove ring , reclaiming and reus ingurban construction and manufacturing waste.

Passion, innovation, and commitment place Osisu at theforefront of a design revolution galvanised by an urgencyto spread ecological consciousness. Since its founding in2006 by Dr. Singh Intrachooto and VeeranuchTanchookiat, the organisation has produced functionalart by integrating local age-old craftsmanship andmaterials with contemporary aesthetics. Now Thailandsleading eco- design company, Osisus products may befound in local markets and beyond in other parts of Asiaand the world.

Osisus entrance is timely as there is a growing need tomitigate industrys harsh impact on the environment andeducate consumers against wasteful excess. Thecompany addresses the fact that a tremendous amount ofindustrial waste (i.e. materials, chemicals, energy) isgenerated from building structures and products.Construction debris makes up a staggering 30 to 40% ofurban landfills. Although environmentally responsibleinnovations in construction are being developed, theyoften cannot catch up to the pace of private companieswith their bottom-line production. To exacerbate thesituation, curbing urban waste is not a priority for theThai government at the policy level. Without this political

will, the country as a whole is lagging behind in itsenvironmental responsibility to the planet.

In countering these challenges, Osisus objectives aremanifold. The company reclaims industrial waste fromconstruction and manufacturing and handcrafts them intofunctionally exquisite models. Through thistransformative process, it adds value to discardedresources and innovatively extends the life cycle ofnatural materials. In this fashion, Osisu is able tointroduce ecologically sound techniques into good designwhile meeting high-level functionality. Furthermore, thecompany promotes a double bottom-line approach ofbeing viable on the financial front while beingaccountable to the environment.

Through responsible art and design practices, Osisuemploys cutting edge, sustainable solutions to reversethe process of industrial degradation. The companydevelops lines of recycled products and furniture, derivedfrom waste such as steel and plastic, which it thenintroduces into the market. For example, the PMCcollection features the thermal-pressed layering of juice,milk, and sauce cartons to create a rich patina thatresembles concrete. Osisu applied similar steps toanother set of recycled product lines, which extended thelife of natural materials such as discarded wood. In thecase of the LINI collection, it transformed pieces madeout of reclaimed teak off -cuts (from trees wastefully


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uprooted in road construction) into geometricallyarticulated vernacular design. This articulation, as withother Osisu designs, reflects the merit of regionalaesthetic quality: the company meticulously appliestraditional Asian techniques of carpentry to contemporary

lines.

Scrap Lab Meeting. Image courtesy of Osisu.

In the public arena, Osisu raises awareness about thebeauty and function of eco-design by organisingexhibitions at the intersection of art, design, and therecycling process. These events have been held atvarious galleries in Bangkok such as the July 2008exhibition titled Why Waste Your Waste? at SiamDiscovery and the September 2008 exhibition TrashyDesign at Silom Galleria.

Osisu has built a strong network of environmentallyconscious clients and collaborators. The company catersto the tastes of a wide range of individuals acrosssectors. It also serves corporations such as resorts andexporters that practice environmental stewardship. Interms of collaboration in honing new product lines, thecompany partners with local craftspeople andmanufacturers. As far as multi-disciplinary partnershipsare concerned, Osisu collaborates with a number ofprominent organisations such as the Scrap Lab atKasetsart University, the National Innovation Agency, andthe Department of Environmental Quality Promotion.

However, Dr. Intrachooto notes that in the beginning theroad to critical acclaim and support was an arduous anddaunting one. It was very challenging to secure anyassistance or research funding for an innovative venturelike Osisu. He began by consulting with individualresearchers at Kasetsart University. He also sought helpfrom research labs to clarify the technical details ofapplying new materials. Since then, over the years, hehas built up more significant and ambitiouscollaborations along with the company name. Now Dr.Intrachooto hopes that with the lessons hes learned,Osisu can pave an easier road for emerging ventures to

secure support and recognition.

