It was good to learn that the Phare Cambodia Circus for which we raised fund last year was performing at the PATA Travel Mart in Phnom Penh recently.
Director Dara Huot told us that the estimated S$100,000 raised during last year’s WIT Charity Auction, co-hosted with Dorsett Hospitality International, has gone a long way towards helping Phare Performing Social Enterprise initiate and implement a new capacity building programme for young artists.
The Artists Career Development Programme sponsors artists from Battambang Province to travel to Siem Reap for a specific duration of time “to broaden and expand their knowledge and skills beyond what they already know in their artistic careers”.
“This is to prepare them for the future when they are physically unable to continue to be performing artists or choose to develop themselves for different careers.
“The programme puts artists on a scholarship on-the-job training sessions with experienced members of the team in Phare Performing Social Enterprise. The artists are introduced to the world of social business such as sales, marketing communications, operations, HR, administration, accounting, social impact data collection, employees relations, customer services and events management.”
Dara said the funds raised puts the social enterprise firmly on the path to self-sustainability and the idea is to secure a place in Siem Reap “the artists can call home”.
“This will be a permanent performance venue that will provide stable job opportunities to Cambodian artists, and where they will feel safe, and free to create, rehearse and perform. They can then continue to earn income from their artistic careers to develop themselves and help their families.”
To raise more funds to achieve this goal of a permanent home, it has launched a crowd-funding exercise – www.StartSomeGood.com/HomeForPhare.
Said Dara, “The social enterprise aims to make a fiscal break-even this year so that it can make some operating profit next year and to transfer the profit to the Foundation/NGO school in Battambang.
“The dream of making the Artistic and Social Center in Battambang self-sustainable has become more and more attainable thanks to WIT and the kind-hearted individuals who participated and donated in the WIT auction for the benefit of our social enterprise in Cambodia in 2013.”
Meet the artists of Phare, The Cambodia Circus
Pin Phunam, extreme left, in orange shirt. Photo: Peter Phoeng
Meet PIN Phounam, a shining example of life transformation thanks to her artistic training and career.
As a young girl, Phunam picked trash to help support her family. Growing up her father beat her mother, abused Phunam, and gave her mother AIDS. He prohibited her from pursuing her dreams at Phare Ponleau Selpak, the visual and performing arts centre. Overcoming adversities, Phunam is now pursuing her dreams and is the leading contortionist at Phare, The Cambodian Circus. One day Phunam hopes to become a director of an art programme supporting young Cambodians in their quest for creative expression. She has travelled outside of Cambodia performing productions that tell the story of the struggles and triumphs of Cambodia.
She is currently on her way to the United States for one month for the special screening of a documentary film featuring her and 2 other young artists entitled Angkor’s Children. Here is an extract from the documentary.
Nem Sothea in yellow. Photo: Peter Phoeng
NEM Sothea is from a family of 12. 7 of his siblings are circus artists in Phare. Their living conditions have been changed thanks to the income they earn from performing arts.
This year’s WIT Charity Auction on October 29 will raise funds for Project Hammer, 70% of which will go towards Sok Sabay, an organisation that is building a dormitory and school for young girls in Laos.
