EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA:
Kingdom of Culture
A 9 DAY / 8 NIGHT CULTURAL DELEGATION
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA:
Kingdom of Culture
A 9 DAY / 8 NIGHT CULTURAL DELEGATION
Dear Friend,
On behalf of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), I am delighted to invite
you on a remarkable 9 day journey through the Kingdom of Cambodia. Our cultural delegations are a unique blend of tourism and a
deeper immersion into the arts and culture of Cambodia.
With over fifteen years experience, CLA has become one of the leading arts and cultural institutions in the country. What began as a program initially supporting four Master Artists has grown into a program
supporting more than twenty independent classes and performance
troupes, with a thousand students and artists throughout the country.
CLA is excited to showcase their talents to you, through one of our
cultural delegations, while creating a holistic overview of our work,
as it relates to the greater arts community both here in Cambodia and
internationally.
We offer opportunities to engage with the artists, students, and partner
organizations working to keep Cambodian traditions alive. Through
these intimate encounters you will have a chance to understand the
values and aspirations of Cambodian emerging artists, the obstacles
they face, and the role of culture in their artistic expression.
Come discover the impressive talents of this post-conflict nation and
the role you can play as an agent of change in helping to develop,
sustain, and grow the arts sector.
Sincerely,
Cultural Delegation Itinerary
Phloeun Prim
Executive Director
Cambodian Living Arts
Our cultural delegations are exclusively designed for our
guests and take place in August and January of each year,
providing a different glimpse of the country as seen through
either the dry or rainy season.
THE CLA CONNECTION
French ethnomusicologist and archaeomusicologist,
Patrick Kersalé, has spent over twenty years in Asia,
studying surviving traditional music and investigating
musical instruments from the Angkorian world. Based
on that research, Kersalé has been able to rebuild extinct Angkorian instruments from the 7th to 13th centuries and several kinds of Pin (harp), monochord zithers,
cymbals, drums, long and short trumpets, and conches
have thus literally been brought back to life! You can
hear them performed by the CLA-founded troupe
Sounds of Angkor, led by Master Mann Men.
DAYS 1 THROUGH 4
SIEM REAP
BATTAMBANG
SIEM REAP
ANGKOR
PHNOM PENH
Arrival
With its close proximity to Angkor Wat, Siem Reap has become a premier travel
destination with something for everyone. Here you will have the opportunity to:
〉Angkor
Wat
A must see for any visitor, Angkor Wat is
surrounded by a moat and crowned by five
lotus-like towers rising from ground level.
The walls of the temples are adorned with
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Culture
bas-reliefs and carvings, depicting stories
and characters from Hindu mythology and
representing some of the finest Angkorianera art.
Bayon
The many smiling faces of the Bayon
Temple have been dubbed by some as
the “Mona Lisa” of Southeast Asia. The
temple itself, located at the center of the
city, represents the intersection of heaven
and earth.
〉
Explore the immense temple complex of Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. This opportunity to travel back in time to the Khmer Empire
serves as a great introduction to a number of Khmer artistic masterpieces
set in stone and brick, from the 9th to 14th centuries. Typically a visit to this
ancient city may include the following temples:
〉
DISCOVER ANGKOR’S SECRETS
Ta Prohm
This temple has been relatively untouched
in an effort to preserve rather than restore.
The beauty of Ta Prohm is a result of the
elements; massive trees taking root on and
around these ancient structures.
Depending on group interests, other temple visits can be arranged
or you may decide to use allotted free time to return to the park on
your own to visit more temples.
ENJOY ARTISTIC PERFORMANCES
Cambodian Living Arts initiated a number of classes operating in and
around Siem Reap. Additionally many of the artists and arts organizations
we work with are located here.
〉Phare,
the Cambodian
Circus
An amazing blend of traditional and modern theatre,
music, dance, acrobatics, juggling, and contortion beautifully choreographed and
performed in a story about
Cambodian lives and society.
All performers are trained at
Phare Ponleu Selpak, an association providing arts education in Battambang.
GET TO KNOW THE ARTISTS WE WORK WITH
〉
While in Siem Reap there will be opportunities to meet with artists before
or after performances or in the privacy of their homes and work spaces.
The following are some artists living and working in the area.