As a best practice, Osisu is at the forefront of promotingenvironmentally responsible design that brings together

recycling processes, energy efficiency, functionality, andaesthetic excellence. Osisus designs educate peopl eabout alternative, low-impact ways to consume in theface of growing populations. Bridging a fundamental gap,Osisu is also working to align the time frame of eco-

design innovations to the profit-driven schedule of theprivate sector. Furthermore, the company has beeninstrumental in expanding the eco -market in Asia. As adouble bottom-line venture, Osisu has proven successfulat generating profit that sustains its cutting edgeproduction while being environmentally sound.

A key factor in Osisus success is its design teams valuein creative experimentation and collaboration. The teamalso effectively partners with other designers,technicians, craftspeople, local communities andgoverning bodies at the intersection of art andsustainability. By working together, Osisu understands

that a diverse range of stakeholders can arrive at ground-breaking solutions.

Osisu champions art and design in forging the way fornovel ecological practices beyond the dry realm ofprofessional science. With creative tools and insight intoconsumer behaviour, Osisus designers have the power tomove and shift the critical masses into doing right by theenvironment through what they choose to consume. Inthe future, the company aspires to be a brand thatcertifies eco-sensitivity, striving to transform Thailandinto a country, which upholds ecological responsibility asthe norm rather than the exception to the rule.


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Pun Pun Project

Inquiry: Keeping biodiversity alive throughseed-saving, sustainable living andeducation

Organisation: Pun Pun Centre for Self-reliance

Date: 2003 ongoing


Saving Seeds for a Sustainable Future

A ground-b reaking farm and community cent re cu lt iv ates seeds of su stainabi li ty from seed saving to ea rthe nbuilding

Bringing people back to the land, Pun Pun rekindleshumanitys connection to holistic well -being and adiversity of natural resources. Functioning as a catalyston multiple levels, it is an organic farm and centre forseed-saving, sustainable living, and learning. The farm isnestled in the rural Mae Tang region of Northern Thailandbut collaborates and exchanges knowledge with projectsin other parts of the country. Upholding a self-reliantlifestyle, the Pun Pun community cultivates their ownfood, builds their own homes, and experiments with low-impact technologies. Furthermore, they are bringing backthe tradition among farmers of saving, propagating, andexchanging indigenous and rare varieties of seeds.

In 2003, Pun Pun was co-founded by Jon Jandai, a Thaifarmer, and his wife Peggy Reents. Elaborating on whythey do the work they do, Reents states:

I think what we are doing is important in that there is anemerging consciousness as to how we can change theway we each live to be in more harmony with the earth, tohave a positive impact on the way we live, and theimportance of bringing meaning into our work. We feelthat bringing the knowledge on how to supply for our

basic needs including shelter and food empowers peopleto find ways they want to live with the world. Seeds arean essential part of this equation as it brings theselection and conservation of saving seeds back into thehands of growers. This enables them to be in charge ofwhat they are growing, where it comes from, and bringsback the trade of the integrity of varieties of seed bothfor growers and consumers.

The consciousness and empowerment of this movementcounters the detrimental environmental impacts ofmultinational agro-businesses. These companies patentseed varieties and monopolise their control around the

world. In this aggressive manner, they are taking awaythe agency of local growers in choosing and cultivatingtheir own seeds. Furthermore, these monopolies givelittle consideration to nutritional quality in breeding theirhybrid seeds which has led to a decrease in nutritionalvalue among varieties by 30 to 60% in the last fewdecades. Another alarming fact is that only fivemultinational companies control approximately 80% ofthe worlds seeds. Ultimately, the very founda tion ofbiodiversity is being threatened by these homogenisinginfluences.

Pun Pun defies this bleak reality through programmes

that promote diversity and offer alternatives. The sitesliving and learning centre has become a knowledge hubfor seed-saving and works with farmers to diversify and


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cultivate local seeds in their fields. It holds 120 differentseed varieties of tomatoes, 20 of lettuce, and dozens ofherbs, fruits, and vegetables. Beyond these numbers, amultitude of seeds have been saved, given out, andaccessed through Pun Puns outreach efforts. The

community has rediscovered and rescued numerousendemic and rare species of seed from extinction,exponentially expanding the possibilities of what they cangrow in their gardens. By extension, the nutritional valueof this bounty has led to great implications for publichealth among farmers and eaters alike.

