The ICTMD Study Group on the Performing Arts of Southeast Asia (PASEA) began organizational meetings in 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was formally established under the rules of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) in 2009.  From discussions that began in 2007-2008 among scholars on music and dance of Southeast Asia, it was clear that better communication and interaction was needed among all scholars, and that emerging scholars in the field needed greater encouragement and more opportunities.

This Study Group is open to all ICTMD members who are involved in research and documentation on the performing arts (including music, dance and theatre) of Southeast Asia. Current members have initiated three sub-study groups, i.e. Sub-Study Group on Performing Arts of Muslim Communities in Southeast Asia; Sub-Study Group on Performing Arts in Royal Contexts; and Sub-Study Group on Popular Performing Arts Industries of Southeast Asia.

The ICTMD Study Group on PASEA holds a symposium every two years at different locations in Southeast Asia. In 2010, the 1^stSymposium was held and hosted by the Republic Polytechnic in Singapore; In 2012, the 2^ndSymposium was held at the National Commission for Culture and Arts at Intramuros, Manila, The Philippines; In 2014, the 3rd Symposium was held at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia; In 2016, the 4th Symposium was held and hosted by the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia; and in 2018, the 5^thSymposium was held at the Sabah Museum in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, and the 6th Symposium was held online at the Tainan National University of the Arts, Taiwan. The detailed reports of the symposia programs, the participants/presenters and the Study Group business meetings held during these symposia are available upon request from the Study Group’s current secretary.

The ICTMD Study Group-PASEA currently holds a membership email list of over 385 members, with approximately 120 active members from around the world.  Membership may be obtained by sending a request to the current Study Group Chairperson.

Mission Statement

The ICTMD Performing Arts of Southeast Asia Study Group is dedicated to the study and research on music, dance and theatre as found throughout Southeast Asia, and also includes Southeast Asian performing arts elsewhere around the world.  The Study Group intends to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, new approaches and current research among established as well as young ICTMD scholars around the world. The Study Group also strives to increase communications and interaction among scholars working in Southeast Asian performing arts, and to promote future research initiatives in areas of Southeast Asia where there has been little or no research.

Study Group Executive Committee

This Study Group is run by elected positions and other appointed positions that comprise the Study Group Executive Committee. The Bylaws for the operation of the Study Group and Guidelines for Symposia were discussed, tabled for adoption and passed at the meeting of this Study Group at its 2^nd Symposium in Manila in June, 2012.

The current elected positions of the Study Group Executive Committee are:

• Dr. Made Mantle Hood, Chairperson (2021 -  ). Director, Asia-Pacific Music Research Centre and Professor, Tainan National University of the Arts. made.hood@gmail.com
• Dr. Pornprapit Phoasavadi, Vice-Chairperson (2021 -  ). Associate Professor, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. (rosphoasavadi@gmail.com)
• Dr. Patricia Hardwick, Secretary/Treasurer (2024 - ). Lecturer, Sunway University, Malaysia. hardwick.patricia@gmail.com

Appointed Study Group members serving on the Executive Committee

• Dr. Verne de la Pena and Dr. Arwin Tan (University of the Philippines, Diliman) Co-Chairpersons of the Local Arrangements Committee for 2024. lcdelapena@up.edu.ph and aqtan@up.edu.ph
• Dr. Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan (Universiti Malaysia Sabah), Chairperson of the PASEA Student Awards Committee. jacquie4j@gmail.com 
• Dr. Patricia Matusky (National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage, Malaysia), Co-Chairperson of Publications Committee. pmatusky@gmail.com
• Dr. Felicidad A. Prudente, (Philippine Women’s University), Co-Chairperson of the Publications Committee. feprudente@gmail.com
• Dr. David Harnish (University of San Diego, USA), Member-at-large, dharnish@sandiego.edu
• Dr. Ricardo Trimillos (Emeritus, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, USA), Chairperson of the Program Committee for 2024, and Member-at-large. rtrimil@hawaii.edu

Volunteers (past and present) for the PASEA Study Group

• Dr. Mayco Santaella, Chair of Program Committe (2018), LAC and PC member, santaellamayco@gmail.com 
• Dr. Sarah Anais Andrieu (Centre Asie du Sud-Est), Program Committee, sarahanais@gmail.com
• Dr. Margaret Sarkissian (Smith College), Program Committee, msarkiss@smith.edu
• Mr. Randal Baier (Eastern Michigan University), Program Committee, rbaier@emich.edu
• Dr. Tan Sooi Beng (Universiti Sains Malaysia), Program Committee, sbtan@usm.my
• Dr. Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan (Universiti Malaysia Sabah), Local Arrangements Committee, jacquie@ums.edu.my
• Dr. Desiree A. Quintero (Independent Scholar), Editor on Publications Committee, and Assistant to the PASEA Chair, daquintero@gmail.com
• Dr. Made Mantle Hood (Tainan National University of the Arts), Editor on Publications Committee, and co-Chair 2020 Program Committee, made.hood@gmail.com
• Dr. Felicidad Prudente (Independent Scholar), Editor on Publications Committee, faprudente@gmail.com
• Dr. Lawrence Ross (University of Malaya), Editor on Publications Committee, lawrence.apm@gmail.com
• Christine Yun-May Yong (Wesleyan University), Editor on Publications Committee, yong.christine@gmail.com
• Mr. Hafzan Zannie Hamza (Sultan Idris Education University), Production Editor on Publications Committee, hafzan@fmsp.upsi.edu.my

The ICTMD Study Group on Performing Arts of Southeast Asia (PASEA) has issued the 1^st Proceedings, published by Republic Polytechnic, Singapore (2011); the 2^nd Proceedings, published by Philippine Women’s University, Manila (2013); the 3^rd Proceedings published by the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Denpasar (2015); the 4^th Proceedings published by the School of Arts, Universiti SainsMalaysia, Penang (2017),  the 5th Proceedings published by the Department of Sabah Museum, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (2019), and the 6th Proceedings, published by the Tainan National University of The Arts, Taiwan (2021-22). All the Proceedings were reviewed and edited by members of the Study Group’s Publications Committee. Remaining hard copies of the Proceedings (Nos. 3-5)  may be purchased at the Nusantara Performing Arts Research Center website (www.nusparc.com).