Cambodia’s Best Modern Cultural Performance
More than just a circus, Phare performers use theater, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. The young circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent, making Phare Circus the top-rated modern cultural performance in Siem Reap.
Phare artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak’s (www.phareps.org) vocational training center in Battambang. The association was formed in 1994 by 9 young men coming home from a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge regime. They were greatly helped during that time by an art teacher using drawing classes as therapy and wanted to share this new skill among the poor, socially deprived and troubled youngsters in Battambang. They founded an art school and public school followed to offer free education. A music school and theatre school were next and finally, for the kids who wanted more, the circus school. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the alternative schools. Phare Ponleu Selpak also has extensive outreach programs, trying to help with the problems highlighted in their own tales.
Phare The Cambodian Circus offers these students and graduates somewhere to hone their skills and a place to earn a decent wage. Money that will take them out of poverty and give them self-respect and freedom.
Phare Ponleu Selpak non-profit school
Phare, The Cambodian Circus is the social business extension of Phare Ponleu Selpak non-profit school. The circus provides well-paying job opportunities to the school’s graduates, breaking the cycle of poverty. Revenue generated funds the school’s academic and artistic education programs as well as community support and engagement.
Phare Ponleu Selpak – roughly translated, The Brightness of the Arts – is a Cambodian non-profit arts school located in Battambang, offering support to children, youth and the surrounding communities through artistic, educational, social and community outreach and engagement programs.
Over 1000 students are empowered every year through our schools and programs: performing, visual and applied arts leisure classes, and vocational training aid children and young adults to develop their creativity, communication and concentration skills, and to access a sustainable artistic career whilst preserving and promoting Cambodian arts and culture.
Arts & General Education
Providing a broader access to a high-quality education for children and youth is one of the core goals of Phare Ponleu Selpak. We offer formal educational programmes in our Kindergarten and Phare public school, as well as informal educative and creative activities in our Child Development Center and library to help community children to expand both their hard and soft skills. Our two Arts Schools are in line with the continuation of students development and give them a chance to engage in the creative industries via vocational trainings in dedicated disciplines.
Kindergarten
Built in 2013, the Kindergarten welcomes around 250 children aged from 3 to 5 and provides a safe and nurturing environment where they can thrive through exploration and discovery. Our teachers, trained accordingly with international standards, are preparing them for their future studies and educating them in the arts.
Phare Public School
In 2001, Phare Public School was founded to offer both a primary and secondary school education. They are providing access to much needed formal schooling for the surrounding communities, while integrating arts practice initiation into the public curriculum. Besides, these 500 students will have the choice to enroll in one of our Arts Schools, our complementary classes or other creative workshops and facilities that are offered on the campus.
Child Development Centre
Our Child Development Centre offers diverse activities, leisure programmes and workshops to nearly 100 children within the community. While there they can play, learn and blossom, enabling the parents to focus on their professional activities to support their families and community. Additional classes are also offered to those struggling with their Public School academic studies.
Visual & Applied Arts School
The Visual and Applied Arts School (VAAS) provides professional training in graphic design, animation and visual arts, facilitating access to employment opportunities in Cambodia’s growing artistic arena and participating in the development of Battambang as a renowned creative city.
Performing Arts School
The Performing Arts School (PAS) offers leisure classes and vocational training in circus, music, dance and theatre. The talent and energy of our performing arts students are showcased several times a week in our Big Top tent with circus performances, traditional dance and live music shows.
Tini Tinou International Circus Festival
Tini Tinou has a bit of something for everyone: from dazzle-me audience members to those who want to get personally involved in the action and everyone in between. The circus festival will include a mix of workshops, exchanges, artist talks, nightly circus shows, pop-up performances throughout Battambang, a circus street parade, and a grand finale closing concert.