Culture News
The Mak Yong Spiritual Dance Heritage: Seminar and Performances, 20 - 21 September 2011
Mak Yong Theatre © National Culture and Arts Department
Mak Yong, the performing art of the Southeast Asian peninsula, is one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage elements inscribed by Malaysia in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. As the matter of fact, Mak Yong has been performed widely not only in Malaysia but also in Indonesia and southern part of Thailand. As a Southeast Asian age-old tradition, Mak Yong is a cultural amalgam of animistic and shamanic philosophies and communal expressions through rituals, dance, chants, stories and music. Through centuries, however, its prominence has significantly waned due to the shift of economic and social focuses and the lack of community support. For these reasons, SEAMEO SPAFA, as a lead agency in promoting cultural heritage in Southeast Asia, has proposed for an international seminar through which Mak Yong practitioners and cultural researchers are given venue to address both academic and practical aspects surrounding the development and preservation of this art form.
The event covers one full day of seminar and discussions and two evenings of traditional performances by Mak Yong troupes Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The seminar features paper presentations from Mak Yong representatives addressing the topics on history, spiritual significance, artistic traditions, community participation, current status and challenges in sustaining the art form in the future. It welcomes the public as well as performers, experts, researchers, educators, administrators interested in the study, presentation, spiritual aspects and promotion of Mak Yong.
The seminar and the following series of evening performances are organized by the multi-partnership between SEAMEO SPAFA and 7 governmental and non-governmental agencies: The Thai Khadi Research Institute of Thammasat University, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture of Thailand, Malaysia’s Department of National Heritage and Istana Budaya from Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Oral Traditions Association (Asosiasi Tradisi Lian) of Indonesia.
The event will be held on 20-21 September at Sri Burapha Auditorium (Small Auditorium), Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Click here to download the event’s schedule.