The Living Seed Festival (2009), Chiang Mai University Art Museum.Image courtesy of Pun Pun.

Aside from the value of eating healthy food, there is alsofair economic trade to be had in the way Pun Pun directlyconnects farmers in their network with consumers. Thisentry into the market provides the farmers with cash inhand as well as added incentive to farm responsibly. Inturn, consumers gain access to safe local food and havethe opportunity to learn about sound agriculturalpractices.

Pun Pun is a leading proponent of another area ofsustainability: the earthen building movement that istaking the region by storm. Since it began, hundreds ofearthen structures have been built throughout thecountryside of Thailand. Now, Pun Puns centre offers the

Natural Building Programme, which teaches students howto build earthen structures and apply appropriatetechnologies in an accessible way. Its focus is not onbuilding for people but rather on teaching people how tobuild. The programme offers internships and workshops

on basic green design and foundation principles.Instruction covers adobe methods such as brick makingand wall construction with windows and doors. Studentscan also learn how to make earthen plasters for walls andother surfaces. In addition, low-tech ways to installelectrical and plumbing lines are shared.

With added artistry, decorative elements can enhanceearthen dwellings such as mosaic windows made out o frecycled bottles. These elements not only exude aestheticquality, but also show the myriad ways that waste can becreatively reused. Overall, the programmes rigorous andconscientious teachings have led to well -designed

buildings both in style and function.

At Pun Pun, they understand that great ideas can go along way with public awareness of their potential. Onecase in point is their Living Seed Festival to raiseawareness about the global food and seed crisis. Held atthe Chiang Mai University Art Museum in 2009, thefestival offered up an array of compelling activities tograb peoples attention: seed exchange, demonstrationsand exhibitions on adobe building, and a paneldiscussion entitled The Seed Crisis and Food Security.Creative engagement also came into play with theperformance of six live bands and the theatre showMakom Bum. Organic food a nd educational materialssupplemented all the dynamic activity. The whole festivalwas open to the public and a groundswell of supportensued and continues to this day.

While Pun Pun organises festivals for the masses asmagnificent vehicles for advocacy, the community alsovalues welcoming visitors on a quiet day at the farm. Onaverage, they receive about four individual visitors perday and host approximately 40 groups of 30 to 80 peopleper year. Members of the Pun Pun community also travelto give individual presentations on their work at meetingsand events nationwide networks. Media coverage hasalso highlighted Pun Pun s consciousness -building marchin the form of national magazines, newspapers, radio,and television.

While strengthening the sense of community and visibilitythrough all these activities, Pun Pun builds a network ofsupport and knowledge exchange among organic farmers,environmental organisations, and self-reliantcommunities in the field. Through this network, theyreable to forcefully advocate for critical issues such as theseed crisis noted above. Among these stakeholders, theyalso disseminate good practices such as earthentechniques that then serve to expand the network as withthe case of builders. Furthermore, Pun Pun partners withcultural, community-based, governmental, and non -governmental organisations such as the Chiang Mai


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University Art Museum, We Love the Forest Community,and The Organic Farmers Group of Mae Tah. Among them,Pun Pun annually provides around 20 trainings for 20 to100 people, including local, regional, and internationalparticipants.

Pun Pun clearly exemplifies a means fo r a sustainablefuture that veers away from industrialised agriculture andother ailing global systems. Yet in order for the Pun Puncommunity to continue their expanding vision andinitiatives, intermediary support is still needed. However,they currently receive government and foundation fundsas well as income through services and products. If anyinitiative can survive based on its philosophy and tenacityin tilling the land, Pun Pun can. Indeed, it is at thevanguard of a movement, even a revolution, towards amore robustly built, fed and diversified world.


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Womanifestos Residency Programme

Inquiry: Exploring gender and artisticprocess in relation to traditional crafts andagrarian life

Organisation: Womanifesto

Date: 1997 ongoing


Rural Dialogue on Art, Gender, and Agrarian Life

An ar tist residency pr ogramme set in th e midst of ru ra llife fuels dialogue around gender, traditional knowledge,and contemporary artistic practices.

