Bangkok--17 Jul--AirAsia
AirAsia has joined with the Ministry of Culture to hold its first ever folk performance training camp under the “Air Travel to Preserve Art” project in Ubon Ratchathani, featuring 2014 National Artist Banyen Rakken passing on her knowledge of the art of Moh Lum Sing music as well as leading participating youths to perform as part of the province’s annual Buddhist Lent Candle Procession.
Mr. Santisuk Klongchaiya, Director of Commercial for Thai AirAsia, explained that AirAsia joined with the Ministry of Culture to organize “Air Travel to Preserve Art” in the hope of supporting the nation’s youth to learn about their local arts and culture by providing them with opportunities to meet with National Artist level practitioners as well as to themselves perform. The project’s first ever training camp was organized in Ubon Ratchathani province and was honored by the participation of 2014 National Artist for Performance Banyen Rakken, who spoke on singing the Northeastern region’s distinct Moh Lum style of music. A total of 20 selected youths attended the 3 day 2 night camp.
“It is great that the participants in our first camp will be able to perform in one of Ubon Ratchathani’s biggest festivals, the Buddhist Lent Candle Festival, alongside Banyen Rakken. This 12 July, Ms. Banyen will lead the youths to sing and dance traditional Moh Lum music as part of the procession and then they will perform on stage at Ton Tien Road. One of the youths will be selected to represent the province at the national and international level from their performance”.
The “Air Travel to Preserve Art” project was built upon AirAsia’s existing support of air travel for National Artists with the organization of training camps in the 10 Thai provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Nakon Panom, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Trang, Hat Yai, Surat Thani and Nakon Si Thammarat. The camps take on select youths from their local areas and provide them with 3 days and 2 nights of training and on the final night hold a performance in which one of the participants is chosen to perform alongside their National Artist at the Thailand Cultural Center, becoming a ‘Youth Ambassador’ to represent their art form across the country and internationally.
AirAsia has taken part in Ubon Ratchathani’s Buddhist Lent Candle Festival since the year 2011 with personnel from all of its divisions, both local and international, dancing and marching as part of the tradition. The airline, in 2012, was even given the honor of taking part in the transport of the province’s candle, graciously handed down by His Majesty the King, and has assumed the responsibility since as a mark of pride for all of its employees.