Wat Bo Shadow Puppets
VISUAL ARTS HIGHLIGHT
LEANG SECKON
Kantaoming (kong skor)
Kantaoming, which is believed to date back
to the time of the Buddha and is one of
Cambodia’s rarest art forms, is played for
funerals and features gongs, drums, and a
unique Khmer reed instrument called the
srolai. The music is meant to sound like a
lullaby for the end of life, to guide the spirit
of the dead back to its homeland for a favorable rebirth.
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Culture
〉
〉
The art of large shadow puppets is one of
the country’s oldest traditions, likely to
have developed during the pre-Angkorian
period. These large puppets are made of
cow leather that is carefully cut by hand
to make different shapes, creating not just
characters but at times an entire scene
from a story. Traditionally, all of the stories
told by the large shadow puppet art form
are excerpts from the Reamker (Cambodian
version of the Ramayana epic).
Sounds of Angkor
Since March 2013 the Sounds of Angkor
troupe has been experimenting and rehearsing to create new music based on ancient traditions from the Angkorian world.
This CLA-founded troupe is led by Master
Mann Men.
Leang Seckon is one of Cambodia’s foremost contemporary artists and works in
both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. His
work is autobiographical in nature, having
grown up under the Khmer Rouge, subsequent Vietnamese occupation, and the
country’s first, albeit violent, democratic
election. In 2013, Seckon was a participating artist in Season of Cambodia, an initiative of CLA that featured more than 125
Cambodian performing and visual artists
throughout New York City.
LIM MUY THEAM
Lim Muy Theam owns and operates
Theam’s House. Theam’s House is the
personal home of Lim Muy Theam turned
art gallery and working space dedicated to
the creation and highlighting of Cambodian arts and crafts. Theam is the former
Artisans d’Angkor Artistic Director. Phloeun
Prim, Executive Director of CLA, as part of
an entrepreneurial initiative of the European Union, helped make Artisans d’Angkor a
self-sustaining company, which today employs over 1000 artisans and staff.
DAYS 5 THROUGH 6
SIEM REAP-ANGKOR
BATTAMBANG
BATTAMBANG
PHNOM PENH
Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia and
one with a very unique character and beauty. Throughout the city you can find different phases of its history reflected in its architecture (New Khmer, French-Classical
style villas, and Khmer wooden houses) in addition to some remarkable rural scenery.
The arts are thriving in Battambang and many of Cambodia’s best artists are known
to have come from the region.
CONNECT AND EXPLORE
Arn Chorn-Pond, founder of Cambodian
Living Arts and internationally recognized
human rights leader, speaker, and trainer
was born and spent the early years of his
life in Battambang. Join Arn as he takes
you on a walking tour of the city visiting
key spots from the book Never Fall Down.
A National Book Award Finalist, Never Fall
Down tells the story of Arn who as a child
survived the Killing Fields by playing music for the Khmer Rouge – music he learnt
from Master Yoeun Mek.
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Culture
DAYS 6 THROUGH 9
SIEM REAP-ANGKOR
PHNOM PENH
BATTAMBANG
PHNOM
PENH
Phnom Penh is situated at the confluence of three rivers:
the Mekong, the Tonle Sap, and the Tonle Bassac. As the cultural, commercial, and
political center of the country, Phnom Penh has a lot to offer.
VISIT THE CITY’S MANY
CULTURAL & HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS
〉The
Killing Fields
(Choeung Ek)
Choeung Ek is now the resting home to the
thousands of people who lost their lives under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. A visit of
the memorial grounds includes an excellent
audio tour available in several languages.
〉Royal
Palace
Built over a century ago, the buildings of
the Royal Palace are an excellent example
of Khmer architecture and serve as the
royal residence of the king of Cambodia.
The palace is a must see on any visit to the
capital.
THE CLA
CONNECTION
Him Sophy wrote Memory from Darkness in 1990, inspired by his own life
and the atrocities he witnessed during the Khmer Rouge era. In 2014 CLA
recorded and produced the album
Memory from Darkness. This major
work can also be heard as part of the
audio tour at the Killing Fields.
ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: NEANG KAVICH
〉
Neang Kavich studied Cambodian
classical and folk dance at CLA but has
since gone on to be a documentary film
maker, exploring social issues at home;
adding to public debate on issues of
cultural identity.
