The big happy crazy family

          Makhampom is, in effect, a big family. Almost every member of the group joins as a ‘new’ volunteer, growing up within the organization as part of a generation of volunteers). Secretary General, Pradit, a volunteer of 20 years background, is the senior member of the group, with Community Program Director, Pongjit, of the 1988 generation, manager, Yada, and Educational Program Director, Paluhad, of the 1990 generation. Several founding members maintain roles as advisors or as members of the Makhampom Foundation Committee of Management. 11111

         While Makhampom works with a staff of eleven, the leadership group numbers about 15, consisting of staff members and key volunteers who undertake project roles within Makhampom’s program,. The full volunteer team numbers up to 60 youth, students, artists and workers, some of whom are consistently active, others who specifically join performance projects or community programs on an ad hoc basis, and even those who appear once a year to clear the junk out of Makhampom House. In short, the volunteer defines their role in the group, with specialized training provided to those making long term commitments to specific areas of Makhampom’s work.

          The volunteers join Makhampom through annual New Volunteer Workshop, which is perhaps the most important workshop program we run as it is the mechanism for bringing new volunteers into the group. This one week workshop program will introduce Makhampom’s methodology and philosophies through participating in a truncated community workshop process. Interested people will join the workshop and through the experience determine their potential role with Makhampom in the future, leading to an experiential training process within the group. (see article on Makhampom’s volunteer program)

          The social nature of Makhampom is evident in the endless flow of food in the house, volunteers often arriving with snacks or meals that become shared with whoever is there. The house also provides a base for those without accommodation and unemployed or unfunded volunteers will be supported through the informal family culture of the group. In essence, the culture of fun, play, support, and struggle shapes Makhampom’s work, creating an infectious atmosphere in its work. Makhampom adheres to the idea of being a community in its own right in its work with other communities.


The Venues

Makhampom House 
          Makhampom House is simply a middle class residential house rented by Makhampom and transformed into an office and theatre rehearsal space in downtown Bangkok . It has become a collection of rehearsal and meeting rooms, office spaces, sleeping areas, and a large garden and grounds. It is situated about 5km outside the city centre in a small street that includes some wealthy homes, a slum area beside a canal, a local traditional working class community, a red-light district, and Makhampom.

Makhampom Living Theatre, Chiang Dao
          The Makhampom Living Theatre was born in 2006 after six years in the Makhampom womb!!!!! Based in the district of Chiang Dao in northern Thailand, this centre is a base to host diverse theatre programs, both local and international. The centre, itself, contains a large theatre/workshop venue, a guesthouse complex, a kitchen and dining area, an office, ricefield, lakes, playground, and 4 staff houses. And the setting, at the foot of the beautiful Doi Luang mountain and within a stones throw of the town and Ping River, makes the Makhampom Living Theatre a special place to visit…….ummmm, well, at least, that’s how we see it!!!!!!

Makhampom Studio, Bangkok
          The Makhampom Studio was opened in September 2007 and has been buzzing with activity since then. A small black box space, created from a renovated shop on the Saphan Kwai intersection in Bangkok, is Makhampom’s first permanent performance space. It has been designed to work as a venue for productions by Makhampom and other theatre groups for Bangkok audiences as well as TCCD programs with the local community and other communities in Bangkok. It also hosts events and workshop activities for local Thai and foreign participants and audiences, together with networking activities, seminars and demonstrations, and education programs. And if you get bored with the theatre, there will be a coffee corner and gallery space to escape to. 

 Umphang Staff House
          A simple house is being rented in the town of Umphang in Tak province near the Thai-Burma border to operate as the coordination and living base for the refugee program in 2008.

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