Despite being home to many talented performance artists, some of whom have gained international recognition, Chiang Mai lacks sufficient venues to host performance shows. To help address this challenge, a group of performing artists came together to create the ‘Basebox Theater’ project, transforming the exhibition hall on the first floor of TCDC Chiang Mai into a 100-seat theater from August to early September 2024. This initiative not only gave Chiang Mai residents the chance to enjoy a variety of entertaining shows but also showcased new possibilities for staging performances.

We had the opportunity to interview with the Basebox Theater team—Chaiwat Loachotinan, Apichai Thianwilairat, Sasiwimon Wongjarin, and Sutira Fankaew—about the origins of the project and their hopes for expanding performance spaces in Chiang Mai and throughout Thailand, aiming to make the performing arts more accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable.

From ‘Len Yai’ to the Box

“This project is a reflection of the ‘Len Yai’ (Big Play) show that Apichai and I created for Chiang Mai Design Week over the past two years. We realized, along with the festival organizers at CEA, that although our country has abundant resources in the performing arts, there aren’t enough venues for artists to perform. This is one reason why performance culture isn’t as popular here,” Chaiwat Loachotinan explained.

The ‘Len Yai’ project that Chaiwat referred to was a performance arts show where he and Apichai transformed public spaces in the city’s Chang Moi and Ratchawong districts into temporary performance stages for short performances over nine days during the Chiang Mai Design Week 2022 and 2023. It added color to the festival with creative flash performances from artists of various generations.

Following ‘Len Yai,’ Apichai and Chaiwat proposed a new idea to CEA: What if they created a model of a small theater that could be set up in various closed spaces throughout the city, such as hotel conference rooms, multipurpose rooms in offices, or even classrooms? This model could ignite new possibilities for creating performance spaces.

“Once CEA understood the limitations the performing arts scene faces here, we agreed to collaborate on creating a pilot space by transforming TCDC Chiang Mai’s exhibition hall. This became the foundation for the Basebox Theater project, named to match the box-like structure of the room. We also made the shows free of charge for anyone interested,” Chaiwat said.

A Gathering of Theater Enthusiasts

The team aimed to showcase the diversity of performing arts through this project, leading to the curation of four distinct shows. These included the mixed media performance On & On by LittleShelter Box, a musical titled Love Letters from XXX by Part Time Theater, the contemporary dance Overlapping (extended version) by Makham Pom Theater Group, and a demonstration acting workshop called Approaches, where Chiang Mai artists from different disciplines were invited to participate in an acting workshop. Audiences were free to observe this five-hour process, much like a reality show.

“We performed every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from mid-August to early September, with a different show each week. We chose performances that were fun and easy to understand in order to attract people who might not have followed this art form before,” Chaiwat explained.

“Two of the four shows (On & On and Approaches) were newly created for this event. For the other two shows, we introduced new elements by collaborating with artists from other disciplines to further develop the stories. We believe this not only showcased the potential of the space and provided entertainment but also created a cross-disciplinary learning process for the artists,” said Aom, Sasiwimon Wongjarin.

In addition to coordinating and managing public relations for this temporary project, Sasiwimon is the founder of Studio 88 Artist Residency, an organization that connects international artists with opportunities to live, learn, and create in Chiang Mai. As part of this initiative, she invited Irish visual and digital artist Jonathan Armour, who had previously worked with her on a residency project, to collaborate and adapt his work with the shows.

“We not only shared artists but also rehearsal spaces across projects, which was a perfect fit. Besides Studio 88 Artist Residency, we participated in another project by the CEA called Upper Floor, which aims to revitalize the second floors of commercial buildings in the Chang Moi-Ratchawong neighborhood. (Sasiwimon opened a gallery on the second floor of The Goodcery – the author). Another participant from Upper Floor, Base Performing Arts, not only presented shows at Basebox Theater but also shared rehearsal spaces with other groups. This collaboration across projects benefited both performance and rehearsal spaces, which were not originally designed for such activities,” Sasiwimon noted.

The Rise of Small Theaters

As for the reception of the four shows across 13 performances (starting on Friday, August 16, and ending on Sunday, September 8, 2024), the team reflected on some unexpected insights.

“Although these were short shows with limited time, I feel that this project or performance model can be replicated and set up in other locations. Importantly, many artists initially thought of TCDC as just a space for libraries and design exhibitions, but now they’ve seen new dimensions of how the space can be used,” Chaiwat said.

“Additionally, hosting performances in a venue like this helped performing artists reach new audiences. And based on the nearly full house at every show, it’s a good sign that there’s quite a lot of interest in this type of art, but people didn’t know where or how to find such shows in Chiang Mai,” he added.

Sasiwimon also shared an interesting perspective: besides the performance space, having a central coordinator to link everything together is crucial if we want to sustain a performing arts culture in Thailand.

“We believe many spaces are open to hosting performances like this regularly, but they don’t know how to start or how to connect the artists and audiences. Even though this project was supported by CEA, the outcome shows us what’s been lacking in our performance scene—funding, space, audience outreach, publicity, and, importantly, a manager to bring everything together. It’s not just about production but also about fostering collaboration and sparking post-performance discussions to explore new ideas in both art and management,” she explained.

During the event, Sasiwimon also collected data and audience feedback by providing sticker price ranges for audience members to place on their seats, indicating how much they were willing to pay for tickets.

“We set the lowest price at 200 baht and the highest at 800 baht. Surprisingly, many shows had people sticking 800-baht stickers on their seats. After the performances, several attendees even asked why there wasn’t a 1,000- or 1,200-baht option. This showed us that there are many people—locals, tourists, and expats living in Chiang Mai—who are willing to pay for this kind of performance. Some older audience members also suggested we create shows for children, as they want their kids to participate in such activities. This feedback made us realize the potential for creating a small theater with ongoing performances,” she said.

Before wrapping up, we asked the team if we might see similar shows again in the future.

“Honestly, I’d love for this to become an annual festival. I believe that moving forward, the challenge won’t be about space but about finding sponsors to support the shows and theater groups so they can continue without relying solely on funding from organizations or overseas. It’s already clear that as long as we have a venue, we can set up the stage, lighting, sound, and seating. The next question is how we can keep these performances running sustainably, and that includes building a theater-going culture in the community. But I’m confident that if we can create this ecosystem, we’ll see even more talented performing artists emerge in Thailand,” Chaiwat concluded.

Igniting the Small Theater Scene

The response to the performances—13 shows over four weekends—exceeded expectations. Nearly every show was fully booked, demonstrating that there is significant interest in this type of art. “There’s a real demand for performances like these, but people often don’t know where or how to follow them in Chiang Mai,” Chaiwat noted.

Sasiwimon, who managed the project’s communications, added that creating more venues and having intermediaries to connect artists, venues, and audiences is key to fostering a sustainable performance culture.

“We’ve learned from this project that the performing arts scene in Thailand lacks not just funding, venues, and audience reach, but also intermediaries who can bring all these elements together. It’s more than just the production—it’s about creating a system that encourages collaboration and conversation to develop new ideas, both artistically and organizationally,” she concluded.

“Len Yai Performances” are a series of diverse performances presented for Chiang Mai Design Week. This year, creators and performing artists from both Chiang Mai and abroad are invited to participate in creating performances to celebrate Chiang Mai’s identity as a city of festivals and creativity. Performances will take place over 8 days in key areas targeted for development as major tourist destinations and creative economic districts of Chiang Mai.