Plae Pakaa
Plae Pakaa (translated as “fruitful”), is a
CLA original production featured exclusively at the National Museum of Phnom Penh.
The production features three dynamic
and unique performances each taking you
on a journey through Cambodian music,
theater and dance.
PLAE PAKAA
〉White
building
The iconic White Building located in the
Tonle Bassac area is one of the few remaining old buildings not yet transformed
or destroyed by the recent wave of urban
development. Built in 1963 and often associated with poverty, the White Building
is home to, among others, a vibrant community of artists, cultural workers, civil
servants, and street vendors.
Reviewed on Tripadvisor 2013
have I seen such a beautiful showcase of cultural and historical richness of
“thisSeldom
country. I was fascinated by the dancers’ performance and their delicate skills in
dancing and singing .
”
THE CLA CONNECTION
In 2003 CLA started supporting a classical
and folk dance class in the White Building.
This class has since gone on to become the
Children of Bassac troupe. Children of Bassac
presents an array of dances from Khmer and
different ethnic minorities that reside in Cambodia and the troupe now regularly performs
as part of Plae Pakaa at the National Museum.
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA: Kingdom of Culture
TRADITIONAL ART HIGHLIGHT
Smot is a chanted form of poetry that tells stories about the life of the Buddha or Khmer
stories that teach religious principles. Smot is performed by a soloist and is usually sung
at funerals. Smot can be challenging to learn because the melodies and vocal style are
quite different from modern songs. The words in Smot are written in Pali, not Khmer
(the local language of Cambodia), making it difficult to memorize at first.
BE INSPIRED BY
THE HOPE OF A NATION
As we near the end of our journey the
group will come together with CLA partners and the next generation of arts Masters and national leaders, highlighting the
HOPE of the country through its vivacious
arts scene and arts practitioners.
Depending on availability and
scheduling, the final itinerary may
include any of the above listed options or other new exciting opportunities that may become available.
All accommodation and airport
transfers will be arranged for
you prior to arriving in
Cambodia.
Adding to the overall distinctiveness of our
tours, all in country travel between major
cities will be done via the Khmer Magic
Music Bus. The Khmer Magic Music Bus is
the brainchild and newest endeavor of Arn
Chorn-Pond. The project links back to Arn’s
early vision for CLA – helping Cambodian
Master musicians return traditional musical
performances and education to the people
of rural Cambodia. Once on the bus, you
will become a part of the Khmer Magic
Music Bus family; experiencing impromptu roadside performances and one-on-one
time with the artists who make the bus not
only a means of transportation but a journey into the heart and soul of traditional
Cambodian sound.
〉
〉
In country travel
Living Cuisine
Throughout our journey together, we will
expose you to authentic Cambodian cuisine made from local seasonal fruits and
vegetables in the form of mouthwatering
entrees. All communal meals will take place
at some of Cambodia’s finest restaurants or
in the private homes of the artists we work
with – creating a family style environment
unique to our tours.
Fancy something a bit more exotic? Cambodia is ripe for the adventurous foodie,
with local dishes made from fermented
fish, hot chilli, or a serving of fried spiders
– a regional delicacy in Cambodia.
EXPERIENCE CAMBODIA:
Kingdom of Culture
A 9 DAY / 8 NIGHT CULTURAL DELEGATION
This trip is organized by Cambodian Living Arts. Our mission is to facilitate the transformation of Cambodia through the arts. We do this by building the capacity of artists and the arts community, by promoting
awareness of the arts, and by advocating for the arts with cultural policy makers and major institutions.
We believe that through creativity we can each expand our potential as human beings.
Space is limited. A final commitment for the August Delegation is needed by 1 May and a final commitment for the January Delegation is needed by 1 October. For more information and to reserve your spot,
please email [email protected]. You can also reach us at
1-844-CLA-ARTS (252-2787).
© Photo Credits: Marion Gommard, Lakhesis/dreamstime.com, Anders Jiras, JF Mousseau, Patrick
Kersalé, Melissa Im, Chean Long, George Nickels, Luciano Mortula-dreamstime.com, Pipop Boosarakumwadi/dreamstime.com, Dennis Drenner, Kim Hak, Ldambies/dreamstime.com, Ros Sarith
Season of Cambodia, Aga Cebula, Charley Todd