Art as living heritage: An art-based participatory learning model for sustaining traditional wooden boat-building knowledge in

Abstract

This article presents findings from a broader research project that sought to develop a participatory art-based learning process for understanding the roles of art, place, and community participation in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. The study had three objectives: 1. to design and develop such a learning process, 2.to analyze the spatial, artistic, and participatory learning outcomes affecting participants’ perceptions and attitudes toward intangible cultural heritage conservation, and 3. to examine the alignment of Art-Based Learning (ABL), Place-Based Education (PBE), Participatory Action Research (PAR), Community-Based Art Education (CBAE), and Critical Pedagogy within contemporary cultural knowledge management. Employing participatory action research, the study was conducted over four months through three phases: co-design, workshop implementation at the Sri Charoen keel beam site, and collective reflection. Data were drawn from 42 completed questionnaires, together with observation, focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and artwork analysis.The findings showed that 100% of participants reported greater understanding and appreciation of cultural values, 97.62% indicated that the activities met their expectations, and 88.10% expressed interest in joining future conservation networks. Qualitative findings further confirmed that ABPL fostered four dimensions of learning—technical knowledge, affective and aesthetic engagement, cultural-ecological understanding, and social-communicative learning—while enhancing spatial awareness and enabling the community to act as co-creators of knowledge. The study suggests that ABPL has strong potential as a cultural learning innovation for both community and educational contexts.