Engaging local communities in Thailand while cultivatinga global network of artists, Womanifesto(http://www.womanifesto.com/ ) provides a uniqueexploration of gender, artistic process, and emergingthemes in contemporary culture. Since it began in 1997,Womanifesto has brought together multi-disciplinaryexhibitions, workshops, artist talks, and residencies,which have sparked compelling dialogue among urbanand rural communities as well as local and internationalartists.

Inspired by this prolific network, Varsha Nair and NitayaUeareeworakul began the Womanifesto ResidencyProgramme in 2008 at Boonbandarn Farm and the townof Kantharalak in Si Saket province, situated in one ofthe poorest areas of the country: the Northeastern regionof Isaan. The initiative has had a long-standingrelationship with this locale since 2001 when it held adynamic workshop with a group of women artists andculture workers. By way of continuity, this residency nowinvites women artists to this site to interact with the ruralenvironment and agrarian way of life over a period of sixweeks. Artists have the opportunity to appreciate the richcultural diversity of this area, which is home to ethnic

Lao, Khmer, Suay, and Yuea communities. The residencyencourages them to learn about local craft traditions andexplore their sources of inspiration in the naturalresources and landscape of the region.

Open day at Womanifesto, photo courtesy of Womanifesto

This community-based artist residency has come to thefore at a critical moment in Thai history when the ruralpoor are forced to migrate to cities like Bangkok for work.Most of these migrants come from Isaan and they sufferfrom poor working conditions and alienation as they arewithout the grounding support of their rural land andcommunities. As a result, many of them have joined apopular movement that calls for their rights and a change
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in society as a whole. The clash between this movementand other political parties in the country has led to astate of socio-political polarisation.

At a time when dialogue is key, this movement is in needof a platform in order to be understood by the nationalmedia and civil society. By valorising the region wherethese disenfranchised migrants are from, theWomanifesto Residency Programme provides just such aplatform. It facilitates greater understanding of themigrants values and emphasises their need for respect,assistance, and affirmation as Thai citizens.

Open air studio, image courtesy of Womanifesto.

The residency in 2008 engaged six artists, both Thai andinternational, to connect the traditions and naturalresources of the local context with contemporary art andcultural practices and carry out discussions and activitiesaround this intersection. The resident artists were: PanParahom, On-Anong Klinsiri, Naruemon Padsamran,Graciela Ovejero, Liliane Zumkemi and PhaptawanSuwannakudt. Their activities included collaborations,public art projects, workshops and seminars. Theworkshops were held in approximately 20 schools,occupational colleges from Ubon Ratchathani andKantaralak, and university art schools from Ubon

Ratchathani and Maha Sarakham. The artists dialoguedwith a diverse range of people from the communitiesincluding farmers and artisans. The latter provided richknowledge about handicrafts and the natural materialsused to make them.

The Womanifesto Residency Programme is exemplary as acommunity-based, artist driven initiative that r ecogniseswomen as creators and collaborators. It cultivates multi-disciplinary dialogue at the intersection of art, theenvironment and agrarian traditions. Celebrating thediversity of local cultures and folkways in NortheasternThailand, the initiative sheds a positive light on this

impoverished regions people. Furthermore, the initiativecounters any perceived benefits of urban migration as ithighlights what these local people would lose if they were

to leave: the value of their community, way of life, andnatural landscape.

As far as sustaining the Programme, the Thai Ministry ofCulture in Thailand has funded it in the past, but it wouldbenefit from more long-standing and diversified supportfrom public and private sources. Above and beyond thesematters, Womanifesto remains resilient in sustaining acollaborative and generative network of creativeindividuals and communities.


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Laos

The profile for Laos was researched and written by KarenDemavivas.

