BUILDING A CREATIVE ECONOMY THROUGH PERSONAL NARRATIVE TOURISM THEATRE

Abstract

Tourism Theatre in Bali demonstrates a paradigm shift in the creation of performing arts, from entertainment to a creative economy development strategy deeply rooted in local culture. One emerging innovative model is personal narrative tourism theatre, as seen in Lampah Laku Jro Sadi, performed at the artist's family pavilion in Gianyar. This work combines the artist's life journey with local traditions, domestic spaces, and community engagement, resulting in an authentic, intimate, and meaningful cultural tourism experience. This research examines how artist biographies, cultural symbolism, and the transformation of private space into public space can create a sustainable creative economy ecosystem. A qualitative approach is used through ethnography and site-specific performance, with data collection consisting of in-depth interviews, performance observations, and socio-economic context analysis. Research findings demonstrate that personal narratives can strengthen cultural identity while opening new opportunities for creative economic development. Families and local communities are involved as managers, artisans, artistic designers, and cultural guides; domestic spaces are reimagined as venues for cultural experiences; and ritual elements are presented in a commercial format while maintaining their sacred value. The novelty of this research lies in the concept of life-based tourism performance, which utilizes artists' life stories as cultural capital to create a new market for creative tourism, which not only stimulates the local economy but also maintains a balance between commodification and cultural preservation.