Creation of Visual Theatre “Dialogue of Land and Sea”
Keywords:
Visual Theatre, Creative Research, Action Research, Biological Diversity, Puppetry, Performance ArtAbstract
This article presents the results of a creative research project on the development of the visual theatre production Dialogue of Land and Sea, with two main objectives: (1) to create a theatrical performance that effectively communicates social and environmental concerns—particularly issues related to biodiversity—and (2) to reflect on the director’s learning outcomes through the creative process. The research employed two cycles of action research based on the frameworks of Visual Theatre and biodiversity, encompassing planning, field data collection, creative experimentation, public presentations, observation, and qualitative interviews. The production integrates various art forms—including puppetry, shadow play, physical movement, live music, sound art, and experimental film. Inspired by a real-life encounter between a stray dog and a green sea turtle on a beach in Mexico, the story was adapted to reflect Thai sociocultural contexts. The performance was presented twice to youth and family audiences. Findings reveal that Visual Theatre can be a powerful medium to raise environmental awareness and empathy for living beings, while also fostering emotional and social engagement from audiences. The creative process enhanced the researcher’s skills in directing, storytelling, and interdisciplinary media design. The study concludes that site-connected, participatory, and reflectively designed visual theatre provides an effective approach for using contemporary art to communicate environmental issues in a sustainable manner.
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