Karen Demavivas is Program Officer of the ImmigrantArtist Project at the New York Foundation for the Arts(http://www.nyfa.org/) (NYFA), where she manages amentoring program for immigrant artists, a master folkartist development program, cultural community events,individual consultations, and a newsletter all throughan arts and social change lens. Beyond NYFA, she acts asSpecial Advisor on the sustainable cultural andcommunity development initiatives of the social businessenterprise Aoka based in Brazil. A two-time FulbrightFellow, she was initially awarded a Fellowship in 2004 towork as program coordinator, curator, and art critic oncommunity-based art projects in Northern Thailand. Thisled to serving as the UNESCO-Fulbright Fellow for Cultureat UNESCO Paris headquarters, and then working as aconsultant on culture and development initiatives at thisagency and the UN P opulation Fund. Her portfoliosincluded heritage conservation, indigenous issues,creative economies, and intercultural/interfaith dialogue.She has also held positions at high-level culturalinstitutions in New York City. Her art criticism has beenfeatured in publications such as the Brooklyn Rail, theBangkok Post, Art4D Magazine, and NYFA Current.

Demavivas holds an M.A. in A rt History and Criticism.


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Ock Pop Tok

Inquiry: Traditional craftsmanship madeviable through contemporary design,production and marketing strategies

Artists: Rural weavers

Date: 2000 ongoing


Weaving the Modern into TraditionalTextiles

A visi ona ry in it ia ti ve gi ves a contempora ry spin totextiles, inspiring local artisans and advancing traditional

sk il ls .

The textile gallery and weaving centre Ock Pop Tok(http://www.ockpoptok.com/ ) has created quite a buzz insleepy Luang Prabang. In Lao, Ock Pop Tok means Eastmeets West, which in this case, can be interpreted asLao craftsmanship innovatively intersecting with Westerndesign aesthetic or local dynamically bridging overseasmarkets.

Founded in 2000 by Veomanee Duangdala, a localweaver and entrepreneur, and Joanna Smith, an English

photographer, the duo envisioned an initiative that wouldadvance the cultural and socio-economic situations ofNorthern Lao artisans through their textiles whileupholding fair trade principles.

From this starting point, Ock Pop Tok now providesenduring employment to village weavers, who produce awide range of high quality textiles that combine localcraftsmanship with design innovation and marketknowledge. Beyond employing these villagers, theinitiative builds their capacity in all areas of productionthrough an expert team of weavers, designers, andtailors.

Ock Pop Tok Weaving Community. Image courtesy of Ock Pop Tok.

Of specific note is Ock Pop Toks Village Weaver Project,which allows artisans to weave textiles from the comfortof their own homes in the remote villages of Northern

Laos. This sensitive business practice thus leaves thesocial fabric of the village undisturbed and keeps theintegrity of these traditions in the domestic sphere wheretheyve been carried out for generations. Given the ruralremoteness and poor roads around these villages, it alsoavoids the logistical challenge of travelling to acentralised production site as most enterprises wou lddemand.

Due to the initiatives expert interplay of craft and designfortified by sustainable business practices, they havebuilt a substantial network of local w eavers in sevenprovinces, providing fair trade textiles for local and

international galleries and markets. By generating incomefrom these new market opportunities, Ock Pop Tok hastransitioned local artisans from a bartering system into acash economy.
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In sustaining local communities through these uniquestrategies, Ock Pop Tok has won the respect of the LaoWomens Union, the UN, the EU, development andgovernment agencies, which has led to partnerships oncapacity-building activities for artisans. These have

tackled areas from product design to business planning.In addition, Ock Pop Tok works with the Lao WomensUnion to coordinate field trips to the village weavingsites. All these activities are supported by donors and apercentage of the profit generated by Ock Pop Tokssales.

Beyond these initiatives that empower rural artisans, OckPop Toks Living Crafts Centre and the non-profit galleryFibre2Fibre function as hubs for education andcommunity-based tourism. The Centre providesinteractive learning experiences for local andinternational visitors through tours and classes on

weaving, natural dyes, and other themes. More immersivesojourns can also be arranged through homestays in localvillages. Furthermore, the centre teaches importantlessons in harnessing local natural resources onsite foreach stage of the weaving p rocess. For instance, visitorscan witness how silk is harvested from silk worms or howdyes like indigo are extracted from plants.

