“The heart of co-creation isn't simply inviting people to help; it is sparking new dialogue. When a vegetable vendor exchanges stories with an art student, that is where a resilient community ecosystem truly begins.”

Yet within the Pagad Festival, meeting goes beyond spectators encountering artworks; it signifies diverse groups of people coming together to listen, converse, and build. Under the guiding theme “Co-creation: Pa Duay Gun, Pa Dai Glai” (Meeting Together, Moving Further), Everywhere Gallery placed community ownership at the core of their practice, believing that “urban sustainability only thrives when the local community genuinely feels a sense of belonging.”

Connecting 10 Sectors to Shape the City’s Agenda

Transforming a historic wet market cannot be accomplished through top-down mandates. The festival opened up its design process to over 10 distinct stakeholder groups—including traditional vendors, Chiang Rai Municipality, the Young Entrepreneur Chamber of Commerce (YEC), educational institutions, designers, artists, and local children—resulting in 14 participatory programs.

Key Co-Creation Highlights

• Krua Create Chan (Co-Creation Master Plan):

  A series of collaborative workshops facilitated by TRAWELL TH in dialogue with market vendors, civic officials, and designers. The sessions mapped physical and economic challenges to formulate a long-term Master Plan for market revitalization, which culminated in an interactive Pop-Up space visited by over 3,200 people.

• Three-Day Big Cleaning Initiative:

  Before installing a single artwork, municipal workers and over 200 vendors joined hands for an intensive three-day deep cleaning of the market floors and alleys. This was more than logistical preparation; it was a symbolic gesture of merchants proudly opening their doors to welcome the public.

• The Imaginary Crosswalk & Youth Film Photography:

  Artist Aphisit Maneethorn collaborated with kindergarten pupils from Anuban Chiang Rai School to design colorful pedestrian crossings, creating functional public art. Concurrently, the youth collective "Sai Ting Society" equipped children of market vendors with 35mm film cameras to capture daily life through their own eyes, producing candid portraits that bridge generational divides.

• RGB + Y (Color Palettes of Kad Luang):

  Ten local photographers surveyed the visual landscape of Kad Luang, systematically extracting its characteristic color codes—from chili reds and banana-leaf greens to sun-bleached tarpaulin blues—forming a shared visual archive for future design initiatives.

• Candlelight Procession & Smokeless Votive Lamps:

  On Asalha Puja Day, the community gathered with Wat Mung Muang and TARA Candle to light 99 smokeless "Phang Nuan" votive lamps around the historic stupa, accompanied by traditional fingernail dancing (Fon Lep), demonstrating how cultural heritage can harmonize with eco-conscious innovation.

A Lasting Cultural Legacy

The participatory process of Pagad Festival narrowed social divides and instilled genuine pride among local merchants. By cultivating mutual trust, the project established a strong foundation for Kad Luang’s ongoing transition into an enduring creative district.

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