THE PILOT PROJECT TRANSFORMS AN EXHIBITION SPACE OF TCDC CHIANG MAI INTO A BLACK BOX THEATER FOR PERFORMING ARTS WITH FREE ADMISSION TO GATHER THE DATA AND PROPEL THE CREATIVE ECONOMY FORWARD
TEXT: TUNYAPORN HONGTONG
PHOTO COURTESY OF BASE BOX THEATRE
(For Thai, press here)
Every weekend from August 16th through September 8th, TCDC Chiang Mai is hosting a rotating roster of theater troupes, each delivering small-scale dynamic performances. While resembling a typical theater festival, the deeper motivations behind the project are even more intriguing.
Dubbed the Base Box Theatre, this initiative is a pilot project spearheaded with the support of the Creative Economy Agency (CEA). The venture experiments with transforming an exhibition space at TCDC Chiang Mai into a small theater, hosting free performances from Friday through Sunday over four weeks, open to the public at no charge. However, the project is layered with a critical evaluative component. Surveys, discussions, and comprehensive data gathering on actors, crews, audiences, and the venue itself aim to distill insights that could propel the creative economy forward, particularly within the performing arts sector.
The genesis of Base Box Theatre stems from the recognition that the Northern region of Thailand currently hosts over ten performing arts groups acknowledged both nationally and internationally, along with educational institutions consistently producing skilled personnel in the arts. Yet, the burning question lingers— why can’t these gifted performers leverage their artistry and potential into sustainable livelihoods without resorting to support from other professions?
Base Box Theatre pinpoints two key factors as crucial to the current scenario: firstly, a shortage of standardized venues that can accommodate audiences in numbers viable for business; and secondly, shortcomings in management and marketing. In response, Base Box Theatre has converted the gallery room at TCDC Chiang Mai into a makeshift black box theater. This innovative space schedules diverse, engaging performances each week, with daily variations in showtimes to attract a wide array of audience interests.
During the first week that art4d had the opportunity to attend, it was the run of ‘On & On’ by Little Shelter Box. The performance art piece combined multiple disciplines from visual arts and writing to multimedia and music on stage. Although this type of performance might be unfamiliar to regular theater-goers, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and sparked stimulating follow-up discussions. The next week showcased ‘Love Letter XXX’ by Part Time Theatre, a musical theater performance that reportedly sold out nearly every showing. The third week featured an intensive acting workshop by Base Performing Arts, notable not just for its immersive training but for allowing spectators to simply observe. The month’s curtain call was ‘The Overlapping Extended Version,’ a contemporary dance by the well-established Makhampom Theatre Group, which operates their own Makhampom Art Space in Chiang Dao. Throughout the four-week series, there are also special workshops that include international artists from Studio 88 Artist Residency.
Chiang Mai has always been a hub of creativity, effortlessly marrying its ancient traditions and cultural tapestry with contemporary arts and design. This city, a magnet for tourists throughout the year, offers an ambiance that’s ripe for art lovers—its accessibility, particularly for those with private vehicles, makes it easier to explore and get around than the dense urban sprawl of Bangkok. Given this backdrop, it’s perfectly conceivable that Chiang Mai could cultivate a vibrant theater scene as a cornerstone of its creative economy. As for the Base Box Theatre’s pioneering project, the extent to which it will enhance the local performing arts landscape is a narrative still unfolding.