Cambodia

The educational NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang offers free general education that complements the Cambodian public school curriculum. Children aged 6 to 10, from poor families who cannot afford the additional schooling provided by private institutions, attend regular classes only half a day. They are welcomed the rest of the time at the NGO, where they can either continue their academic learning or enjoy artistic training in fields such as circus arts, music, dance, painting, theater, and more. In theory, Phare Ponleu Selpak accepts children from all backgrounds; however, in practice, most of them come from the public elementary school located directly across from the association. The two institutions are closely linked through a relationship of trust.

The Circus: A signature feature

Visitors have the opportunity to thoroughly explore the various buildings of the organization — from the kindergarten, which hosts and cares for young children not yet old enough to join the main program, to the circus tent where performances are held three times a week (1), passing through all the artistic training rooms, including those for traditional and modern music, among others. During your visit, you will observe the training sessions of each artistic discipline and witness samples of their work. Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday (1), shows by the semi-professional youth troupe of the Phare Ponleu Circus are organized. The professional troupe members now work full-time in the city of Siem Reap and rarely return to perform at the place where their journey began. The semi-professional troupe focuses more on humorous performances, while the professionals rigorously train to achieve movement perfection. In any case, you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time watching the performances of either troupe.

(1): From October to March, during the high season, the NGO organizes four performances per week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday). During the low season, from April to September, the number drops to three performances per week (Monday, Thursday, and Saturday).