Cambodian Living Arts

“Khmer arts will become a wellspring of strength and resiliency and a vital source of healing and reconciliation.”

Our mission is to support the revival of Cambodian traditional art forms and to inspire contemporary artistic expression.

We envision Cambodia in the year 2020 as a country experiencing a cultural renaissance so dynamic that the arts have become Cambodia’s international signature.

History
Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) was founded ten years ago by Arn Chorn-Pond, a Cambodian-American refugee who was featured in the Emmy-nominated movie, The Flute Player. Originally called the Cambodian Masters Performing Project (CMPP), Arn founded this organization when he first returned to Cambodia in order to support the music teachers who helped him survive the horrors of the Khmer Rouge.

“Approximately ninety percent of Cambodia’s performing artists died during the Khmer Rouge regime, a devastating blow to all of Cambodia’s oral traditions”.

After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, this cultural tragedy was compounded by two subsequent decades of economic hardship, when very few of the surviving master musicians could make a living performing or teaching.

Cambodian Living Arts stepped in to support those masters who, despite their deep knowledge and skill, had either retired or reduced their teaching and performing loads. When it was founded, it supported three masters and their classes. Since then, CLA has grown tremendously.

Our Work
CLA’s four core programs—teaching, performing, recording, and new commissions—support 15 master musicians and nearly 300 students and assistant teachers to develop skills and relationships that will enable them to generate income and develop as leaders, while also helping to preserve and celebrate their heritage.

“CLA works with the belief that supporting arts education is a way for people to grow and develop and heal from the traumas and hardships of both the past and the present.”

We believe this, not only because the traditional arts keeps younger generations connected to their heritage and the elders in their community, but because through the mentoring and guidance process, the students and masters build their confidence, are able to exercise leadership skills, and nurture hopes for the future.”

If you would like to help support the goals of Cambodian Living Arts, please donate here.

Cambodian Living Arts (CLA)
c/o Marion Institute
202 Spring Street
Marion, MA 02738

Ph: 508.748.0816
Fax: 508.748.1976
Website: www.cambodianlivingarts.org

Michelle Prevost
Development Coordinator
michelle@cambodianlivingarts.org

Cambodia Office:

Cambodian Living Arts (CLA)
#128 G9, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Ph. (855) 23 986 032

Phany Tum
Country Manager
Phany@cambodianlivingarts.org

“In the Khmer Rouge years, where ultranationalists ruled, even traditional culture suffered severely. CLA is probably the best source and certainly the best 'indigenous' organization to revive Cambodian culture - and those ethnic minorities within Cambodia, in all its forms artistically. From a few scattered and shattered individuals, CLA is drawing together master artists and young mentors. In doing so they are doing a service to humanity in preserving a rich culture we can all learn from.” 
- Andrew Ian Jamieson, Facebook Fan