Buffalo Field Festival
Openspace & Mike Hornblow, 2017
Nang Loeng is a long-standing community in the Old Town of Bangkok, an important node of exchange when people arrived there more than 100 years ago. It was originally called the Sanam Kwai community, Sanam Kwai meaning 'field of buffalos' because there were many buffalos living there when there were only a few houses. Our 'Buffalo Field' recalls the history of Nang Loeng, with the original forces of life that created this place, but also the way something is awakening in the spirit of local people and their culture. We work closely with the community so that our creative work may reflect what is special about this place. This year we’re exploring three themes – sustenance, settlement, and social fabric – as a way to share stories and ideas about life in Nang Loeng.
Buffalo Field is a community-based performing arts festival that focusses on site-specificity and social practice in the historic area of Nang Loeng, Bangkok. The festival is produced by Openspace, as a collaboration between Co-Founders Michael Hornblow (Artistic Director), Ploy Yamtree (Festival Producer), and Community Leaders Dang Suwan Welployngam and Nammon Welployngam from the E-Lerng Artists Group.
