MANAGING OF BANGKOK THEATRE FESTIVAL 2021 DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The Bangkok Theatre Festival was first held in 2002 and has been running continuously since then. Until 2021, when the COVID-19 outbreak impacted the organization of performing arts events that involved large gatherings. However, the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2021 was able to take place in less than a month after the government announced that public events could be held. The festival was organized over a period of three weeks in November 2021. The researcher studied this phenomenon through the framework of arts management to understand the planning and fundraising of the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2021.

Methods: This study employed a qualitative research methodology through in-depth interviews with the management team of the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2021, framed by the conceptual framework of Arts Management.

Key Findings: The study found that the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2021 employed emergency planning methods and alternative scenario planning. This involved setting guidelines and operational approaches for the festival using these strategies: 1) Selecting artists to participate in the festival instead of holding open applications. 2) The concept of "Ready to Perform, Ready to Stop". 3) The concept of solo performances. 4) Reducing the application fee for festival participation. 5) Reducing ticket prices or offering free admission to performances. 6) Managing the festival under the disease control measures set by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. In terms of budget management for the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2021, the festival started with an initial operating fund of 0 baht. However, it generated income through crowdfunding contributions from participating artists in two ways: 1) Revenue from festival application fees. 2) Revenue from a share of ticket sales for the performances. In that year, the Bangkok Theatre Festival generated enough revenue to cover all festival management expenses and had surplus funds to serve as the initial budget for the following year’s festival.

Implications of the Study: The findings of this study present management approaches, fundraising models, and revenue generation strategies employed by the Bangkok Theatre Festival during the pandemic crisis, highlighting methods for the festival’s continued existence. This knowledge serves as a crucial foundation for developing sustainable performing arts practices within society.

Conclusions and Future Study: The researcher offers the following recommendations: 1) To explore appropriate models for securing funding from various organizations. Since the Bangkok Theatre Festival operates as a semi-formal collective and is not a legal entity, this poses a challenge in obtaining financial support from different institutions. 2) As the Bangkok Theatre Festival serves as a community space for performing arts with a continuously growing audience, it presents a valuable opportunity for support. Such support would help sustain the festival's role in serving its social functions in the long term.