Fibre2Fibre is a space with a revolving door of exemplaryexhibitions that shed light on the prominent textileheritage of the region. One exhibition in particular, heldin 2009, focused on a small Tai-Lue village called NaNyang in the Nam Bak District of Luang Prabang Provincewhere the tradition of weaving remains strong. Theexhibition underscores how its villagers are rooted in self -reliance as they plant, spin, dye, and weave their owncotton. It meticulously laid out the motifs, dyes, andfestivals that keep the village rooted in its tradition.These kinds of exhibitions are supported by the rigorousresearch and documentation of textiles that hail fromvarious regions and ethnicities in Laos. They, therefore,hold great archival value beyond their time on thegallerys walls.

Ock Pop Tok has evolved into a comprehensive operationthat sustains not only a community of weavers, but awhole ecosystem with markets beyond its borders. Herewhat may initially be perceived as binary oppositions East meets West merge into a complex blend ofcultures, resources, and practices that call for both theold and the new.


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Cambodia

The profile for Cambodia was researched and written byKaren Demavivas.

Karen Demavivas is Program Officer of the ImmigrantArtist Project at the New York Foundation for the Arts(http://www.nyfa.org/) (NYFA), where she manages amentoring program for immigrant artists, a master folkartist development program, cultural community events,individual consultations, and a newsletter all throughan arts and social change lens. Beyond NYFA, she acts asSpecial Advisor on the sustainable cultural andcommunity development initiatives of the social businessenterprise Aoka based in Brazil. A two-time Fulbright

Fellow, she was initially awarded a Fellowship in 2004 towork as program coordinator, curator, and art critic oncommunity-based art projects in Northern Thailand. Thisled to serving as the UNESCO-Fulbright Fellow for Cultureat UNESCO Paris headquarters, and then working as aconsultant on culture and development initiatives at thisagency and the UN Population Fund. Her portfoliosincluded heritage conservation, indigenous issues,creative economies, and intercultural/interfaith dialogue.She has also held positions at high-level culturalinstitutions in New York City. Her art criticism has beenfeatured in publications such as the Brooklyn Rail, the

Bangkok Post, Art4D Magazine, and NYFA Current.Demavivas holds an M.A. in Art History and Criticism.


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literacy rates prevail. In place of the written word, thegroup delivers visual and performative forms that peoplecan better access for information and entertainment.Furthermore, by making theatre an interactive experiencefor its audience, the Group more deeply engages with

peoples thoughts and senses. Such depth leads to astronger case for the social message carried by eachperformance.

The Awareness Theatre Group further amplifies eachmessage through outreach partners that advocate forsimilar social agendas. For instance, the InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM) has sponsored a tour often of the Groups theatre performers due to the socialmessage of their travelling show: safe migration amongvulnerable populations. Organisations like IOM see theadded and unique value of this form of theatre increatively communicating priority issues for both sides.

Clearly, effective modes of co mmunity engagement,communication, and partnership-building are exemplifiedby the Awareness Theatre Group as one among manyinnovative initiatives by PPS. Cambodia, as a country stillseeking to heal and move fo rward, would be positivelypropelled into the future by its expansion.


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Vietnam

The profile for Vietnam was researched and written byHuong Le Thu.

Huong Le Thu is a PhD Candidate in Asia-Pacific Studiesat National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan. She wasborn in Hanoi, Vietnam; lived many years in Poland,where she obtained her BA and MA from JagiellonianUniversity in International Cultural Studies and East AsianRegional Studies. Huong conducts research in SoutheastAsian regionalism and the community building, Asia-Europe cultural inter-regionalism, and the culturaldevelopment in Vietnam. She has published a researchon ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human

Rights and Vietnamese cultural policy as strategy ofsustainable development since the Renovation Doi Moi in1986.

Huong is also a fellow of UNESCO U40 World ForumCultural Diversity 2030 and serves as an informalambassador to the Asian region to promote the UNESCOConvention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversityof Cultural Expressions. She is also a member of YoungResearchers Team working for Asia-Pacific RegionalCenter of the CultureLink Network (APRCCN) inassociation with Korean National Commission forUNESCO.

