In January we launched a new program to strengthen arts and culture education in Cambodia.  We are partnering with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and UNESCO, starting with a pilot in Sisowath High School in Phnom Penh. The program includes instructor training and education both inside and outside of school hours. We are working with other organizations from around Cambodia with a range of experiences, and hope to extend this program to other centers in the country later this year.

Click to read a Cambodia Daily article about the program

In March, we partnered with a team of students from  Pannasastra Universtiy of Cambodia to organise a two-day conference on Arts & Memory at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. More than 100 young students and artists attended the program which included sessions such as Dance for Healing and the Power of Film, as well as an interactive cultural program including site-specific dance performances by  Amrita Performing Arts and a tour of the museum. One student said after the conference, "It starts from us. Only if we have peace in our hearts can we go forward".

Click to see photos from the conference 

Female musicians from the troupe Sounds of Angkor took part in a drumming workshop hosted at our Heritage Hub in Siem Reap. With trainer SUON Sopheak, they created a new piece and performed to students from Pannasastra University, Siem Reap, followed by a discussion about female leadership in the arts. It is normally assumed in Cambodia that drummers will be male - this performance challenged this perception. The Heritage Hub is our center for the practice, research and development of Cambodia's cultural heritage, working toward the sustainability and continuity of various art forms. 

Click to see photos from the workshop