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Phare, the Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap is more than a conventional acrobatic circus. The artists create and perform stories based on their own life experiences. Drawing from recent history, folklore and modern society, the artists blend drama, dance, live music, and circus arts to share a part of their lives with their audiences.
The Phare Circus artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training center in Battambang.
Phare Ponleu Selpak – roughly translated, The Brightness of the Arts – is a non-profit arts school, offering support to children, youth, and the surrounding communities through artistic, educational, social, and community outreach and engagement programs.
The performing, visual and applied arts leisure classes, and vocational training aid children and young adults to develop their creativity, communication, and concentration skills.
The Phare Ponleu Selpak association was formed in 1994 by nine 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 they wanted to share this new skill among the poor, socially deprived and troubled youngsters in Battambang.
Thus, the nine men founded an art school and then a public school followed to be able 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 students 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.
The students come from unimaginably difficult social and economic backgrounds.
Basically Phare, The Cambodian Circus, is the social business extension of the Phare Ponleu Selpak non-profit schools.
The circus offers the students and graduates somewhere to hone their skills and a place to earn a decent wage. Money that will help them break the cycle of poverty and give them and their families self-respect and freedom.
The circus graduates have the opportunity to develop a sustainable artistic career in the Phare Circus whilst helping to preserve and promote Cambodian arts and culture at the same time.
And you can do your part, too. By attending a Phare Circus show, you financially support the school, and help to provide opportunities for Cambodian artists.
Or, if you’re not near Siem Reap but want to do something tangible right now, you can donate here.
On their website as well as through many enthusiastic reviews Phare, The Cambodian Circus promises, “The young circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm, and talent.”
So, it’s time to book a flight to Cambodia. Or to at least keep this inspirational circus group on your to-do list for when you travel through this part of Asia.
“A wonderful night out that is entertaining, awe inspiring and thrilling. The performers are brilliant and very athletic. What they do mere mortals could not even contemplate. Great fun.”
“An excellent and super fun production. This is a show with a story line (no language used) and advanced acrobatics. Very well done. The storyline is easy to follow and incorporates a lot of humor with facial expressions, etc. We all really enjoyed it. There is a food court before the show where you can purchase traditional food at a very reasonable price and eat before going in. The show lasts about an hour. Highly recommend.”
“Fabulous from beginning until the end. Phare embraces artistic excellence with a Khmer touch. Simply put, it was amazing! Don’t expect a circus in its conventional definition but a truly engaging 1-hour piece of pure entertainment with a deep social message. This was my second time seeing Phare, and it will certainly not be my last one.”
Phare Official Website
Phare on Tripadvisor
Official Website Phare Ponleu Selpak’s Vocational Training Center
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Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
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