Arts for Cambodian Children & Teens at Champey

The  start of a new chapter in 2013: Champey Academy of Arts ( CAA)

January 2013  marks  the start of a new chapter in our efforts to bring the joys, discipline and pride of culture of traditional  Cambodian arts and  dance    to underprivileged  children. Expanding upon our previous project of Summer Arts Camp , several of the teachers and staff formerly with our old Apsara program  are  continuing to  work with us on our new project the    Champey Academy of Arts ( CAA). CAA   started dance classes  at our new location  this month in  Phnom Penh. Champey is the  Cambodia name for the tropical  plumeria flower.  Our new location is centrally located and is  just a  short walk of one block to the Royal Palace, the National Museum and Royal University of Fine Arts.

Our inaugural class includes a group of approximately 20  young girls age 9 to 16  from a shelter for abused and formerly trafficked children in Phnom Penh.  They are  attending classes twice a week. We are receiving a strong expression of interest from other groups who serve disadvantaged children and we are looking forward to  building a robust and diverse  year round roster of activities for our students as our funding permits.

Activities which our program hopes to  include, is to offer year round enrichment programs in  traditional Cambodian dance, music instruction on traditional Cambodian musical instruments and instruction in a variety of Khmer arts and in Khmer culture and  history for children who might otherwise grow up with little or no knowledge of their nation’s rich cultural history.

We are looking forward to bringing you more updates as our new program unfolds.