The cultural industry in Laos is still modest and considered to be a niche market, Khao Niew is trying to diversify its products and leverage the uniqueness of the team to local and international awareness. The young team is still learning and looking for bigger engagement from various sectors for linkage and learning process. People with disabilities, who are discriminated and have limited support to unleash their hidden skill set and talents, is the key target group for this empowerment project.  KhaoNiew believes that art has no barrier and can collate with all people. Their  previous experience working with deaf people has confirmed this. KhaoNiew is a young innovative company working in various theatre activities: object theatre, stage theatre, shadow theatre and other theatre styles. The special feature of the group focuses on object theatre performance by using recycled materials and unique nonverbal performances. The non-use of speaking enables the group to work with artists from various backgrounds. In recent years, the group has worked extensively with disabled associations and youth, as well as continuing the long-term working relationships with artists abroad. This project is a continuation of the skillset training and performance carried out. It focuses on the existing deaf team for an in-depth technical training to increase the management skill of the Lao Association of the Deaf but also of other disabled people’s associations. The team is equipped with some needed materials, management skills and a new show for touring in Vientiane Capital and potentially abroad. This project is considered to be a big step for the deaf community to showcase their capacity, innovation and to pave their choice for the future.

Empowering Lao youths with hearing impairment 

People with hearing impairment are often misunderstood by those hearing, who may mistake them to be anti-social because of communication barriers. Khaoniew sought to empower Lao youths with hearing impairment by training them in puppetry. The use of the puppetry performing skills aimed at giving them a clear voice to express themselves. The project reached a total of 16 male and female individuals, 13 of whom were deaf students aged between 15 and 28 years. 

The training of the deaf students relied on conventional and non-conventional training methods on stage performing skills, acting, emotional expression, personality development, networking in the filmmaking industry, communication skills, as well as inspiration and positive thinking. The impact of the training was immediately apparent. The trainers discovered that training the deaf students rendered them more sociable and open-minded, resulting in better relationships with their social environment. The youths are now interacting with their communities to promote their abilities and to encourage other youth with disabilities to work hard to realise their full potential. Furthermore, man of them displayed enthusiasm for the value of the arts and desire to follow their own aspirations for becoming professional artists. 

It has brought Khaoniew closer to its goal: to enable greater skills of deaf people, improve their performing skills and confidence, strengthen their networks and open further opportunities to them. The success of this intervention has encouraged Khaoniew, and plans are underway to ensure that more can be reached. Khaoniew wants to assure the students in their ambitions and guide them to professionalism, doing its best to preserve the successes of this wonderful intervention while also looking for additional chances to go further within the country and internationally. The key hurdles, however, are the initiatives’ long-term viability and resource mobilisation: 

“New ideas for future puppetry development have evolved as a result of the year’s effort. Our next step will be to work with larger groups. At the same time, securing the organisation’s and rightsholders’ incomes is a priority, having a minimum consistent income is proof of our dedication and belief that an artist’s work can provide a livelihood. Khaoniew insists on honouring our promise and will do all possible to see that our beliefs are realised.” – Khaoniew team