Performance Art Laboratory Project (PALA Project) is an annual project, which is arranged to provide the kind of professional and creative research and development opportunities for International and Indonesian performance artists. PALA Project is creating a (flexible) blueprint for a laboratory model that seeks to develop, challenge and support hybrid performance practices by affording the participating artists a rare opportunity to explore ideas and understanding the influence of cultural diversities on practical issues in creating performance works.

The laboratory is provided to open boundaries of determination and definitions of performance art, and to explore the practical exchanges by pursuing the intercultural understanding, philosophical perceptions, technical and methodical approaches.The laboratory is open for visual arts, theatre, dance or music based international and Indonesian performance artists in any stage of their carrier.

PALA project is initiated by the Padepokan Lemah Putih Solo to promote a long-term cultural project. In its annual project, PALA Project is intended to collaborate with curator and art institution or group. During the laboratory it will include programs such as open sessions of practical and philosophical encounterings.

The laboratory is trying to keep the natural organism of the meeting of the artists itself. There will be facilitators who arrange the schedule and the main arrangements, but the participating artists will hold the core roles and will decide how the laboratory should work.

PALA Project was inspired by the 15 Performance Art Conference which was centered in Bedulu, Bali in 2007. After having a good experience, we have considered the necessity of creating a project that gives time and place for artists to meet, make dialogues, exchange and sharing their practical methods as well as realizing ideas of performance, collaboration
The first PALA Project was held at the Cilimas Art Center, Tejakula, Bali from April 1st to 6th, 2008. there were 19 participants coming from different countries.
PALA Project 2009 was held also in Tejakula, Bali from March 26th to 31st,2009 . It was attended by 15 artists, from Europe, Asia, Australia and Indonesia.
In 2010, different than the other projects before, the laboratory is taking place in Solo at the area of Padepokan Lemah Putih. It is scheduled for March 29th to April 1st, 2010. PALA Project 2010 is focused on the exchange between the Black Market International, (a group of 13 performance artists) with performance artists from Asia and Indonesia. The laboratory is involving 29 performance artists.

As the facilitator of the project, Melati Suryodarmo has been collaborating since the last 4 years with Boris Nieslony to create the annual laboratory.

In collaboration with the facilitator, we invite artists to participate. It is not and open invitation but it is also not a kind of professional invitation in term of finance.
Artists will receive the invitation almost one year in prior, and pleased to apply for funding from their local sources in their country.
The fund seeking should be collaboration between the artists and the organizer.
Padepokan Lemah Putih is a non-profit organization that seeks for the sustainable system and maintain its ecological resources.