She is interested in the practices of cultural diplomacy,sustainable development, and multilateral governance ofinternational institutions, with particular cases ofUNESCO, Asia-Europe Foundation, and ASEAN Foundation.She speaks 5 languages and has working experience asinterpreter to diplomatic delegations, includingPresidential visits. Huong is pas sionate about travel andart.


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The Mirror. What if the River Could Speak

Inquiry: Photographic narratives andcommunity dialogue on river health

Organization: Action for the City

Artists: Collective, young amateurphotographers

Date: September 2007 June 2008

Researcher: Huong Le Thu

The Stories of a River

Young photographers take action and create a visual storyboard to co nnec t the he al th of a rive r to the heal thof a community in Hanoi.

Action for the City, a member of the Global Action PlanInternational (GAP), is a pioneering environmentalorganisation in Vietnam who launched a youth focusedcommunity based initiative titled The Mirror. What if theRiver Could Speak to raise awareness about the river ToLich. Once a lifeline of Hanoi, the river is now sufferingdue to the severe impact of rapid urbanisation and isheavily contaminated. Operational between September2007 and June 2008 with funding from the SIDAEnvironmental Fund, the programme saw participation ofnineteen young photographers from the Thinh Quangward who took an action by photographing the river.

The idea behind the project was to raise awarenessamong the communities along the rivers course about itscondition, and to emphasise their role in changing that.Action for the City partnered with the communities toreflect on the real affects of pollution on the quality oftheir lives. Amateur photographers used low-cost camerasand films to produce community-photography whichfocused on narratives about the river, rather than on theaesthetic or artistic merit of the images.

Serial workshops were organised before the shoot to train

the participants in technique, brainstorm on ideas, andafter, to carefully select the photographs so as to ensurethat the ensuing exhibition could convey a message. Theexhibition which was launched to target the communityopened to a large audience at the VietnameseEthnographic Museum.

The organisers were encouraged by the strong publicinterest and hoped that their initiative spoke to policymakers indirectly. Following the exhibition they plannedto implement follow-up action in the form of:

An education programme for primary schoolchildren that connects water pollution to health

A community team to monitor sanitation issues inthe markets and public places along the river

A book compiling good practices that residentscould use to protect the river

Such initiatives are still new and rare in Vietnam, but w ithpotential for growth. Being a community driven initiativewith relatively low project costs, and high motivationlevels of young creators this project has high potential forrepetition.


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Malaysia | 38

Malaysia

The profile for Malaysia was researched and written byMonica James and Ekta Mittal.

Monica James is a writer, media practitioner andresearcher with maraa- a media and arts collective. Herrecent work is centered around community radio, mediapolicy, spectrum reform, creative practices in times ofconflict and urban transformation. She is the co -organizerof Pause-in times of Conflict and Theater Jam.

Ekta Mittal is a co-founder of Maraa Media Collective(http://maraa.in/ ). She is also one of the foundingmembers of Masrah, an eight year old theatre group.Prior to this, Mittal worked a t VOICES, a media advocacygroup in Bangalore, to bring out a publication onCommunity Media. As a result she stayed with theorganisation for two years. During this time, she had theopportunity to get hands-on experience with communityradio, video and theatre, both in Bangalore and ruralKarnataka. Mittal is passionate about travel, and hasalso worked as Research Manager for The Blue Yonder, aresponsible tourism company where she identifiedcommunities to work with in Karnataka and Rajasthan.Mittal studied Social Communication Media in Mumbai.
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The Bridging Scales and KnowledgeSystems Project

Inquiry: Documenting indigenousknowledge in the context of restoration ofecosystems

Organization: Sustainable DevelopmentNetwork Malaysia (SUSDEN)

Date: October 2010

Researcher: Ekta Mittal and Monica James

Bridging Gaps through Native Wisdom

In Tasik Chini, an NGO is building capacity to empowerlocal communities to document their traditionalknowledge and actively participate in the managementand restoration planning process of their immediateenvironment.

While traditional and non-formal systems of knowledgestill struggle to find legitimacy within western, sciencebased discourse on conservation and restoration in mostparts of Asia, Br

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Art and Environment FINAL