Thai Cultural Council of Wat Mongkolratanaram
Thai traditional performing arts
The Thai Cultural Council is located on the grounds of Wat Mongkolratanaram – a Thai Buddhist Temple in Berkeley. Traditionally, temples and schools go hand-in-hand in Thai villages and in pre-Western education systems. The temple’s founding abbot knew that in addition to presiding over the spiritual life of Thai immigrants, the temple’s responsibility is to also impart Thai culture to Thai youth in the diaspora. Thus, the performing arts and language school was founded by community elders that include Dr. Plearnjai Kundhikanjana – a trained Thai dancer and community elder who built a partnership with a university performing arts department in Bangkok. Together, the temple and cultural council provide language, dance, and music classes for all ages year-round and also serve as the ensemble that performs blessing ceremonies for temple festivals and Thai holidays on-site. These rituals allow for the larger Bay Area Thai community to gather and remember their ways and practices. To this day, the council is volunteer-run and donation-based with no staff on payroll. Teachers are Bay-Area based volunteers or student interns from the partner university in Thailand. Since its founding in 1989, the cultural council has also been a key ensemble in bringing Thai arts to the Bay Area at venues such as the Asian Art Museum, local city halls, heritage festivals, and universities.
Living Cultures
2024
Thai Cultural Council Music and Dance Materials Refresh
Funds will support the upgrade, replacement, and maintenance of its orchestra, wardrobe, performance supplies and equipment that will also serve to teach current students performance production skills.
