Isan Creative Festival 2025 Transforms Regional Pride into Economic Power

Isan Creative Festival 2025 (ISANCF2025) — now in its fifth year — is organized by the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization), or CEA. The festival opens its doors to those ready to reshape Isan, offering a space for idea exchange, thought-provoking dialogue, and real-world implementation of bold projects across art, music, film, design, technology, crafts, food, community, and business.

This year's theme, "ISAN SOUL PROUD," celebrates the region's cultural identity and will run for nine days, from 28 June to 6 July 2025 in Khon Kaen. The festival embodies the spirit of local pride and supports sustainable urban development by unlocking the full potential of the people of Isan.

Why Must the Isan Festival Be Creative?: Igniting Nationwide Inspiration

ISANCF2025 is not just a showcase of creativity — it's a launchpad for creative business opportunities and a thriving ecosystem of innovation. It encourages Isan natives and creatives across Thailand to return, reimagine, and revitalize their hometowns. It also aims to redefine perceptions of Isan by showcasing pride in the region's identity — not as a place in need, but rather a creative stage of the future, rich with potential and poised to become a vibrant hub of economic opportunity, culture, and creativity.

This year's festival highlights the richness of the Isan region across its natural resources, way of life, culinary heritage, and traditional culture. These unique identities are being reimagined and communicated in new ways, giving rise to "creative businesses" that generate local income and inspire a new generation to return home and redefine Isan's image.

Three Creative Industries × Must-See Programs in ISANCF2025

The festival spotlights three key creative industries: Food, Entertainment & Content, and Craft, Art & Design, with curated programs that turn culture into opportunity.

1) Food Industry: From 'Larb, Koi, and Pla Ra' to a Bold Culinary Economy

Isan food is more than just flavor — it is a heritage and wisdom passed down through generations. This year's festival invites everyone to experience:

• Larb Koi Universe: An exhibition showcasing two iconic Isan dishes, Larb' and 'Koi,' as cultural DNA reflecting the essence of Isan people. It also explores fusion food trends, branding opportunities, and new food cultures.
• NEXT STATION 'Pla Ra': An interactive talk exploring 'Pla Ra' (traditional Thai fermented fish) not merely as food, but as a cultural symbol and economic asset. The session will pave the way for the establishment of a 'Pla Ra Institute' and showcase dishes that highlight Isan's soft power.
• Creative Wisdom Talk: A thought-leadership seminar designed to empower creative entrepreneurs with business insights. This activity equips creative entrepreneurs with strategies for success, featuring topics like "Michelin-Starred Business for Isan Cuisine" by Nay-Witchupol Charoensupaya from NAWA (a 1-Michelin Star restaurant) and "Customer-Centric Mindset" by Jo-Thana Thienachariya, Dean of H.O.W., among others

The sounds of the khaen, morlam, and local music will revive traditional Isan music with fresh vigor to empower regional music creators:

• ISAN Music Talent: A vibrant intergenerational stage that brings together both seasoned and up-and-coming Isan musicians. This platform offers opportunities for emerging artists to showcase their talent and connect with broader audiences throughout the festival.
• Local Voice Panel (Hosted by Thai PBS): An authentic platform that reflects the voices of the local communities, this panel delves into the future of local music businesses and community-based music commerce. It will also explore the evolving landscape of homegrown music distribution and the sustainable growth of Isan's musical ecosystem.
• ISAN Cinema House: A creative initiative transforms communities into "film knowledge incubation centers," to support the work of Isan filmmakers and directors through the "Doc Club & Pub" Isan model. It focuses on building a film community and nurturing the film industry in Isan.
• Content Lab 2025: Newcomers: A career-oriented session featuring insights from Thai Film and Series industry invites filmmakers and those interested in behind-the-scenes work to exchange perspectives on the industry, such as Pimpaka Towira (producer, film director, international film festival organizer), Aticha Tanthanawigrai (film director and screenwriter), and Pairach Khumwan (film and advertising director), etc.

• 'Back to Isan!' Pavilion [The Answer for Homecomers Is Here]: This exhibition compiles stories of Isan homecomers who are building their futures through branding, creative studios, social initiatives, and small businesses rooted in cultural capital. This showcases how coming home can be a forward-thinking strategy for urban and regional development.
• ISAN MU-NIVERSE: An exhibition reimagines Isan crafts in a new context linking 'mutelu' (belief in superstition) with contemporary design. It harnesses the skills of over 300,000 artisans and a vast community network to position crafts within the mutelu market as a new economic driver.
• 'ISAN SOUL PROUD' Fashion Show: This runway event brings together top Isan designers and AI technology to present a unique fashion experience that blends tradition with innovation, offering a fresh perspective on regional design.
• ISAN Showcase: Explore a curated selection of distinctive handicrafts, artworks, and design pieces from 30 talented creatives. This showcase highlights the potential in Isan's craft sector and equips local entrepreneurs stepping into the creative economy. As part of its broader mission, selected participants will have the opportunity to join the ISAN MICE Expo 2025 — an international trade exhibition that serves as a gateway to expanded business opportunities and greater market exposure.
• ISANCF x KUPPER ART FES 2025: Under the theme "Sky Limitless," this dynamic art platform invites audiences to discover the depth and diversity of Isan through a wide range of artistic expressions.
• Creative Market (D-KAK Market): A vibrant marketplace featuring creative talents, artists, and local entrepreneurs. The market is divided into two zones: D-KAK D-Craft, which showcases handcrafted products by local makers and community enterprises, and the Creative Food Market, a culinary hotspot offering regional delicacies. Designed to foster business connections, idea exchange, and new partnerships.

Showcasing Opportunities from Isan's Regional Potential

ISANCF2025 also shines a spotlight on the spatial and cultural potential of Isan across provincial, urban, district, and community levels. The festival underscores Isan's appeal as a region abundant in lifestyle, investment opportunity, tourism value, and multi-dimensional promise. Four key venues in Khon Kaen have been selected to vividly represent "Isan Style" through the creative lens of local visionaries:

• TCDC Khon Kaen (Kangsadan District) – A dynamic hub for emerging thinkers and creators, serving as an incubator for ideas and a testbed for creative economy and future lifestyle innovations.
• Pullman Khon Kaen Hotel – A regional center for conferences, seminars, and cultural festivals in this MICE City, driving significant economic impact across the city.
• Columbo Creative District – A vibrant craft village where daily life and creativity intertwine. With over 20 various studios, this area is being transformed into a model creative district powered by collective creativity.
• Sawathi Community – Proudly upholding traditional Isan ways of life, passed down through generations. At its heart is Wat Chai Sri, home to over 100-year-old mural paintings, or 'Hoop Taem Sinsai.' This community leverages its cultural capital, lifestyle, and local wisdom to develop learning centers, arts, and traditions, creating new opportunities for the community and accommodating tourists, evolving into the 'Sawathi Creative Cultural Community Model.'

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Website: www.isancreativefestival.com

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References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach Newswire (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} https://www.bangkokdesignweek.com/ (www.bangkokdesignweek.com)
3. ^{^} https://x.com/bkkdesignweek?lang=en&mx=2 (x.com)
4. ^{^} https://www.facebook.com/BangkokDesignWeek (www.facebook.com)
5. ^{^} https://www.instagram.com/bangkokdesignweek (www.instagram.com)
6. ^{^} @bangkokdesignweek (www.media-outreach.com)