Raising up the Level of Folk Performing Arts to the Development of Local Education curriculum: A Case Study of Chang Pha Parade Tradition of Mae Moh District, Lampang Province A Case Study of Local Folks in the Fabric Elephant Parade Tradition in Mae Moh District, Lampang Province

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the history of performing arts in the Chang Pha parade tradition, Mae Moh District, Lampang Province, and to study the enhancement of folk performing arts to the development of local education curriculum. This research used qualitative research methods and the results were showed that the elephant cloth parade was a traditional performance of the Thai Yai community or ‘Ngeaw’ that migrated to live in Mae Mo district, which was popularly held in April every year. At this point, the government and educational institutions have realized the importance of traditions and folk performing arts and therefore have promoted and integrated the tradition of the cloth elephant parade to be created in the form of folk art performance, the beautiful legendary dance of the elephant cloth.

After that, Ruangthong Raksakul, a teacher who has further expanded the educational knowledge,  put it in the curriculum of local educational content in dance arts courses in Grade 6, Art Learning Mae Moh Kindergarten School, Lampang Province, with 5 important processes, namely 1. study of basic information,
2. design and construction of folk performing arts based on concepts from local traditions, 3. create local curriculum, 4. trial of the curriculum, and 5. curriculum evaluation to give students the opportunity to learn the tradition through the legendary dance of this elephant parades causing love, cherish and realizing the value of the elephant parade tradition which is a truly heritage of the community.