Transnational Collaborative Theatre Production with Teachers and Students from Different Cultural Backgrounds: A Case Study of CU–TNUA Artistic Collaboration

Abstract

This practice-based research article identifies key skills needed to effectively manage a transnational collaborative theatre production with theatre teachers and students from   different cultural backgrounds. Through a case study of a collaborative project between Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and Taipei National University of the Arts in Taiwan, the author, who served as the project’s producer, uses qualitative methods to systematically collect and analyse data from the project’s planning and working processes. This analysis identifies several skillsets a producer of this type of project needs to be able to simultaneously manage, and links them to the concept of Cultural Intelligence (CQ). The three skillsets most important for transnational collaborative theatre production management are: 1) twin aspects of production management - creative process management and presentation management; 2) budget management and fundraising; 3) managing the project as it evolves. A transnational collaborative theatre producer’s CQ skills in these three areas permits the effective and    successful management of a project with foreign colleagues under a tight budget.