With its rich cultural assets, crafts and creative power, the Northern province of Chiang Mai has plenty of potential to become a creative city. To provide a platform for dialogue and exchange of ideas and design knowledge, Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) in Chiang Mai is organising a workshop “Local Essence 2017” conducted by Sarnsan na Soontorn of the French design school ENSCI – LesAteliers in Paris.

The workshop aims to support small people with big ideas, namely those local designers who create works first before thinking about the market. After participating, they’re expected to understand their strong points and the marketing channel.

As part of its efforts to turn Chiang Mai into Thailand’s design city, TCDC has organised Chiang Mai Design Week since 2014. Held biannually, the event showcases the northern city’s enormous potential for the integration of cultural identities and craftsmanship with new technology and innovative business models.

“We also try to connect local designers and artisans with international organisations from France, Japan, Indonesia and the Netherlands through several collaborative projects. The future trends of design are collaboration and e-commerce. Though we have several local brands that are well-known internationally, we want to see continuity and increased frequency in the brands’ recognition in international markets,” says TCDC director Apisit Laistrooglai.

Workshop leader Sarnsan brought six of his French students to Chiang Mai for the 2016 Design Week to work on “Readjust”, a project that focuses on physical care objects for the elderly and disabled using only local and low-cost materials. After attending workshops at the Northern Neurological Centre and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Chiang Mai University and visiting handicraft villages, the young team came up with a bamboo support structure that can be attached to the bed to support the body to move, stand or sit. They also developed a pair of suppleness rings for stretching made from fabric scraps, a lightweight wooden crutch made of bamboo and rattan, a bamboo toy that can be squeezed to strengthen the wrists and arms, as well as a wooden board game with different handgrips.

The workshop is limited to 30 people. Applications are being accepted through March 31. For details, visit http://www.TCDC.or.th/calendar/activities/27160.