Khwan - Khaw: The Creative Performing Arts of Rice Culture in Thai – Khmer Community

Abstract

This article was aimed to study the traditions and the believes of Thai-Khmer community in rice culture and to create a creative performing inspired by their rice culture called “Khwan Kaw”. The performing art was created based on the cultural information from Thai-Khmer community in Kham and Pen Suk Village, Pen Suk Sub-district, Jom Phra District, Surin Province under the “Art for All KKU” project. The findings showed that rice culture is a cultural heritage of agricultural society where the agriculturists predominantly plant rice. The Thai-Khmer community had traditions, rites, and believes about rice planting, for instance, timing, process, and rice welcoming ceremony. The performing art was designed to express people’s believes towards rice, the relationships between human and nature, supernatural power, and people’s hopes for prosperity in each year. The elements of the show consisted of as follows: Kantrum band played the performing music. The costumes were traditional clothes and silver accessories. The props were rice flowers made of bamboo and traditional rice offering trays. The dance consisted of three parts; introducing, welcoming and celebrating rice. The creations on the basis of community culture by community-university integrated learning method helped broaden the knowledge and experience of students and the youth who are aspired to love, conserve, and spread the glorious culture of Thai-Khmer community.