Isan Creative Festival 2024, or ISANCF2024, came to a spectacular close on 7 July 2024, drawing a record-breaking 321,772 visitors over nine days. Organized by the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA, under the theme of “Sa-on De”' or “Proud of Isan: Mixing Isan - Elaborating - Enhancing,” the festival celebrated the vibrant creative scene of Thailand's northeastern region and showcased the talent of local artists and designers, which took place between 29 June - 7 July 2024 in three main districts: (1) Kungsadan District, at TCDC Khon Kaen, Kalpapruek Road, and Khon Kaen University; (2) Columbo District at Columbo Creative Community; and (3) Srichan District at Khon Kaen Innovation Centre. Additional venues included places across the province, such as Vector Coffee Roaster.
The festival's diverse activities were presented through the region's “Prides” in three dimensions:
(1) Sa-on “Isan Assets” unveils the wealth of Isan assets through its creative people, creative businesses, and creative districts.
(2) Sa-on “Isan Experiment” provides a space to experiment with local assets from Isan and explore various methods to enhance the value of products and services.
(3) Sa-on “Isan Opportunity” aims to create opportunities and drive momentum for advancement within the creative business sector, which seeks to boost economic development and enhance the quality of life for the people in this region.
Boosting Isan's Pride with Three Key Achievements of Isan Creative Festival 2024 Beyond its record-breaking attendance, the festival featured over 367 diverse activities, including exhibitions, events, music, talks, workshops, tours, and creative district development programs. These activities successfully fulfilled three primary missions: empowering creators, fostering business opportunities, and enhancing the quality of life for the local community.
(1) Empowering “creators” to showcase their talents with local resources through the creation of spaces for contemporary art exhibitions and various other exhibitions that offer audiences a modern Isan perspective. This served as a major platform for creators fromall 20 provinces of Isan to come together and present works that blend their unique styles with the essence of Isan. Notable examples include the “Isan Zaap Bar” exhibition, which aimed to disseminate knowledge about local food and ingredients, and the performance art piece “Gram-Sa-Darn,” presented by the “Young Perform” group, which explored local social issues and offered a new art experience for the community. Additionally, the festival provided emerging artists a platform to showcase their work.
(2) Building a “network” for collaboration and business opportunities CEA, in partnership with Khon Kaen Province, creators, and various government, private, and academic institutions, established a knowledge-sharing network to enhance the capabilities of both established and emerging creators, as well as creative entrepreneurs. The festival also supported the Isan creative industry through events such as “Music Business Networking,” which connected Isan artists with music festival organizers from six countries: Taiwan, the Philippines, South Korea, China, Australia, and Indonesia. Additionally, “Isan Film Business Networking” provided a platform for filmmakers of all ages and genres to exchange ideas about the potential of Isan cinema, aiming to enhance their skills and promote Isan on a global scale.
(3) Revitalizing “districts” to attract creators and promote the areas as creative tourism destinations. This was achieved by creating a vibrant urban atmosphere through innovative ideas integrated into products and services, as well as community area development. Notable projects and activities included “Kupper Art Fes 2024,” an art exhibition co-organized by KULTX Collaborative Space and ISANCF2024 with support from TCEB; “Kungsadan Street Food Pocket” and “Kungsadan Eating Destination,” which showcased examples of street food area planning and management; “Made in Kungsadan” and “Creator in District,” projects involving designers in developing products and services for local businesses; and “Columbo Creative Community,” which developed an art-based creative tourism destination for Isan creators.
With the resounding success of this year’s festival, Isan Creative Festival 2024 has successfully revitalized various districts of the city through design-driven initiatives. It has provided both established and emerging creators with a platform to showcase their talents, leaving a lasting impression of pride and inspiration among attendees. The festival has fostered a sense of community involvement and led to the growth of a network of designers, artists, artisans, and entrepreneurs, serving as a significant driving force for the sustainable growth of the creative industry in Isan.
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