Chiang Mai Performing Arts Festival Press Conference

July 18

A press conference was held at the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Center to announce the “Chiang Mai Performing Arts Festival 2023” will take place from 21- 29 October 2023 with the theme Chiang Mai Pantomine Planet 2023.

PRESS RELEASE….

1st Manifesto of the Chiang Mai Performing Arts Festival 

Over the course of thousands of years, across the globe, humanity has developed the art of storytelling. These narratives have become intertwined with our way of life, society, culture and of course – the performing arts. Southeast Asia is no exception – communities in this region have used storytelling to convey personal history, knowledge, beliefs, understanding and dreams, all expressed through literature, songs, folktales, music, performances and much more.

Performing arts in Chiang Mai span a high level of diversity, encompassing both traditional and contemporary forms. As a substantial cultural city with a diverse population, Chiang Mai attracts both creators and spectators from various communities and parts of the world. This has led to exchanges and collaborations in both form and content, making it a point of interest for both Thai and international audiences. Currently, Chiang Mai hosts numerous art-related activities and festivals, with more and more each year.

Performing arts are an art form that requires interaction with the audience – it is influenced by time, place, and specific individuals, making it fully experiential. The Chiang Mai Performing Arts Festival is a confluence of both creators and spectators, coming together in the same space and time.

The growth of the contemporary performing arts network, both within and outside universities, in the past 30 years has fostered a variety of artists and facilitated these international collaborations. This has resulted in an increasing number of performance venues throughout the city. These developments have turned Chiang Mai into a city with sufficient potential to organize internationally renowned performing arts festivals, making it a significant city for arts and culture globally.

The Chiang Mai Performing Arts Festival, which is planned to run for at least 5 years, aims to become a major festival in the Southeast Asian region. Today marks an important milestone for the festival, as the organizing team has been preparing and designing the festival since the first inception in 2022. The goal is to establish a long-term working structure, fostering collaboration between the government, private sector, artist networks, and the public to create a collective design for the festival.

With this manifesto, we officially declare that July 18th, 2023, is the birth date of the Chiang Mai Performing Arts Festival.