To this day, there have not been enough efforts put toward the development of a design education that fully integrate local knowledge and assets. A framework that would “enable individuals and groups to become the agents of their own development, even when resources are limited by building the means of awareness-building based on their own assets and emphasizing the development of open-mindedness and cooperation.” (UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity. 2009).

Art and design education in southeast Asia are commonly divided into three distinctive categories. First, the fine art schools that offer programmes on “traditional arts”, often linked to objects and places of worship (i.e. murals, woodcarving, gold-leaf plating, lacquerware, etc.), then design programmes which are built around Western thought and content – not always adequate for local contexts. Vocational schools at various degrees, sit somewhere in the middle. Even if Western and Asian mindsets are not incompatible, it is the sense of balance and connection between the two that is currently lacking. Also, schools do not seek to integrate the participation of artisan communities that produce key cultural assets, which is a missed opportunity for the development of local potential. Overall, the existing educational model reinforces the social and economic hierarchies that hinder the development of folk arts, instead of disrupting persisting social inequalities.

Khmu people and the way ahead

a village as a crossroad

landscapes of the heart