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Artist Talks Series in Lao PDR: Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity and Artistic Freedom
UNESCO, the Lao PDR Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) co-organised the first of what is planned to be an ongoing series of Artist Talks in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, on 8 December 2022.
The event was attended by artists, filmmakers and other cultural and creative professionals from across the country, as well as representatives from several government ministries, at both national and provincial levels, diplomatic representatives and civil society organizations (CSOs), all of whom joined hands to strengthen the Lao PDR creative sector and review the status of artists in the country.
During the event, Lao PDR Vice Minister Vansy Kouamoua commented:
The creative sector in Lao PDR is relatively very small, but it has been expanding positively and continuously, especially in the craft, performing art and traditional music sectors. For the entertainment sector, there has also been a shifting away from government investment to private sector investment, which makes it more easily accessible for the population.
The Artist Talks marked the commencement of the new three-year UNESCO project Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity and Artistic Freedom in Lao PDR, supported by Sweden from end of 2022 to December 2025. The project will partner with Lao PDR and seven partner countries to build more resilient and sustainable cultural and creative sectors by establishing a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform, a systematic method of data collection, and procedures for identifying key policies and good practices. The program will support the participatory elaboration of Lao PDR’s next Quadrennial Periodic Report (QPR), due in 2024, as required under the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005 Convention). 
Mr Feng Jing, Chief of the Culture Unit of UNESCO Bangkok, expressed gratitude for the commitment of the Lao PDR Government to engage many different stakeholders, especially cultural and creative professionals, in an inclusive and participatory manner to discuss challenges and policies directly related to them.
The objectives of the Artist Talks are to engage both government and civil society organizations in creative policy dialogue, and to collect information from civil society and government policymakers to assist the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR to develop their upcoming QPR.
Ms Kamonrat Chayamarit, Culture Programme Officer of the Culture Unit of UNESCO Office in Bangkok, spoke on how successful cases from the region’s creative sector can contribute substantially to the national GDP in some countries. Mr Matthew Johnson-Idan, Senior Economist of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Lao PDR, stressed the potential of the Lao PDR cultural and creative industries (CCI) to be further strengthened:
Lao PDR has a young population and the country needs to create 80,000 jobs per year. When you take into consideration the National Socio-Economic Development Plan (and in particular its emphasis on Green, Sustainable, Quality, and Focused development), Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) is an interesting sector, because the cultural and creative sector is sustainable, green, and -in the context of current economic and financial difficulties- affordable. CCIs can create new decent jobs, especially for young people.
Remarks were followed by a panel discussion including the Khao Niew Theatre Group, XYZ Design Collective group, Saya Craft Social Enterprise, and Xaisongkham, the renowned independent filmmaker, as well as a series of thematic roundtable discussions among breakout groups seeking to identify potential policy reforms. Commenting on the primary challenges facing the cultural and creative sectors in the country, Vice Minister Vansy Kouamoua stated:
The challenge across the sector is that there needs to be investment in skills and knowledge development. The framework of 2005 [Convention] clearly defined the needs to build preparedness for creative professionals to face digital evolution and technical transformation.
The Artist Talks were designed to stimulate grassroots discussions that would enable the Lao Government to consider necessary reforms to the creative industries which might encourage artistic expression, and thereby help the government meet its obligations under the 2005 Convention, including with regards to artistic freedom, a balanced flow of cultural and creative goods and services, the status of artists and the mobility of artists.
Mr Thongbay Photisane, President of the Lao Writers Association, emphasized the importance of cooperative work:
To strengthen the Creative and Cultural Industries in Lao PDR, the government sector, CSOs, the private sector and cultural and creative professionals from all creative sectors have to work collaboratively.
Mr Phonepaseth Keosomsak, an architect and a cultural professional, noted:
[…] people are happy to share their thoughts openly. The government officials are already aware of some challenges, and they stand ready to provide answers to questions related to existing policie [thus remaining] open to working collaboratively with the CSOs.’
The Artist Talks were held concurrently with the 2022 Blue Chair Film Festival, and participants enjoyed screening two short films which were directed and produced in Lao PDR. Attendees also enjoyed a traditional Lao puppet show choreographed to encourage appreciation of artistic freedom of expression and performed by the Khao Niew Theatre Group.
#CreativeIndustries #CreativityCulturalDiversity #CreativeCities
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About the authors
Kamonrat Mali Chayamarit has been with UNESCO Bangkok since 2008 and currently specializes as a Culture Programme Officer in the Culture Unit assisting the State Party of Lao PDR in implementing various UNESCO Conventions ratified by the country. She works across heritage disciplines in regional cultural and intangible cultural heritage; cultural and creative industries; world heritage; and the illicit trafficking of heritage. Kamonrat holds a Master’s degree in Cultural and Creative Industries from King’s College London; a post-graduate Diploma in comparative studies in cultures from the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS), University of London; and a Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Arts at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.
