Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

86 INTERMINGLING OF CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITYGovernment and non-government agencies have usedvarious ways of recognizing efforts for continuousartistic excellence through awards, exhibitions andpromotional programs.The books and works of Western scholars have markedthe face of traditional forms so that the world mayunderstand their theater forms. However, the richrepository of materials written in the native languageremains a challenge to any scholar interested inlearning about a people’s culture and identity. The useof the native language as a foremost quality of theaterpreservation should be recognized. This distinct markof the native language in artistic experiences embodiesthe soul of a cultural experience as it serves to protect apeople’s experience while it distinguishes the work fromall other works of art.At the core of theater documentation is the theaterartist who engages his community in various layers ofinvolvement in creating a people’s collective theatermemory. There is a need for the theater artist to identifythe potentials of various forms of documentation, in thesame way as we try to understand how each part of ourbody works. A people’s theater memory identifies theparticipation of various segments of society in processinga social concern through validation, reiteration orpresentation of alternatives for change. By engaging thecommunity in creating a people’s repository of theatermemory, theater is further redefined from being a venuefor entertainment to being an opportunity for learningand experimentation for social change. The theaterartist should go beyond the challenges of continuouscreation of excellent artistic works and write their ownartistic legacies.Asian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows